"Hallelujah"

THE HOLY OR THE BROKEN: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah”

By: Alan Light                          3.5 Stars

 

This is really more of a 3.5 star book. It is an interesting read about how “Hallelujah” started as a Leonard Cohen original. It was rejected by his record label and remained widely unknown for many years. In time John Cale covered it and Jeff Buckley’s rendition ultimately helped establish it as the power house song it is today.

The song is fully immersed within our culture today. It has been covered many times, not only because it is an incredible song, but the different versions and lyrics can relay a plethora of emotions. Emotions such as love, hate, desire, despair, hope, love, submission, praise and more can all be invoked by the mere chord progression. You simply add different instruments, change the tempo, or even pick and choose the different verses for your unique rendition. The song can be haunting, heart wrenching, exciting or even hymnal. Different covers can be found in movies and TV shows, in sermons by pastors, even in such horrific moments such as 9/11 or natural disaster coverage.

The Holy or the Broken covers what the pioneers of the song thought of the piece. It goes on giving many other musicians input about the song and how they interpreted it within their cover. It even presents a few surprised reactions when the artists realize who the original composer was. Ultimately, it is how “Halleluiah” has exploded and become a phenomenon.

This is really more of a 3.5 star book. It is an interesting read about how “Hallelujah” started as a Leonard Cohen original. It was rejected by his record label and remained widely unknown for many years. In time John Cale covered it and Jeff Buckley’s rendition ultimately helped establish it as the power house song it is today.

The song is fully immersed within our culture today. It has been covered many times, not only because it is an incredible song, but the different versions and lyrics can relay a plethora of emotions. Emotions such as love, hate, desire, despair, hope, love, submission, praise and more can all be invoked by the mere chord progression. You simply add different instruments, change the tempo, or even pick and choose the different verses for your unique rendition. The song can be haunting, heart wrenching, exciting or even hymnal. Different covers can be found in movies and TV shows, in sermons by pastors, even in such horrific moments such as 9/11 or natural disaster coverage.

The Holy or the Broken covers what the pioneers of the song thought of the piece. It goes on giving many other musicians input about the song and how they interpreted it within their cover. It even presents a few surprised reactions when the artists realize who the original composer was. Ultimately, it is how “Halleluiah” has exploded and become a phenomenon.