K.D. Lang Sings Hallelujah
February 2, 2008
I can't believe I missed this in 2005. I don't watch awards shows so that would be why, but I was reading Saturday's Globe and Mail, and they were profiling one of Canada's greatest voices, k.d. lang and her upcoming album Watershed. In the article they mentioned her Juno performance of 2005 where she sang Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.
"She single handedly changed the tone of the event from flashy awards show to an encounter with a kind of truth that's rare in the age of reality TV."
I had to check it out.
Amazing.
A lot of people try and sing Leonard Cohen songs, but most simply fail to express the poetry in the songs. (Even Bono's version of Hallelujah on Tower of Song or Jeff Buckley's feels hollow.)
K.d.'s performance is truly transcendent.
You are so right, David -- a
You are so right, David -- a truly amazing performance. I meant to go and watch it after I read the Globe story, but forgot until your post reminded me. Incredible.
That performace would lead to impulse buys
I was so blow away by the performance, I wanted to go buy that EXACT performance. I couldn't find it for sale anywhere. Hymns of the 49th Parallel is available, but unfortunately the industry still has stupid and archaic regional rules.
bring it back home
I love early kd, but, sorry, this performance seems too mannered and stylized. Wonderful vocal mastery, still, but methinks too much of Tony Bennett's crooner style has rubbed off on our favourite torch singer from Consort. There's a lack of emotional authenticity. It's acting.
Respectfully Disagree.
Hi Aislyn,
Love the listing of Hallelujah versions and covers! Awesome. Great blog, too. I'm now a subscriber.
I respectfully disagree with you regarding kd's performance. I have heard performers being accused of acting on stage before, but what does that really mean? Are "performance" and "acting" not one in the same? Brando's performance in "Streetcar Named Desire" is acting. A singer performing a live concert is acting, too. We as an audience are witness to it, but does the performance make us believe? The Stone's performance 3 Super Bowls ago certainly did not, but I for one believe in kd's performance. I felt it even in a crappy video copy on the web, and I certainly think the lucky audience at the Juno's did as well.
Thanks for the post and disagreement. Cool.