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78 reviews for:
The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah"
Alan Light
3.56 AVERAGE
78 reviews for:
The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah"
Alan Light
3.56 AVERAGE
Few modern songs are so deep in the cultural psyche as “Hallelujah.” The first time I remember REALLY hearing it was an episode of The West Wing, Posse Comitatus. This beautiful, haunting song provided the only sound while a number of scenes played out before our eyes. The song provided more emotion than even Aaron Sorkin’s writing and the stellar cast could convey.
I heard it again in Shrek, but it wasn’t until years later when I saw The Watchmen that I heard it by the man who wrote it, Leonard Cohen. And at that moment, Hallelujah became an integral part of the soundtrack of my life (and as an added bonus, exposed me to the genius that is Mr. Cohen).
Alan Light’s The Holy or The Broken explores how this originally obscure song became a global anthem, hymn, song of praise, song of mourning.
Light explores the origins of the song- after modest success, Columbia records didn’t want to release Various Positions, the album on which Hallelujah originally appeared. Light goes on to recount how John Cale began the resurrection of the song, and ultimately how it ended up in Buckley’s hands, and from there became a cultural phenomenon.
Part religion, part pure sex, Hallelujah means different things to different people. And although even most of us ardent fans are beginning to experience Hallelujah fatigue, few songs evoke the emotion this one does. So many covers of this song. Some are brilliant, Rufus Wainwright, kd lang; others are atrocious- I’m looking at you, Bono, as much as it pains me to type it. But still, the song resonates with nearly everyone.
That is one of things I like best about the book. Light captures so well what the song means to different people. I found myself marking pages, and highlighting passages. One I adore is this: ”Leonard Cohen said the song represented absolute surrender in a situation you cannot fix or dominate, that sometimes it means saying, ‘I don’t fucking know what’s going on, but it can still be beautiful.’” Yes! Yes! That is exactly how I feel about this song. It’s a praise, a lament, a mourning, a cry of hope.
Fans of Hallelujah- and perhaps Cohen and Buckley- and maybe even music fans in general will enjoy this book, the history of the song. As I was reading the book, I found myself out on Spotify, putting together a playlist of every version of Hallelujah that I could find. I listened to it near constantly as I read the book. Hearing the multiple interpretations discussed in the book only added to my enjoyment of reading it. And, for what it’s worth, the line that still resonates with me most is: “I couldn’t feel so I learned to touch.”
I heard it again in Shrek, but it wasn’t until years later when I saw The Watchmen that I heard it by the man who wrote it, Leonard Cohen. And at that moment, Hallelujah became an integral part of the soundtrack of my life (and as an added bonus, exposed me to the genius that is Mr. Cohen).
Alan Light’s The Holy or The Broken explores how this originally obscure song became a global anthem, hymn, song of praise, song of mourning.
Light explores the origins of the song- after modest success, Columbia records didn’t want to release Various Positions, the album on which Hallelujah originally appeared. Light goes on to recount how John Cale began the resurrection of the song, and ultimately how it ended up in Buckley’s hands, and from there became a cultural phenomenon.
Part religion, part pure sex, Hallelujah means different things to different people. And although even most of us ardent fans are beginning to experience Hallelujah fatigue, few songs evoke the emotion this one does. So many covers of this song. Some are brilliant, Rufus Wainwright, kd lang; others are atrocious- I’m looking at you, Bono, as much as it pains me to type it. But still, the song resonates with nearly everyone.
That is one of things I like best about the book. Light captures so well what the song means to different people. I found myself marking pages, and highlighting passages. One I adore is this: ”Leonard Cohen said the song represented absolute surrender in a situation you cannot fix or dominate, that sometimes it means saying, ‘I don’t fucking know what’s going on, but it can still be beautiful.’” Yes! Yes! That is exactly how I feel about this song. It’s a praise, a lament, a mourning, a cry of hope.
Fans of Hallelujah- and perhaps Cohen and Buckley- and maybe even music fans in general will enjoy this book, the history of the song. As I was reading the book, I found myself out on Spotify, putting together a playlist of every version of Hallelujah that I could find. I listened to it near constantly as I read the book. Hearing the multiple interpretations discussed in the book only added to my enjoyment of reading it. And, for what it’s worth, the line that still resonates with me most is: “I couldn’t feel so I learned to touch.”
Loved this. Preferred the anecdotes to all of the statistics but it was very well researched and a nice read.
I listened to the audiobook and felt that the narration was really not great. Very flat, with some words inexplicably mispronounced (for a while there I thought it might have been an AI generated narration).
Despite that, I enjoyed the story very much. Leonard Cohen is one of my favorite musicians and I’ve now delved even deeper into his recordings and interviews as a result of reading this book. And I have probably listened to just about every recording of Hallelujah there is now
Despite that, I enjoyed the story very much. Leonard Cohen is one of my favorite musicians and I’ve now delved even deeper into his recordings and interviews as a result of reading this book. And I have probably listened to just about every recording of Hallelujah there is now
A well-researched oral history of one of the most complicated and colorful paratexts to accompany a modern piece of music. I wish this book existed before the 2011 In Memorandum controversy - would have been well-armed to call the haters out!
informative
slow-paced
I remember hearing Jeff Buckley's "Grace" when it first came out in 1994. The first few tracks blew me away, then "Hallelujah" knocked me over and left me speechless. Like most everyone else, I didn't know Leonard Cohen wrote it. In nearly 20 years (30 if you count Cohen's original), "Hallelujah" has worked its way into pop culture via "Shrek", American Idol, and countless covers.
Alan Light's The Holy or the Broken, reads a bit like Cohen's original lyrics to this amazing song: Light bounces from point to point, sometimes without a clear direction, but ultimately succeeds in capturing the essence of one of the most amazing songs of our lifetime.
Alan Light's The Holy or the Broken, reads a bit like Cohen's original lyrics to this amazing song: Light bounces from point to point, sometimes without a clear direction, but ultimately succeeds in capturing the essence of one of the most amazing songs of our lifetime.
informative
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
A thorough story about who has covered the song, and in what styles, and which the author prefers. I hoped for more about Cohen and writing the song. Surely that book exists, but it's not Light's book.
Interesting fact that Cohen prefers k.d. lang's version most.
Interesting fact that Cohen prefers k.d. lang's version most.
I found all the background information very interesting. This song will always have a special place in my heart and it's meaning can and does change depending on mood or circumstances. It's an absolute gem of a song. It's a pity that my favourite version by Jeffrey Adam Gutt isn't mentioned however I believe the book was written before he performed it.
An interesting slice of music history, detailing how an obscure track from an obscure songwriter grew over time to become one of rock music's most-covered songs. Author Alan Light recounts the sequence of events that fed the growing "Hallelujah" avalanche, but he also delves deeply into the tensions and ironies inherent in the lyrics, exploring how the same song can seem secular or sacred, a hymn of triumph or of tragedy, depending on each singer's emphasis. The many diverse interpretations of Leonard Cohen's words have helped drive it to its unexpected success, and Light's interviews with some of its more famous performers represent a fascinating kaleidoscope of perspectives on this modern classic.