Chelsea Hotel No. 2

Leonard Cohen: minimalist melody, understated delivery. That's why his music cuts straight to the heart and why I don't like most cover versions. As often happens also with Bob Dylan, artists try to improve on his performance with a sweeter voice, more variation, more expressiveness and feeling. In most (but not all) cases it rubs off the magic and you're left with just a simple, pretty little mournful song (bordering on kitsch) with eccentric lyrics. See Lloyd Cole and Rufus Wainwright for examples with this song. Less is more.

The ones I liked did not try to add anything for the sake of more. They just delivered it differently.

Chelsea Hotel No.2

Matthew Luke Sandoval: to my taste he overshoots the mark with the sensitivity and feeling and... preciousness in his singing and the choice of piano instead of guitar, but you have to respect how beautifully he does so.

Emilyn Brodsky and Anthony Da Costa. OK, they are trying to add something, but it works, enough to be enjoyed in a live performance anyway.

A girl named Celia McKee in a pink room covering Hop Along Queen Ansleis - well, you'll love it or hate it, it is certainly original. (Please do not look at the band she is covering, it's awful.)

And the original - Leonard Cohen, in concert. He goes on a bit in his self-absorbed, impressionist way about what it was like in his head at the time he wrote the song. But with a speaking voice like that, please never stop.