"Thoughtful and illuminating... [Mr. Light] is a fine companion for this journey through one song’s changing fortunes."
The Holy or the Broken
Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah"
Description
See the film Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song from Sony Pictures Classics
This “thoughtful and illuminating” (The New York Times) work of music journalism is an unforgettable, fascinating, and unexpected account of one of the most performed and beloved songs in pop history—Leonard Cohen’s heartrending “Hallelujah.”
How did one obscure song become an international anthem for human triumph and tragedy, a song each successive generation seems to feel they have discovered and claimed as uniquely their own? Celebrated music journalist Alan Light follows the improbable journey of “Hallelujah” straight to the heart of popular culture.
Pages288
Released2012
LanguageEnglish
PublisherAtria Books
ISBN9781451657869
SellerSimon & Schuster
About the author(s)
Emmy Award–winning music journalist Alan Light is the author of numerous books including The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah” (which was adapted into an acclaimed documentary), as well as Let’s Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain and biographies of Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, and the Beastie Boys. He was the cowriter of bestselling memoirs by Gregg Allman and Peter Frampton. Alan was a senior writer at Rolling Stone and the editor-in-chief of Vibe and Spin. He contributes frequently to The New York Times, Esquire, and The Wall Street Journal, among many publications, and cohosts the podcast Sound Up! With Mark Goodman and Alan Light.
Reviews
"A combination mystery tale, detective story, pop critique and sacred psalm of its own."
"Brilliantly revelatory... A masterful work of critical journalism."
"A deeply researched mixture of critical analysis and cultural archaeology."
"Keeps the pages turning... A well-constructed, consistently enlightening book, which should have Cohen devotees and music fans alike seeking out their favorite version of the song."
"Fresh and compelling."
"Reverentially details every stage in the [song's] evolution—and along the way, he reveals the compelling stories behind some of its most iconic interpretations."
"Absorbing…Eloquent... Light expertly unpacks the song's long, strange journey to ubiquity."
"A must for music fans."
"Reads like an investigative oral biography of a song. A true songography."
