Bill Callahan "So Long Marianne" (Leonard Cohen Cover)

Leonard Cohen just put out a new album at the tender age of 77 called "Old Ideas" that I will be checking out soon. Consequently Mojo Magazine has put together a compilation of the wordsmiths covers by various artists which include Bradford Cox, Bill Callahan and a few more. Bill Callahan picks up the task of covering  "So Long Marianne" which is my favorite Leonard Cohen song from his debut album. Callahan's rendition of the song is stripped down, accompanied with a slide guitar. The cover is faithful to the original but it lacks the build up and climatic finish which made the original more emotive. Bill Callahan sang the song as good as it can be sung, but there is grittiness in Leonard Cohen's vocals that is greatly missed here.