‘Avalanche’ is a brooding song, one of darkness and mourning, but also comfort by way of opposites, in that it depicts by proxy the light beyond the avalanche’s passing. Ultimately, this is just about as moody as music can get. In the darkness of the melody, it becomes clear why Cohen was championed as the voice of the divine. And what’s more, it becomes clear the kinship that both Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen share as songwriters.
Thus, when Cave chose to tackle ‘Avalanche’ for a cover, it was a bold and daring move that exhibited a great deal of courage on his part. He dared to risk derision for laying his hands on something that he not only liked but cherished. Of course, most covers are embarked upon from a place of admiration, but often the artist has a view of ‘making it their own’ or ‘adding a new spin’, Cave was coming at his cover from a position of unrivalled reverence.
The cover was part of a session with the Starz pirate show Black Sails. Sat behind the piano and alongside Warren Ellis’ haunting violin in the background, Cave braved the choppy seas of ‘Avalanche’ with gutsy bravura.
When Cohen heard the track he said that Cave had butchered it, but fear not fellow Cave fans, far from being a scathing criticism he actually meant it as a compliment. As he told Steven Blush at the time when asked which covers of his songs he has liked and which have been butchering’s: “There have probably been some who have butchered it, but I’ve generally liked the job that people have done with it. I guess you could say Nick Cave butchered my song, ‘Avalanche,’ and if that’s the case, let there be more butchers like that.”
Posted from: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/leonard-cohen-said-nick-cave-butchered-his-song-avalanche/
