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K.D. Lang — Helpless
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teleskialaska
(Alaska)
Posted: Jan 23, 2013 - 20:26
 
I like K.D., but this is not really  working for me.  I know she is pay her respects to Neil, but give me Neil on this one. 

amanzanom
Posted: Dec 17, 2012 - 03:45
 
How to slay a song...

barend
(steenbergen (rockmountains))
Posted: Dec 17, 2012 - 03:41
 


Hannio
(Austin, TX)
Posted: Oct 15, 2012 - 10:37
 
 Trustocity wrote:
Here's a very simple observation to determine the relevence of this cover: When Neil sings it, he sounds helpless. When k.d. sings it, she sounds like she just got a request from someone in the audience to take a stab at an old standard. What she doesn't sound is angst-ridden in the least.
 

She comes across sounding very coy to me.  "Ooooh, I'm just sooooo helpless over here all by my little self.  Won't sooooomebody come rescue little ol' me?" 

robotbass
(Boston Area)
Posted: Oct 15, 2012 - 10:31
 
Contrary to popular opinion...I like this version. Also, I love the album. It has some really great stuff on it.

ckcotton
(Adding snarky comments since 2007)
Posted: Oct 15, 2012 - 10:30
 
Patiently hoping this is the purgatory before the REAL version.....

jukes1
(Indianapolis, IN)
Posted: Oct 15, 2012 - 10:29
 
Better than the original recording. Not as good as the live one off of Massey Hall.

TJS
(Bradley, Il)
Posted: Aug 13, 2012 - 09:57
 
Can't go higher than 5 on this one.

bachbeet
Posted: Jul 12, 2012 - 23:25
 
Not nearly as good as the original by Neil Young.

TJS
(Bradley, Il)
Posted: Jun 11, 2012 - 07:33
 
I love her voice in this song but the staccato beat of the rhythm doesn't do it for me.  It's still a 5 though.

lily34
(lexvegas)
Posted: Jun 11, 2012 - 07:32
 
hate this version. she sounds whiney. ugh.

mcullers
(Country-Dominated TX)
Posted: May 10, 2012 - 12:27
 
 deadmessengers wrote:
This might be the only thing KD Lang has ever done that I didn't like.  Her voice, her delivery, everything, is just flawless - which is exactly the kind of voice that this song didn't need.   To be fair, she was trying to improve on something that was damn near perfect to begin with.  
 
Bob leans down and says, "My sentiments exactly."

UltraNurd
(Cambridge, MA)
Posted: May 10, 2012 - 12:26
 
This cover is really growing on me.

ce
(The Netherlands)
Posted: Mar 08, 2012 - 02:36
 
 deadmessengers wrote:
This might be the only thing KD Lang has ever done that I didn't like.  Her voice, her delivery, everything, is just flawless - which is exactly the kind of voice that this song didn't need.   To be fair, she was trying to improve on something that was damn near perfect to begin with.  
 
My first reaction was similar, it seems arrogant to try to improve or even approach the harmonies of the mighty Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
However, it is growing on me, quite a nice cover.

buddy
Posted: Feb 05, 2012 - 10:05
 
 deadmessengers wrote:
This might be the only thing KD Lang has ever done that I didn't like.  Her voice, her delivery, everything, is just flawless - which is exactly the kind of voice that this song didn't need.   To be fair, she was trying to improve on something that was damn near perfect to begin with.  
 
I had the same reaction. No, not much you can do to improve on the beautiful, haunting Neil Young original. So chalk it up to (perhaps) a self-indulgent "nice try" for what surely is one of her old school favs.  Now, let's hear her version of "Hallelujah", which is every bit as good as the Jeff Buckley, version, both being covers of the Leonard Cohen classic.


Papernapkin
(Mountain View, CA)
Posted: Feb 05, 2012 - 10:00
 
I get a chuckle every time I hear her mention Big Bird.

martinc
(Ottawa Canada)
Posted: Feb 05, 2012 - 09:59
 
All Canadians just sing along to this song no matter who does it. All together now, Helpless, Helpless, Helpless, Helpless. That's feels pretty good, eh?

deadmessengers
(Atlanta)
Posted: Jan 04, 2012 - 15:12
 
This might be the only thing KD Lang has ever done that I didn't like.  Her voice, her delivery, everything, is just flawless - which is exactly the kind of voice that this song didn't need.   To be fair, she was trying to improve on something that was damn near perfect to begin with.  

vit
Posted: Jan 04, 2012 - 15:12
 
Thank the gods for youtube to get her voice singing these lyrics out of my head.

Grammarcop
(Upriver from Zug Island)
Posted: Jan 04, 2012 - 15:09
 
I've heard three or four covers of this song, and I have to admit that I like them all.

Proclivities
(Carrboro, NC)
Posted: Nov 02, 2011 - 06:14
 
 rtrudeau wrote:
There's no denying she has a beautiful voice. However, this interpretation brings nothing new to the song. It's just "pretty." The original actually made the listener me feel angst, helplessness. This version does not.
 
fyt


llano48
(austin)
Posted: Nov 02, 2011 - 06:12
 
Happy Birthday k.d.!!!!!!

MiracleDrug
(Earth)
Posted: Nov 02, 2011 - 06:08
 
 KevinM wrote:
 suebee3 wrote:

She's such a whiner.


Maybe so but she does a hell of a lot better than that gawd awful crooner Neil Young

 

roger that...

Zimmerman84
Posted: Aug 31, 2011 - 07:10
 
Oh my god. This has to be the best way to completely ruin an absolute classic of a tune. This is mr youngs, get off!

kingart
(Brooklyn NY)
Posted: Jun 29, 2011 - 11:49
 
Nice version of a truly classic song. But there can be only one impeccable rendition of this, and that's the dude who wrote it. 

govna
(beantown)
Posted: Jun 29, 2011 - 11:47
 
man, that's nice.

KevinM
(Long Beach, Ca)
Posted: May 28, 2011 - 19:57
 
 suebee3 wrote:

She's such a whiner.


Maybe so but she does a hell of a lot better than that gawd awful crooner Neil Young


nagsheadlocal
(North Carolina, the new New Jersey)
Posted: Apr 27, 2011 - 06:46
 
 michaelgmitchell wrote:
"Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllpless ..."

k.d., God bless ya', girl. I don't know which is worse; her beating certain words to death with her looping plunge to the great bottoms or Beth Orton's mu-hashing of wu-hords with that wu-heird "h" thu-hing she does. Actually, imagine Beth singing "Helpless"!
Hmm ... hu-hu-hu-hu-hu-elllllllllp-lu-hess ... or something or other.
 
 
Yeah, I have to admit: as a huge fan of both k.d. and Orton, there are times when I wonder about their choices.

This cover of "Helpless" goes seriously astray from the very start, and there are times when Orton is obviously lost. But, that's OK, we all make mistakes and fortunately for the rest of us, we don't make mistakes on a recording heard by the world. 

suebee3
Posted: Apr 27, 2011 - 06:46
 

She's such a whiner.



Cynaera
(South of Neanderthal)
Posted: Mar 26, 2011 - 16:52
 
 michaelgmitchell wrote:
"Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllpless ..."

k.d., God bless ya', girl. I don't know which is worse; her beating certain words to death with her looping plunge to the great bottoms or Beth Orton's mu-hashing of wu-hords with that wu-heird "h" thu-hing she does. Actually, imagine Beth singing "Helpless"!
Hmm ... hu-hu-hu-hu-hu-elllllllllp-lu-hess ... or something or other.
 
 
Oh. my. gawd.  I'm laughing so hard I think I dislocated my spine.  You are SO dead-on.  I think what I love most about Mr. Young's song is that aching, heart-breaking vocal. So much sorrow and yearning in it.... K.D. just didn't convey that in her version.  And yep, Beth Orton's vo-ho-cals ca-han be-he a little bi-hit anno-hoy-ing...


bindi
(North Carolina)
Posted: Mar 26, 2011 - 16:44
 
 dctrpunda wrote:
i got past my love of Neil's version and enjoyed this cover
 
same here - in my book, K.D. can do no wrong.


Rotterdam
Posted: Feb 23, 2011 - 05:51
 
 michaelgmitchell wrote:
"Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllpless ..."

k.d., God bless ya', girl. I don't know which is worse; her beating certain words to death with her looping plunge to the great bottoms or Beth Orton's mu-hashing of wu-hords with that wu-heird "h" thu-hing she does. Actually, imagine Beth singing "Helpless"!
Hmm ... hu-hu-hu-hu-hu-elllllllllp-lu-hess ... or something or other.
 
 
{#Lol}  Are you the only other person in the world irritated by Beth Orton? 
On the other hand, I really like KD Lang's wonderful, honest voice.
And I like this song done by her. 

citizenkeith
Posted: Feb 23, 2011 - 05:47
 
Good. I like Nick Cave's version better.

xkolibuul
(Chuckanut sandstone)
Posted: Jan 22, 2011 - 23:23
 
 tipper wrote:
How could she?
 
Because she did this so well.  KD lives up to the original, and also makes it her own.  That's all one should ever ask of a cover.  Love to hear more from this album.  I haven't followed her in years.  

michaelgmitchell
(Belleville, ON)
Posted: Dec 22, 2010 - 14:36
 
"Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllpless ..."

k.d., God bless ya', girl. I don't know which is worse; her beating certain words to death with her looping plunge to the great bottoms or Beth Orton's mu-hashing of wu-hords with that wu-heird "h" thu-hing she does. Actually, imagine Beth singing "Helpless"!
Hmm ... hu-hu-hu-hu-hu-elllllllllp-lu-hess ... or something or other.
 

linzie
Posted: Dec 22, 2010 - 14:33
 
Sorry, but Neil's version can't be topped...this one pale's.....

dctrpunda
(the thin line of here)
Posted: Nov 20, 2010 - 20:59
 
i got past my love of Neil's version and enjoyed this cover

mfassett
(Redwood City, CA)
Posted: Sep 18, 2010 - 14:48
 
 osbyec wrote:


I love "Hallelujah" done by both Leonard Cohen and Rufus Wainwright, and I hadn't heard her version until the Olympics.  At first I thought it was going to be too pretty, but by the end I had chills.
 
Agree!  It's not quite up there with Buckley's version, but IMHO kd's is the 2nd best version... 

mfassett
(Redwood City, CA)
Posted: Sep 18, 2010 - 14:47
 
 Kokoloco53 wrote:

Wow, I feel sorry for you that you've limited your horizons. Cover music is cover music, and it doesn't take away from Young original, but if you've never heard this album, you've missed one of the all time great collections from an awesome talent.

 Detlaps wrote:

Well said (voice/song thing).
 
 
completely agree, this is an AWESOME collection of songs by a great singer... well worth a purchase, I wore this out.  

clwguy
Posted: Sep 18, 2010 - 11:57
 
 rtrudeau wrote:
There's no denying she has a beautiful voice. However, this interpretation brings nothing new to the song. It's just "pretty." The original actually made the listener feel angst, helplessness. This version does not.
 
i don't know... emotion is a subjective thing. i do feel some angst and a certain amount of empathy when i listen to this version. But It seems that amongst the music elite, a singer needs to have a weak, crackly voice to be considered as having emotion


Kokoloco53
(Safford, AZ)
Posted: Sep 18, 2010 - 11:50
 

Wow, I feel sorry for you that you've limited your horizons. Cover music is cover music, and it doesn't take away from Young original, but if you've never heard this album, you've missed one of the all time great collections from an awesome talent.

 Detlaps wrote:

Well said (voice/song thing).

 



Viv515
(Calgary, Alberta)
Posted: Jul 16, 2010 - 13:07
 
Bill, please play The Valley off of this album — better rendition than the original by Jane Siberry (who is an amazing artist)!

Detlaps
(Littlerock, too close to Los Angeles)
Posted: Jul 16, 2010 - 13:02
 
 sheeelaaa wrote:
Beautiful voice ... wrong song.  Only Neil can be truly Helpless!  lol
 
Well said (voice/song thing).


sheeelaaa
Posted: Jun 14, 2010 - 16:07
 
Beautiful voice ... wrong song.  Only Neil can be truly Helpless!  lol

gonzafr
(Northridge, Ca)
Posted: Jun 14, 2010 - 16:03
 
Uhmmmm.. no. {#Naughty}

tipper
Posted: Jun 14, 2010 - 16:00
 
How could she?

soulcollision
(Vancouver, BC)
Posted: Jun 14, 2010 - 15:58
 
nice segue from guaranteed!

Shimmer
(Bethesda, MD)
Posted: May 13, 2010 - 21:52
 
The thing that makes the CSNY original great is the amazing vocal harmony. K.D. sounds nice, but the backing vocals on the chorus are weak.

BlueHeronDruid
(petewa)
Posted: May 13, 2010 - 21:50
 
Not the best tune for her to exercise the beauty of her voice.

CamLwalk
(Albany NY)
Posted: Mar 11, 2010 - 12:22
 
She should cover "For The Turnstiles"....ok maybe not.