Lana Del Rey Covers Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel No. 2"

[Trash Magic 28,395]

Oh guys did U see this foreshadowing??? (note: the bracelets)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She's loyal to her inspirations. Maybe that JB written on her hand in that one photograph will foreshadow a Jeff Buckley cover

Yes! I noticed those bracelets a while ago and wondered if the shoot was related to the hotel

[evilentity 13,345]

Yes! I noticed those bracelets a while ago and wondered if the shoot was related to the hotel

Is that why you posted this status update?

[Cinnamon Girl 75]

why'd they only edit out the first pussy?

Edited March 30, 2013 by Cinnamon Girl

[Rafael 3,513]

Okay I saw this thread title awhile ago and I was like, "Great, more pictures of her leaving a damn hotel people are going to overanalyze the shit out of" and then I saw it on tumblr and oH MY GOD I AM PUNCHING MYSELF FOR NOT FINDING THIS A DAY SOONER. 

Title changed.

Haha sorry. My bad. It was late, I was obsessing over new music (and also a video for that matter) and couldn't stand NOT sharing it here. So it ended up with just the title

 

Thanks for the edit now though

[greymillenium 541]

almost 1 million views!

[Chiunzhan 1,475]

AWESOME COVER   

 

 

but...

 

 

 

 

 

 

where is "Dark Paradise" and "Cola" videos?

 

[IconicSoul 196]

  Yayo and Chelsea hotel vocals...Don't you dare...anyone xD

[slang 1,532]

This song is partly about Janis Joplin I belive, who is also one of Lana's influences. Interesting choice Lana. Janis also smoked Marb Reds. lol

 

I wonder whether LDR's interest is Cohen or Janis Joplin, or both? I didn't know what the song was about initially. Youtube comments and videos provided the answer as usual. For Cohen's setup on his live version:

 

 

at about 2:25 he says he wrote it for Janis.

 

To me the song is unique by being a powerful statement of grief expressed as sarcasm. At least, I can't understand the final lyrics any other way. Of course he thought about her VERY often; you don't write songs about people unless you do. Perhaps that was too obvious to post, but I need 25 posts to unlock secret Lana material ...

[evilentity 13,345]

I wonder whether LDR's interest is Cohen or Janis Joplin, or both?

Both. She's talked about both of them and specific songs of each in interviews before.

[Hundred Dollar Bill 21,805]

Of course he thought about her VERY often; you don't write songs about people unless you do. 

 

I dunno. I mean, writing is a very good form of emotional release. I write a lot, and I've written stuff about a person I don't think much about (anymore). I think it's all very in-the-moment, for me anyway. It would definitely make sense that he thought a lot about her in terms of writing this song, but at the same time, all it could really take are a few stand-out memories that come out of nowhere for him to write a song. Maybe he wrote it in a few hours and was done thinking about it afterwards? Who knows, though. Just food for thought!

[DUKE 2,530]

The beginning of the video slightly irritated me at first. I didn't really recognize the microphone as such and thought she would be taking a sip from her beer.

[Amadeus 11,334]

The beginning of the video slightly irritated me at first. I didn't really recognize the microphone as such and thought she would be taking a sip from her beer.

ohgod i wasn't the only one who thought that 

[Monicker 3,035]

The beginning of the video slightly irritated me at first. I didn't really recognize the microphone as such and thought she would be taking a sip from her beer.

 

Ha! My very first thought when i started watching the video was that i was glad to see she was using a beat up, taped up SM57 (probably the most common low end microphone of the last 30 years) rather than resorting to the cliched, gimmicky 55S, which is just such a tired visual device at this point. It's nice to see they went for something understated, real, mundane. It's such a tiny detail, but i don't know, it's refreshing that a Lana Del Rey video doesn't always have to be tapping into that silly "vintage" trope (i say as i ignore the fact that the entire video has an Instagram-like filter applied to it).

[Monicker 3,035]

Is it just me or does anyone else want to start singing Tennessee Waltz when Chelsea Hotel No. 2 starts? 

[DUKE 2,530]

Ha! My very first thought when i started watching the video was that i was glad to see she was using a beat up, taped up SM57 (probably the most common low end microphone of the last 30 years) rather than resorting to the cliched, gimmicky 55S, which is just such a tired visual device at this point. It's nice to see they went for something understated, real, mundane. It's such a tiny detail, but i don't know, it's refreshing that a Lana Del Rey video doesn't always have to be tapping into that silly "vintage" trope (i say as i ignore the fact that the entire video has an Instagram-like filter applied to it).

 

I am rather skeptical when it comes to those supercardioid microphones... especially with Lana's voice. The effect isn't that prominent on this particular recording, but I think many tracks on Paradise have this rather sharp quality to their vocal tracks. I can't say which microphone they used, but it certainly was supercardioid+, one which leaves a lot of vocal sounds unrecorded. Maybe that's just my personal feeling, but I think her voice is lacking dynamics on Paradise. So, in my opinion she should stay away from supercardioid microphones. It doesn't do her voice any favors. 

[Monicker 3,035]

I am rather skeptical when it comes to those supercardioid microphones... especially with Lana's voice. The effect isn't that prominent on this particular recording, but I think many tracks on Paradise have this rather sharp quality to their vocal tracks. I can't say which microphone they used, but it certainly was supercardioid+, one which leaves a lot of vocal sounds unrecorded. Maybe that's just my personal feeling, but I think her voice is lacking dynamics on Paradise. So, in my opinion she should stay away from supercardioid microphones. It doesn't do her voice any favors. 

 

SM57s/58s (they're the same mic in reality with a different grille) are cardioid not super. 

 

But i was talking solely about video aesthetics--she's in what looks like a dimly lit bar or practice space with equipment seen in the background, wearing a flannel shirt. The mic is very appropriate. 

 

I would bet a bajillion dollars that she's never actually cut vocals using an SM57 (at least not since BTD). With these kinds of productions like BTD, the mic is the strongest link, not the weakest, so i'm not concerned at all with what mic they're using on her vocals. I've only ever seen her recording with one of those Manley Gold mics, which are like $5,000-$7,000, in those photos that came out a couple of months ago in that little project studio with Rick Nowles (?) Pickup pattern is honestly probably the very least of my concerns (the mics that she would be using in the studio, like the aforementioned Manley, will have variable pickup patterns anyway, so any of those mics can go from hypercardioid, cardioid, figure 8, omni, etc. literally with one switch). I am most concerned with the preamaps that these engineers/producers are going into, but especially all these "in the box" effects and plug-ins. Like, whatever reverb plug-ins have been used on her vocals since BTD stink. The worst offender so far is the reverb on the new Yayo. Not because it's a very big sounding reverb but just because it's an overly bright, shitty, cheap sounding plug-in. Million Dollar Man is another terrible use of cheap reverb plug-ins. I'd love to hear her vocals coming from a real, well-built echo chamber. 

 

*Interesting side note: I remember back when Homogenic came out, Bjork mentioned once in an interview how she intentionally chose to use an SM58 on her studio vocals because she liked its plain quality and the fact that it was an easy microphone to hold in her hand (!) I saw footage around this time of her in the studio recording vocals, and she was indeed holding the mic, and it was indeed an SM58. Whatever works for you, right? 

[MermaidTrailerHeaven 454]

My 55sh, baby Taylor guitar, and GarageBand are what work for me

Poor People Problems...

Uneducated People Problems...

Bedroom Rockstar Problems...

 

I can't believe I haven't posted in here about how I almost pooped with excitement when I got the "new video" tweet to my phone. I also can't believe that I haven't really payed much attention to the video, only the song. It's a beautiful song, and I think she did it justice.

 

You have to hand it to Lana. Even through all the things we nitpick at when it comes to production, performance, etc, at the end of the day, everything she does is beautiful.

[BChed 49]

my word yes!!! yes and yes!!!

[plush 656]

I feel like the guitar and her vocals are making love to me as I Lay back on a cloud in heaven   

[BChed 49]

I feel like the guitar and her vocals are making love to me as I Lay back on a cloud in heaven   

 

accurate description!

 

hopefully this is a good indication of what the new album will sound like since Lana has said its going to be more stripped down.