Antony is a purist currently at the top of his game, though we’ll see what the future brings.  He’s a force of nature. Or un-nature, as you wish.  There can be no debate, however, that he sings with more heart and soul than many can muster.  In Paris this week, as a part of his series of concerts (with big band backing) at Salle Pleyel, Antony (again) collaborated with Lou Reed on a stirring rendition of Reed’s sweetly-adroit Candy Says.

On Sunday, honesty is never inappropriate, and as Reed sings: “Candy says I’ve come to hate my body, and all that it requires in this world.”  In that vein, who hasn’t swallowed whole the words, “If I could walk away from me.”  Check below as Reed reads it perfectly, and then Antony takes the song over at 7:17.  After Candy Says, watch Antony stake his claim on several other songs as one of the most affecting and effective artists of our generation.  All videos courtesy of the superb captures of LysWantTwo.

Also check out Antony’s marvelous cover of The Marvelette’s Someday, Someway:

And check out this revelatory cover of Leonard Cohen’s If It Be Your Will:

And second-to-last but not second-to-least, check out the audio (with vignettes) of the now-definitive cover of Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.

And finally, check out this hopeful version of Hope There’s Someone.