Jacques Brel was amazing. Unfortunately, I don't speak French, but a user named lightning49 on Youtube (blocked here at work, or I'd link) has kindly translated a fair number of his songs and subtitled his performances for us monolinguists. He was an incredible performer, riveting even on these grainy little videos. I'd love to have seen him live, but I'm pretty sure he died before or just shortly after I was born.

My favorite song right this second is "Orly," I think. Scott Walker's covers were terrible and too theatrical, but Bowie's weren't bad. I posted a quick, sloppy arrangement of "Jackie" to youtube a while ago, and I play it semi-regularly (although not at the weekly jam, because everyone gets up and goes to the bar when I try). For my money, the best English performance of "Amsterdam" is by John Denver, just because his singing on it is spectacular. Still, though, Brel is the Man, and no one but no one can approach his performances.