Two Plus Two Newer Archives - Jimi Hendrix Memorial Thread

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An assignment I had comparing his version of All Along the Watchtower with Dylans:

For the song comparison project, I chose the two versions of All Along The Watchtower, from Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. I have both of these songs in my music collection, and I enjoy listening to both artists. In my opinion, Jimi Hendrix’s version of the song is the greatest cover song ever done. Hendrix transformed the song with his experimental electric guitar solos. The popularity of Hendrix’s version leads many people to believe that he originally composed it.

Both versions of the song contain three verses, with no chorus. The lyrics are basically the same between the two versions, with the exception of a few words. The song starts out with the words “There must be some kind of way out of here, said the joker to the thief.” These first lines of the song introduce an element of drama. Dylan has noted that the events in the songs lyrics are in a “rather reverse order.” Like many of his songs, Dylan tells a story in this one that is interpreted differently by people. The lyrics contain biblical and apocalyptic references.

The genre of the Dylan version would be considered folk, while the Hendrix version is rock. The Dylan version includes an acoustic guitar, bass guitar, harmonica, and drums. The Hendrix version replaced the harmonica with the electric guitar. The electric guitar is what greatly differentiates the two versions. Hendrix’s use of the guitar emphasized the dramatic elements of the lyrics. The use of the wah wah pedal and other devices reflect the confusion of the joker. The controlled use of distortion that Hendrix uses is somewhat parallel to the lyrics in some parts. Hendrix used a cigarette lighter for slide guitar to get the sound he wanted. The range of the notes is greater in Hendrix’s version, including many high-pitched guitar wails. The longest solo is one of the most famous guitar solos of all time. With each solo the notes ascend in pitch, with the highest pitched notes at the end of the song. This builds intensity throughout the song.

When listing to the Dylan version, you hear the acoustic guitar, then the harmonica, then the drums, then the vocals. The song starts very mellow and you are brought into the song more slowly than in the Hendrix version. The Hendrix version begins with drums and guitar simultaneously, then the vocals. The difference in the intro of the songs in an indication of the heavier intensity of the Hendrix’s version. When listening to the ends of each version, I noticed the difference of texture between the two versions. Although they use a similar number of instruments, the guitar in the Hendrix’s version tends to overpower the drums. In Dylan’s version, the instruments are more distinctive.

The vocal delivery also greatly differentiates the two versions. Dylan’s original and easily recognizable voice delivers the lyrics in a quieter tone, with less inflection. His delivery of the lyrics are somewhere in between speaking and singing. Hendrix’s vocal delivery is louder and he emphasizes and de-emphasizes the words more intensely and frequently than Dylan.

[/ QUOTE ]I really like this, what class is this for? I'd love to take something like this.