10 Rock Cover Songs Better Than The Original
1. Jimi Hendrix: All Along The Watch Tower (Bob Dylan)
It's a given that Jimi Hendrix was one of the most important figures in rock music, and perhaps the most important when it came to the guitar. When he arrived on the scene in the mid to late '60s, it was like a technicolored explosion of musical exploration. People like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck had been leading the charge up until then, but soon enough they were grabbing at Hendrix's psychedelic coat tails.
Another huge rock monolith at the time was Bob Dylan. From 1965 to 1966 he released three albums that changed the face of rock music. He'd gone from being the darling of the folk scene, to an international rock icon. By 1967 Dylan had changed direction again, however. His eighth album 'John Wesley Harding' saw him drifting back to his folky roots, incorporating more traditional country techniques into his sound.
Dylan's original version of 'All Along The Watch Tower' appeared on the album. It was a stirring but sombre folk balled, with haunting lyrics and an ambiguous narrative. It's considered one of Dylan's greatest songs, both for its unconventional structure and evocative lyrics.
Hendrix took Dylan's masterpiece and found ways to manipulate it like no one else could, filling up the space with his wailing guitar lines, and bubbling, wah-infused licks. Dylan was so in awe of what Hendrix did to the song that he stopped considering it his own.