My Top 2000 Songs #1133: All Along The Watchtower

Shockingly, this is the first appearance of Jimi Hendrix on the list, which shouldn't be taken as a sign of disrespect. I like a lot of his music, and obviously have tremendous appreciation for him as an artist. But the bottom line is that I just don't listen to Hendrix very often... and, with some exceptions, this Top 2000 is aimed more at songs I still play than songs that are irrefutable classics.

This is also yet another example of a track where I'm far more partial to the cover than the Bob Dylan original (though in this case, this isn't exactly a controversial opinion). I like Bob's "Watchtower" (from 1968's John Wesley Harding) perfectly fine... but, c'mon, what Hendrix and the Experience did here is impossible to top. Their take, from 1968's Electric Ladyland, is absolutely apocalyptic, some of Dylan's most potent and unforgettable lyrics matched (and then some) by the studio bombast supplied by Hendrix. Hell, the opening 10 seconds, before the guitar even kicks in, may be one of the most instantly recognizable (and earthshaking) song intros of the classic rock canon; and once that guitar DOES kick in, well, holy hell.

Hendrix:

Dylan:

Hendrix at the Isle of Wight 1970:

Dylan live 1995:

There are like a billion covers of "Watchtower," so I'm not gonna go crazy here. But one personal favorite is by 80s jangle pop act Winter Hours--their records are long out of print, but at least it's on YouTube:

And here's a Spotify playlist I just threw together with an hour+ of assorted versions: