I don't listen to much radio. It wakes us in the AM, rarely a happy event, and can enliven time in the car. Our default music station is pretty solid (or is that stolid?) with our demographic, featuring relatively un-challenging new music and occasional classics. But, more recently, they seem to be on an oldie kick, with Brown-Eyed Girl, Evil Ways, and several other classics obviously on their repeat-play list.
Possibly as a result of this radio station renaissance, I awoke a while back to Hendrix' All Along the Watchtower, one of my favorite tunes of all time. Given the sinister business in the tune (the ominous opening always grips me), this may not be what everyone wants to wake up to, but it sure gets me going.
I thought you might appreciate my ensuing pleasure-hunt. We curious sorts had to work much harder in times past.
Wikipedia has excellent material on the
original tune, the album from whence it came, and the multitude of covers. I love Bob's original as well, but in this case I was intent on Jimi's version, and was interested to learn that Dylan was so impressed with what Hendrix had come up with that his performances of the tune pretty promptly adopted much of Jimi's take.
“There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we’ve been through that,
And this is not our fate.
So let us not talk falsely now,
The hour is getting late.”
Hendrix alas did not survive long beyond his signature version of Watchtower. But I believe I read somewhere that Dylan was generous after this particular experience (and possibly before), more or less acknowledging Hendrix's amazing gifts, in offering up his own tunes-in-progress for consideration prior to Dylan's own recordings going out.
It has been brought to my attention since most of this post was composed that Neil Young has an enticing acoustic version of this number on record. We'll be checking that out soon.
In the course of my research, I came upon a footnote referencing a website entitled
Reason to Rock. This website is quite an eye-opener. I am agog at the scholarship and intelligence behind this site, authored by another PNW resident. I'm embarrassed to be blogging on the same plane. Anyone interested in rock music is likely to find material of interest here. Major kudos.
That site circuitously led to my recent acquisition and reading of Greil Marcus'
Like a Rolling Stone, a terrific account of the creation of the Dylan masterpiece of the same name. So I guess this is a bit of a retro jump-pass from John Wesley Harding back to Highway 61 Revisited. Strongly recommended reading, less daunting than some other Marcus I have read.
I know you know the tune. If you are within +-10 years of my age (i.e., on the verge of regretful adulthood), you likely know it by heart, in all its' intricate, remarkable imagery, as a result of having been there. For you others (are there some here?), you have likely acquired knowledge of this landmark tune much as our tissues have picked up mercury and PCBs. This is a far happier acquisition, not at all toxic, at least in the chemical sense.
The snakey, circuitous, Bo-Didley twistery of Rolling Stone is my metaphor for how I got here (both blog-wise and in vitro!).
Okay, fess up. How many of you are even in possession of any form of Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited? JW Harding? Need I suggest they get boosted on your playlist?
Here is your throat back, thanks for the loan. Yes, different tune (Thin Man), but same 61 disc.
