Tuesday 15 October 2013

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower

Old Pa's Wednesday Club

THERE'S NO CONFUSION
Help Me in My Weakness!

 

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - All Along the Watchtower (1968)

If you had to choose one track that you can call your favourite track of all time, what would it be? This is a question, that at sometime, you have asked, or someone has asked you and the answer is usually much about the same...

'Oh!, I could not answer that, as there are just too many'

'That is impossible, as it changes all the time'

It is one of those questions most people don't want to commit to, for one thing it 'kind of' exposes them. 

'You say you are a big music fan and 'that' is your favourite track (what lousy taste). Who Cares ?

Flycasual once asked me that same question in the 90's and I hummed an hoed and gave 'you know what response?  Then it came to me, it is the Jimi Hendrix version of  'All Along the Watchtower'. It has everything I required, great lyrics, magnificent musicianship, a great melody and it was written by my favourite song writer Bob Dylan and most importantly, I just never get tired of hearing it. The intro is to 'swoon' to! The break in the middle is to 'orgasm' too! (whats an orgasm?)

Oh! God it reminds me of Shellhunter's eighteenth birthday party, it was held at a Sea Scouts Hall and both Flycasual and I were in charge of the music, I went for a break and onmy return, what was playing....but AATWT. Like any good Dad, I hit the dance floor and showed all these kids my best moves.

'I cringe when I look back. I cringe.'

'I cringe'

'there must be some way outta here'.  

As you know, I am a great lover of Dylan covers and have listened to thousands, but to be perfectly honest this would have to be the best. There is nothing I can think of that beats it. A few are close of course.

One day I will give my top 10.

It was great to finally get 'the big question' off of my chest and really, it was all rather obvious.

'There is no confusion anymore'

What's your favourite?

Go on I dare you to commit yourself, you will feel so much better?

Don't carry the weight!.

I still have not changed my mind!!

But saying that!..... 

Yesterday :  I was sitting outside with a bottle of wine (no beer, until Flycasual visits in two weeks) my first drink for a while (as on a diet again) and 'You Set The Scene' by Love came on and it was immediately my number one, it was followed by Van Morrison's 'Ballerina' and I lost control again...............

Pointless Post
  

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The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
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3 comments

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17 October 2013 at 17:38

Not a pointless post at all Old Pa. Who amongst us music lovers hasn't been asked 'the big question'? I know have, on many occasions, but have never been able to answer it definitively - so I admire the fact that you can. I daren't think about it for too long, otherwise I'll be awake all night!

The nearest I got was a couple of years ago, when I submitted an entry to Mark Radcliffe's 'First, Last & Everything' feature on his Radio 2 show. You have to name the first record you ever purchased (mine was 'Sweet Talkin' Guy' by The Chiffons), the last record you bought (at the time mine was a track from the War on Drugs LP, 'Slave Ambient') and the record that means everything to you. I was deep in a Nic Jones phase at the time, so I chose 'Little Musgrave', a masterful performance that I can quite happily play over and over. Favourite song ever though? I couldn't commit to that!

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17 October 2013 at 23:31

I'm with you OP, okay I don't have your musical depth but in moments like this I always remember a quote that Chris Evans said in his Radio One days. It went something like "that's one of my top ten records of all time. However there are about 50 songs in my top ten" If I can paraphrase Arthur Lee, my favourite song 'Forever Changes".
Oh and pointless is my favourite TV show, so a pointless post can only be a good thing in my eyes. Keep up the good work sir

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18 October 2013 at 09:39

It's one of those 'Sophie's Choice' type questions I always ask myself and I'm always drawn back to one song, Talk Talk's 'Life's What You Make It'. As the Swede said about going through an artist phase, I was heavily into Talk Talk at the time so that definitely has sway. It was a track that I first heard when I was 17 and 'they' the songs you hear between the ages of 16-22 stay with you forever. A big factor is not just how good the song is as a whole but what I was doing/feeling at the time and I was on Geography field trip/holiday in the UK on my own. So have that sense of independence was a big factor too. I say to myself it should be a Hip Hop track from Public Enemy or something as that is the type of music I grew up with but it's not necessarily the case. It'll change I'm sure depending on what memory I choose to revisit. Incidentally 'Life's What You Make It' was out at the same time the Stone Roses came onto the scene and Fool's Gold blew my mind. Damn, I don't think I'll play this game.

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