{"id":55,"date":"2018-04-22T14:04:27","date_gmt":"2018-04-22T18:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/?page_id=55"},"modified":"2018-04-30T15:13:06","modified_gmt":"2018-04-30T19:13:06","slug":"jimi-hendrix-and-the-wah-wah-pedal-all-along-the-watchtower","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/jimi-hendrix-and-the-wah-wah-pedal-all-along-the-watchtower\/","title":{"rendered":"Guitar Effects Pedal & Hendrix"},"content":{"rendered":"

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How Hendrix\u2019s Use of Effects Pedals Set Him Apart: <\/b>All Along the Watchtower<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The music of Jimi Hendrix captured the essence of the psychedelic rock scene of his time. His distinct and memorable musical style contributed to his success from 1966 to 1970 and helped solidify his legacy after he passed away. Hendrix combined influences from R&B, blues, rock, and psychedelia with the unconventional sounds of effects pedals to create songs that highlighted his revolutionary guitar playing, such as his cover of Bob Dylan\u2019s “All Along The Watchtower[1].” Though Jimi Hendrix used effects pedals in most of his songs, with varying sonic results, “All Along The Watchtower” is a less explored example of how influential the incorporation of effects pedal technology was in the expression and delivery of Hendrix\u2019s music.\u00a0Bob Dylan released All Along the Watchtower in December of 1967, and Jimi Hendrix covered the song shortly after in September of 1968[2]. Listen to a comparison of the two versions below.<\/p>\n

\nhttps:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/files\/2018\/04\/Comparison-of-AATW.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

(Video by Rachel Bochner)<\/p>\n

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While Hendrix\u2019s rendition of All Along the Watchtower maintains many of the basic elements of the original, it is clear that the electric guitar plays a very expressive role in Jimi Hendrix\u2019s version. To start, Bob Dylan\u2019s original is acoustic, folklike, and features a classic Dylan harmonica solo. In contrast, Hendrix\u2019s electric guitar sets the mood for his version, emphasizing the strong rock signifying backbeat with the strumming of his guitar. Additionally, the virtuosity of Hendrix\u2019s playing exhibits a clear mastery of electric guitar, especially in his complex and effected guitar solo that emphasizes his unique playing techniques. Additionally, the tempo of Hendrix\u2019s version is slower, allowing for a more soulful delivery of the vocals, as well as more time for Hendrix to respond to the lyrics with wah-wah effected riffs. The wah-wah and fuzz pedals also exaggerate the heavily amplified and distorted sounds, making the song more consistent with the rock genre.<\/p>\n

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The significance of the blues in Hendrix\u2019s development as a musician is quite evident in his cover of “All Along The Watchtower”. It is most notably exemplified in the vocal call and instrumental response heard in the song. A technique derived from the blues, call and response continues to inspire musicians of different genres, including rock. However, in true Hendrix fashion, conventionality is turned on its head, as Hendrix brings his guitar to life through the use of distortion to serve as a second voice in the song[3]. Bob Dylan\u2019s original version tells a story narrated in the third person, detaching Dylan himself from the song\u2019s conversation between a joker and a thief. However, Hendrix situates himself (and his guitar) more so in the center of the narrative with his soulful declamatory style, as well as through his use of distortion in the vocal call and electric guitar response.<\/p>\n

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Bob Dylan released his original version of “All Along The Watchtower” on his album John Wesley Harding<\/em>. Though the album itself found significant commercial success, “All Along The Watchtower:\u00a0\"\"<\/a>failed to chart when it was released as a single[4]. Only about a year later, Jimi Hendrix\u2019s cover was truly embraced by the public and was Hendrix highest charting song in the US at number 20. Hendrix\u2019s cover could have become a bigger hit due to his inventive use of distortion and revolutionary guitar playing, something that psychedelic rock fans responded favorably to. Hendrix brought the song alive in a way that Dylan could not sans effects pedal.\u00a0<\/span>Bob Dylan has expressed his admiration for Hendrix\u2019s inventive rendition, and has even been quoted saying, “I liked Jimi Hendrix’s record, and ever since he died I’ve been doing it that way\u2026 Strange how when I sing it I always feel it’s a tribute to him in some kind of way[5].\u201c<\/p>\n

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Hendrix famously proved himself as a storyteller capable of articulating thoughts and emotions through distortion of his guitar in performances such as his Woodstock rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner”. Hendrix flexed his skills again in “All Along The Watchtower” by using the wah-wah pedal along with his signature rhythmic techniques to perform the song as both the narrator and hero[6]. Essentially, Jimi Hendrix was able to utilize the technology of his time to not only identify with the psychedelic rock scene, but also set a new precedent for what musicians can achieve with their instruments and technology.<\/p>\n

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Footnotes:<\/p>\n

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  1. Corey Irwin. \u201cThe Long, Enduring History of ‘All Along the Watchtower’.\u201d <\/span>Ultimate Classic Rock<\/span><\/i>, Townsquare Media, Inc, 2 Feb. 2018, ultimateclassicrock.com\/all-along-the-watchtower-song-history\/.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Albin J Zak III. \u201cBob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix: Juxtaposition and Transformation \u2018All along the <\/span>Watchtower.\u201d <\/span>Journal of the American Musicological Society<\/span><\/i>, vol. 57, no. 3, 2005, pg 599.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Ibid, pg 636.<\/li>\n
  4. Corey Irwin. “Enduring History of ‘All Along the Watchtower.”<\/li>\n
  5. Ibid.<\/li>\n
  6. Albin J Zak III. “Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix,” pg 636.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      How Hendrix\u2019s Use of Effects Pedals Set Him Apart: All Along the Watchtower The music of Jimi Hendrix captured the essence of the psychedelic rock scene of his time. His distinct and memorable musical style contributed to his success from 1966 to 1970 and helped solidify his legacy after he passed away. Hendrix combined […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2677,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-55","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2677"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus122-01\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}