Quote:
Originally Posted by Forward To Death
I Ain't Superstitious by The Jeff Beck Group (Original by Howlin' Wolf)
All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix (Original by Bob Dylan)
You Shook Me by Led Zeppelin (Original by Muddy Waters)
Take This Job And Shove It by Dead Kennedys (Original by David Allan Coe)
Hurt by Johnny Cash (Original by Nine Inch Nails)
Only two of the originals I dislike, and in both cases I like the artist, so this is a big compliment to every artist. I don't like Dylan's original or NIN's original, both are very boring imo.
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Being a die-hard Dylan fan I could never say anything is better than Dylan's recordings of his own songs, but Hendrix came the closest in me even considering a cover version is better than a Dylan original.
Hendrix's version of
All Along the Watchtower is the greatest cover of a Dylan song and may well be the greatest cover song
ever recorded. Even Dylan thought Hendrix's version was better and he has played it electric now over 2000 times since (a few times he did have an acoustic guitar in hand but he was always backed by an electric band). I personally have seen Dylan play the song live at least 30 times since 1987 and I never got tired of it. Dylan himself was overwhelmed when he heard it originally. He once said when he sings it he strangely always feels it's a tribute to Jimi.
I still prefer the stripped-down bare-bones original for it's stark harmonica and Dylan's haunting delivery. Just once I wish I could have seen Dylan perform this song live with just an acoustic guitar and harmonica (which he has never done).