Covers That Are Better Than the Original #1: "Watchtower"

OK, it's a rather obvious choice, but a good one.

"All Along the Watchtower"
Originaly by: Bob Dylan
Covered by: Jimi Hendrix

So Hendrix was at a party with his friend Dave Mason from Traffic and heard the Dylan song. He mentioned that he had always been a fan of Dylan's and would love to cover the song. The two then rushed to a recording studio and initially Mason was playing the 12 string guitar. Hendrix didn't like what he was hearing so he moved Mason to bass, and then eventually just took him off the track. Hendrix began to record every part on the song, except the drums, including a slide guitar that shifted from slide guitar to a wah-wah line. The slide effect was managed by using a cigarett lighter instead of a standard tube of glass. Dylan would be blown away by this revolutionary take on his originaly subdued, folky song. Since then, all of Dylan's live performances of "Watchtower" have been done closer to the Hendrix version. I suggest checking out the live version done by Dylan and the Band on the "Before the Flood" album.