Good Essay About Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan’s style is very much of the ages and he manages to strip down the music to the barest of its essentials. ‘All Along the Watchtower’ is a typical example of music which is stripped down to its bare essentials as Cantwell describes. All we hear is the basic instrumentation which makes the song all the more bleak and full of alienation as well as eventual resignation. These elements are reinforced by Dylan’s consistent exposure to folk music as well as other themes which make his songs so involving and full of character.
Cantwell also identifies other elements in the Bob Dylan songs which perhaps are slightly more advanced. The iconic ‘Blonde on Blonde’ album includes several original sounds which are taken from folk music and these include bells, guitars, the harmonica and chimes, all instruments that have their own particular appeal. Cantwell contrasts this sound world with Jimi Hendrix who also treated the theme of ‘All along the Watchtower’ but here the music is far more brash and powerful.
Cantwell discusses the Hendrix guitar solos which are an alternative way of looking at things especially within the context of the Bob Dylan song. The superimposition of a long range of musical line is also pretty much in evidence here and Cantwell identifies this sound recording as a typical one from this period. There are also comparisons to the Beatles and their album, ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club’ where the sound world is similar and there is also considerable use of folk inspired instruments. Overdubbing is also discussed by Cantwell and this becomes particularly relevant within the context of the Hendrix sound when compared to that of Bob Dylan.
How different are the musical styles of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix especially in the song ‘All Along the Watchtower’?