Chapter 18 Listening Assignment

"All Along the Watchtower" was originally written by Bob Dylan, but it has been covered by U2, Neil Young, Pearl Jam, The Dave Matthews Band, and most notably Jimi Hendrix. What makes Hendrix's version so unique?

Alternates lyrics with electric guitar solos

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly was the first hit song that could really be classified as "heavy metal." The phrase "heavy metal" itself was introduced in 1968 in the Steppenwolf song "Born To Be Wild." "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" contains an almost endless guitar and bass riff throughout the song, but, which other instrument occasionally plays the first part of this riff?

Organ

"Rock and Roll All Nite" was written by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss, and became their signature song usually played as the last song in their encores. Stanley is quoted as saying "Originally Gene and I would tend to help each other fill in the gaps. 'Rock and Roll All Night' came about because we felt we needed an anthem, a song that could be the rallying cry for all of our fans." Identify, from the following selections, what is prominent throughout "Rock and Roll All Nite" by Kiss.

Short, solo drum breaks

In the famous Led Zeppelin song "Black Dog" the band actually begins the song with a traditional Chicago blues concept of a vocal line followed by a band riff/motive to bring more clarity to both the vocalist and to the band. Granted, Led Zeppelin's version of this idea is very complex, but it is also very obvious. After the short guitar (helicopter effect) fade in to the song, how many times does the band play the following format, "solo vocals then band riff", before going into a different musical section?

3

The song "Breaking the Law," with its extremely simple main riff and chorus, was released as a single from the British Steel album, and was one of Judas Priest's big breakthrough songs. It is now considered one of the most famous hard rock/heavy metal songs ever. The lyrics tell of someone who gets tired of everything that comes with an ordinary life - that life has become boring. This leads the person to take a chance and start breaking the law. As you listen to this version of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" what special effects are used?

All of the above

"The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix is noted for melodic, bluesy electric guitar solos to build intensity in the music and the lyrics describe a separation in a relationship. Keeping in mind that this song is about a break-up, when the story becomes more dramatic, what happens to the wind?

Check

The song "Foxey Lady" demonstrates Hendrix's ability to play with a very heavy aggressive style while still making the song sensual and sometimes even erotic. Pete Townshend of The Who once complained that Hendrix had taken his guitar smashing routine and turned it into an erotic ritual (which he could never do), which made Hendrix not only amazing as a guitarist, but added sex appeal to his music and persona. Hendrix adds lyrics under his guitar solo to reinforce this sex appeal (keeping the guys and the girls attention!). What lyric does he repeat under the solo?

Foxey

"Valleys of Neptune" was released as both a single and album by the Jimi Hendrix estate in 2010 containing several other unheard Hendrix tracks. Which of the following best describes this track?

Groovy with a surreal laid back feel

Van Halen is considered by many to be one of the great party bands of all time. Original singer David Lee Roth often provided comical, sexual driven antics in live performances. "Runnin' With The Devil" provides one of Roth's signature contributions to the band. What is it?

High, multi-phonic shrieks

The band Cream is considered to be the first official power trio. Here, Eric Clapton plays the roles of both rhythm and lead guitarist. This technique of challenging the best guitarists to "pull double duty" inspired Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page among others to become the focus of the band. How would you best describe Eric Clapton's guitar approach in the second half of the song "Tales of Brave Ulysses"?

Soloistic

It was rumored that Jimmy Page, who was a session musician at the time, played guitar on The Kinks "You Really Got Me," which the band strongly denied. According to a 2012 interview by Finding Zoso with producer Shel Talmy, Jimmy Page did not play the lead guitar on the song. However he did play rhythm as Ray Davies didn't want to sing and play guitar at the same time. In The Kinks "You Really Got Me," what is the primary role of the guitar player?

To keep time with a riff

"Little Wing" demonstrates Hendrix's ability to play sensitively and in his mind carried a metallic quality which allowed him to glide over the song with great sweeping/flowing guitar lines. The actual metallic sound that he uses to support the song, though, is...

Tuned bells

"Ace of Spades" is Motörhead's most famous song; it is about gambling and risks. Lemmy recalled writing the song in an interview with Mojo magazine in February 2011: "'Ace of Spades' is unbeatable, apparently, but I never knew it was such a good song. Writing it was just a word-exercise on gambling, all the clichés. I'm glad we got famous for that rather than for some turkey, but I sang 'the eight of spades' for two years and nobody noticed." What is NOT in Motörhead's "Ace of Spades"?

Vocal harmonies

The song "Dolly Dagger" was released after Jimi Hendrix passed away and has a more aggressive funky feel (this is where Hendrix was going with his next album). As with most funk and soul music, this song makes use of percussion. Which percussion instrument was NOT used in this Jimi Hendrix song?

Xylophone

Jimi Hendrix's version of the "Star Spangled Banner" is quite poignant because obviously he feels patriotic about his country, but there are some underlying themes if you listen carefully. The destructive explosions on the guitar are a protest to the war in Vietnam, and his sadness for innocent lives being lost is represented by the "taps" theme at 2:40. He also plays part of the melody in a minor key ("our flag was still there") to represent that although he loves his country, he recognizes that there are some things that need fixing and healing in order to move forward. The performance of this at Woodstock in 1969 must have been a very moving moment. Through all the craziness, guitar soloing and sounds of destruction, Hendrix makes the National Anthem still hold true. The question is...does Hendrix actually play the whole National Anthem (sing the lyrics in your head as he plays to find out)?

Yes