Having penned over 600 songs throughout his lifetime, Bob Dylan is among the most prolific composers of all time. Other musicians were able to take a Dylan track and really give it a fresh point of view musically, making it even greater. Dylan wasn’t the only one who had a lot of success with his songs. During his career, Jimi Hendrix, one of those musicians, had the opportunity to cover a few Dylan tunes.
Dylan previously discussed Hendrix and shared his thoughts on the departed American guitarist, singer, and composer.
What is the opinion of Bob Dylan on Jimi Hendrix
Dylan began his musical career in 1959, three years before Hendrix, therefore the two musicians were nearly the same age he was only one year older than Hendrix. With the release of his self-titled debut album in 1962, Dylan ignited a global musical revolution that lasted the whole decade, inspiring musicians everywhere, including The Beatles.
During those years, Hendrix performed with other performers, such as Little Richard, before forming The Jimi Hendrix Experience, his own band. Alongside Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, he sang the iconic Dylan song “All Along the Watchtower” from his third album “Electric Ladyland.” The Folk musician had only released the song a year prior.
Dylan was pleased with how the song became a rock and roll classic with the electric Hendrix rendition. He was grateful to Hendrix for being recognized as the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year, as he had always admired him. In his remarks, Dylan discussed his career and complimented a number of musicians for covering his songs. Jimi Hendrix was one of them, of course.
Dylan said, “Oh, and can’t forget Jimi Hendrix. I actually saw Jimi Hendrix perform when he was in a band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames — something like that. And Jimi didn’t even sing. He was just the guitar player. He took some small songs of mine that nobody paid any attention to and pumped them up into the outer limits of the stratosphere and turned them all into classics. I have to thank Jimi, too. I wish he was here.”
Hendrix had already covered a Dylan tune. He sang “Like a Rolling Stone” at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival as part of his historic show.
They had the opportunity to meet each other
“I saw him one time, but both of us were stoned out of our minds. I remember it vaguely. It was at this place called The Kettle of Fish in the Village. We were both stoned there, and we just hung around laughing. Yeah, we just laughed. People have always got to put him down. I really dig him, though. I like that Highway 61 Revisited album and especially ‘Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues’! He doesn’t inspire me actually, because I could never write the kind of words he does.”
He added, “But he’s helped me out in trying to write about two or three words. ’Cause I got a thousand songs that will never be finished. I just lie around and write about two or three words. But now I have a little more confidence in trying to finish one. When I was down in the Village, Dylan was starving down there. I hear he used to have a pad with him all the time to put down what he sees around him. But he doesn’t have to be stoned when he writes, although he probably is a cat like that – he just doesn’t have to be.”
He was questioned about Scottish folk rock band Donovan at that same conversation. Though he was more into Dylan’s music, Hendrix admitted that he liked him. He gave this explanation because he thought American musicians’ compositions were “more earthy and live.”
Additionally, he expressed his desire to work in sessions with Dylan, but regrettably, it never happened. “I want to perform in a few sessions behind Dylan. His team could use a little more imagination.
Ten albums had been released by Bob Dylan by the time Jimi Hendrix passed away in 1970. Over fifty years later, he has already put out forty studio albums.