Song of the Day: All Along the Watchtower (by Jimi Hendrix)

Posted on May 2, 2026 by Arleigh

If you’ve never really sat down with All Along the Watchtower, you’re missing out on one of those songs that just grabs you from the first few seconds. It’s got this tense, almost mysterious vibe right away, like something big is about to go down. And yeah, quick heads-up—this is actually a cover of a Bob Dylan song, but Hendrix completely transforms it into something way more electric, intense, and, honestly, iconic.

What really separates Hendrix’s version is how much more dynamic it feels compared to Dylan’s original. Dylan keeps it more stripped-down and acoustically grounded, which gives it that raw, almost haunting quality. Hendrix, on the other hand, builds this layered, immersive soundscape that feels bigger and more urgent. Even their vocal styles reflect that difference—both are rooted in blues, but Dylan leans into a delivery that feels closer to Robert Johnson, kind of dry and narrative-driven, while Hendrix brings a smoother, more fluid presence that echoes someone like Muddy Waters.

And then you hit the guitar work, which is really the heart of the whole thing. Hendrix doesn’t just give you one standout solo—he drops two. The first kicks in around the 0:55 mark, and it’s sharp, punchy, and sets the tone with that signature bite. Then he comes back again around 1:45 with another lead that feels even more expressive and fluid, like he’s pushing things further emotionally. Both solos feel purposeful, not just thrown in to show off—they actually drive All Along the Watchtower forward.

By the time the song wraps up, it leaves you with that “wait, play that again” feeling. It’s short, tight, and insanely replayable. Even if you’re not usually into older rock, this is one of those tracks that cuts through all that—it just sounds cool. Definitely worth throwing on with headphones and really soaking it in.

All Along the Watchtower

“There must be some kind of way out of here”
Said the joker to the thief
“There’s too much confusion
I can’t get no relief
Businessmen they drink my wine
Plowmen dig my earth
None will level on the line
Nobody offered his word”
Hey!

(Guitar Solo 1 @0:55)

“No reason to get excited”
The thief, he kindly spoke
“There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But, uh, but you and I, we’ve been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us stop talkin’ falsely now
The hour’s getting late
Hey!

(Guitar Solo 2 @1:45)

Hey!

All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants too
Well, uh, outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl
Hey!

All along the watchtower
All along the watchtower

Great Guitar Solos Series

Song of the Day: Aqualung (by Jethro Tull)

Posted on April 27, 2026 by Arleigh

Are you ready to go on a trip that’s grimy, gritty, and a little psychedelic all at the same time? If you’ve never heard “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull, this is exactly the kind of ride it throws you into. Right from the start, it grabs you with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock—gritty, bluesy, and instantly memorable. It sets the tone perfectly, especially as Ian Anderson starts painting this vivid picture of a rough, almost mythic street character. It’s not just a song you listen to—it’s one you sort of step into, like you’re walking past Aqualung yourself and catching fragments of his story.

What really hooks me is how the song shifts gears without ever feeling disjointed. One minute it’s raw and cynical, the next it softens into this oddly reflective, almost sympathetic tone. That contrast is what makes it stick. It’s gritty but thoughtful, like it’s judging the world while also quietly questioning it. And Anderson’s vocal delivery just sells all of it—half sneer, half storytelling.

But let’s talk about the moment—the guitar solo around the 3:30 mark. Martin Barre absolutely lights the track on fire there. It’s not flashy in a show-off way, but it’s got this sharp, biting tone that cuts right through everything. The phrasing feels deliberate, almost like he’s speaking through the guitar, adding another emotional layer to the song. It’s the kind of solo that doesn’t just decorate the track—it elevates it, giving the whole thing a surge of intensity right when you need it.

By the time the song wraps up, it leaves this weird mix of grit, empathy, and lingering tension. That’s why it sticks with you. “Aqualung” isn’t just a classic because it’s old—it’s because it still feels alive, unpredictable, and a little uncomfortable in the best way. Between that iconic opening riff and the punch of Barre’s solo, it hits you from both ends. If you’re even slightly into rock with personality, this is one you’ve gotta sit with, preferably loud enough to really feel that solo hit.

Aqualung

Sitting on a park bench
Eyeing little girls with bad intent
Snot running down his nose
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes
Hey, Aqualung
Drying in the cold sun
Watching as the frilly panties run
Hey, Aqualung
Feeling like a dead duck
Spitting out pieces of his broken luck
Whoa, Aqualung

Sun streaking cold, an old man wandering lonely
Taking time the only way he knows
Leg hurting bad as he bends to pick a dog-end
He goes down to the bog and warms his feet
Feeling alone, the army’s up the road
Salvation a la mode and a cup of tea
Aqualung my friend, don’t you start away uneasy
You poor old sod, you see, it’s only me

Do you still remember
December’s foggy freeze?
When the ice that
Clings on to your beard was
Screaming agony (Hey!)
And you snatch your rattling last breaths
With deep-sea-diver sounds
And the flowers bloom like
Madness in the spring

Sun streaking cold, an old man wandering lonely
Taking time the only way he knows
Leg hurting bad as he bends to pick a dog-end
He goes down to the bog and warms his feet
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Feeling alone, the army’s up the road
Salvation a la mode and a cup of tea
Aqualung my friend, don’t you start away uneasy
You poor old sod, you see, it’s only me
Me-me-me-me-me
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

(Guitar Solo @3:30)

[Bridge]
Dee-dee-dee-dee
Dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee
Dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee
Dee-dee-dee-dee
Aqualung, my friend, don’t you start away uneasy
You poor old sod, you see, it’s only me

(Outro)
Whoa, Aqualung

Great Guitar Solos Series

Rain, The Teskey Brothers – Rev. Case Wright

Posted on October 3, 2023 by casewright

Happy Horrothon! “I know you’re gonna say, this isn’t horror! This is Thor singing the blues!” I hear your critique and I reject it! The greatest horror stories especially in science fiction have trauma, fear, and hope. Alien, for example, terrible things happen to this crew of…. I guess…. miners, but at the end – there’s hope because Ripley overcomes. I always have a bit of anxiety at the end of the New “Outer Limits” or films like “Life” because it’s a good twist, but everyone is now dead and the heroes failed- that’s too much like life!

In “Rain”, a woman is alone and there appears to be a guy in the friendzone who REALLY wants to be with her and can sing and looks like Thor. For the interest of Horrorthon, we’re going to presume that- I don’t know this lady’s name but I’ll call her Susan- that Susan’s previous guy was eaten by a …got it…. a werewolf! Take that doubters told you I could contrive this into a horror review- BWAHAHAHA!

Side note: Susan, you’re being too picky. I’m sure that you had a rough time, but this guy even wrote a song for you, looks like Thor, and sounds like Otis Redding reincarnated. Maybe your standards are just WAY too high?

Susan’s boyfriend was werewolf puppy chow and Thor is trying to tell her that it will be okay. He has felt her pain because there is probably at least another werewolf in town that probably ate his girlfriend too. Can you imagine that support group? They must hate Iams and Doggy costumes! The line “Is that rain or are you crying again?” gets to me because when you’re broken-hearted – it’s like the tears can’t stop. “A soul with no face is a lonely embrace” this line is all about not seeing your soulmate again- Fucking Werewolves, we gotta do something about them, but then this song wouldn’t exist; so, I’m torn!

As they try console each other, “now’s there clouds between us all”; so, they likely hooked up, but they also have to worry about the full moon coming- probably. I like that at the end of the song – he says – “You ain’t gonna be ain’t gonna be alone” and notice, he doesn’t say- With me – Wonderful me. He’s left her better off and maybe he will be alone and live out his days as a werewolf hunter?

Song of the Day: The Thrill Is Gone (by B.B. King)

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Arleigh

“When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.” — B.B. King

The blues is a music style that has always pulled me in from the very moment I first heard it. I probably didn’t even realize it was the blues, but as I got older it became the one type of music that would always spoke to me.

So, it’s one of profound sadness when I read that B.B. King, one of the giants of the blues, has passed away at the age of 89.

B.B. King stands tall and his influence on electric blues and blues rock musicians over several generations looms large. He now joins the other two Kings, Albert King and Freddie King, who with B.B. King were called the Three Kings of the Blues Guitar.

The thrill is gone. The thrill will live on forever.

The Thrill Is Gone

The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong baby
And you’ll be sorry someday

The thrill is gone
It’s gone away from me
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away from me
Although, I’ll still live on
But so lonely I’ll be

The thrill is gone
It’s gone away for good
The thrill is gone baby
It’s gone away for good
Someday I know I’ll be open armed baby
Just like I know a good man should

You know I’m free, free now baby
I’m free from your spell
Oh I’m free, free, free now
I’m free from your spell
And now that it’s all over
All I can do is wish you well

Song of the Day: Whipping Post (The Allman Brothers Band)

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Arleigh

If there was ever song which perfectly fused the two into the music genre commonly as blues rock it would The Allman Brothers Band’s iconic song from their 1969 self-titled album, “Whipping Post”.

I consider “Whipping Post” one of the greatest rock songs ever created. It’s blues origins could be heard throughout the song from the near-perfect slide-guitar playing by one of rock’s greatest guitarists in Duane Allman. The lyrics to the song is classic existential blues of an evil woman the cause of one’s ruination and of the metaphorical whipping post the song’s subject is put through.

While brother Greg’s vocalizing has been a highlight for some the true highlight of the song comes from the band’s two lead guitarists. The song manages to showcase both player’s skills in two separate guitar solos that come after the songs two verses and choruses. We get Duane Allman performing magic with the first guitar solo in slide-guitar fashion with Dickey Betts joining in on the tail end on rhythm guitar. The second guitar solo has the two performers switching roles with Duane augmenting Bett’s electric guitar work with some slide work on acoustic guitar.

The song’s lyrics were written by Duane’s brother Greg who is also the band’s lead singer. His vocals in this song comes out as if coming from the very depths of perdition. There’s genuine, fierce emotion in the singing by Greg Allman and everyone else who has covered the song never seem to replicate the very same emotion which made “Whipping Post” so great the moment it was first heard in 1969 and continues to be great as a new generation in the 21st century gets introduced to the band.

The studio version of the song is powerful in it’s own right…

…but it’s the 22-minute long live recording At Fillmore East that the song has attained mythical status.

Whipping Post

I’ve been run down
I’ve been lied to
I don’t know why,
I let that mean woman make me a fool
She took all my money
Wrecks my new car
Now she’s with one of my good time buddies
They’re drinkin’ in some cross town bar

Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel
Like I’ve been tied
To the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Good lord I feel like I’m dyin’

(guitar solo)

My friends tell me
That I’ve been such a fool
And I have to stand down and take it babe,
All for lovin’ you
I drown myself in sorrow
As I look at what you’ve done
Nothin’ seems to change
Bad times stay the same
And I can’t run

Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel
Like I’ve been tied
To the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Good lord I feel like I’m dyin’

(guitar solo)

Sometimes I feel
Sometimes I feel
Like I’ve been tied
To the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Tied to the whipping post
Good lord I feel like I’m dyin’

Great Guitar Solos Series

Song of the Day: Texas Flood (by Stevie Ray Vaughan)

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Arleigh

It’s nearly impossible to put together any “greatest guitar solos of all time” list without including today’s entry in our Song of the Day series.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was a once-in-a-generation talent, taken far too soon. After years of grinding as a session guitarist for various bands and artists, he finally broke through to the stardom he always deserved. His playing echoed the giants who came before him—Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Muddy Waters—while carving out a voice that was unmistakably his own. He didn’t just bridge rock and blues; he ruled both.

He also holds a personal distinction for me: he was the first artist of any kind who made me weep after I learned of his passing. I found out while I was away on a school retreat as a high school senior, and the news hit with a kind of weight that only true musical connection can carry.

“Texas Flood” captures SRV at his absolute peak. The main guitar solo erupts around the 2:30 mark, where Vaughan stretches the song into a slow-burning, emotionally charged showcase of phrasing, tone, and control. It’s less about speed and more about feel—every bend and vibrato lands with purpose. No matter how many players try to replicate what he achieved with a Fender Stratocaster, Vaughan remains untouchable—the undisputed king.

Texas Flood

Well theres floodin down in texas….all of the telephone lines are down
Well theres floodin down in texas….all of the telephone lines are down
And Ive been tryin to call my baby….lord and I cant get a single sound

Well dark clouds are rollin in….man Im standin out in the rain
Well dark clouds are rollin in….man Im standin out in the rain
Yeah flood water keep a rollin….man its about to drive poor me insane

Well Im leavin you baby….lord and Im goin back home to stay
Well Im leavin you baby….lord and Im goin back home to stay
Well back home I know floods and tornados….baby the sun shines every day

Great Guitar Solos Series

Song of the Day: Make It Rain from Sons of Anarchy (by Ed Sheeran)

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Arleigh

Tonight was the penultimate episode of Kurt Sutter’s Sons of Anarchy on FX. It was an episode that truly earned it’s label of being a modern Shakespearean tragedy (a label many shows have been given but rarely live up to). It also unfolded like some of the best Coppola and Scorsese gangland epics with accounts being settled in disturbing, bloody fashion.

SAMCRO was a group that for some reason legion of fans have taken a ride with and despite the man downs the show took with it’s many highs people didn’t get off the ride (or couldn’t). They wanted to see how this outlaw band of brothers and their loved ones will survive (or who will survive) to the end.

We now know that three more names have been struck off the show’s ledger. With one more episode left in the series it’s either going to go out in a blaze of glory or end in a whimper.

To make tonight’s episode even more memorable we got to listen to Ed Sheeran drop his latest song that perfectly encapsulates the events of Sons of Anarchy tonight and all the way back to the beginning.

Make It Rain

When the sins of my father
Weigh down in my soul
And the pain of my mother
Will not let me go

Well I know there can come fire from the sky
To purify pure as the canes
Even though
I know this fire brings me pain
Even so
And just the same

Make it rain
Make it rain down low
Just make it rain
Make it rain

And the seed needs the water
Before it grows out of the ground
But it just keeps on getting hotter
And the hunger more profound

Well I know there can come tears from their eyes
But they may as well be in vain
Even though
I know these tears bring me pain
Even so
And just the same

Make it rain
Make it rain down low
Just make it rain
Make it rain

Make it rain x8

And the seas are full of water
That stop by the shore
Just like the riches of grandeur
That never reach the port

So let the claps fill with thunderous applause
And let thy death be the veins
And fill the sky
With all that they can drop
When it’s time
To make a change

Make it rain
Make it rain down low
Just make it rain
Make it rain

Make it rain x4

Make it rain
Make it rain down low
Just make it rain
Make it rain

27 Days of Old School: #25 “Voodoo Child” (by Stevie Ray Vaughan)

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Arleigh

“Well, I’m standing next to a mountain, chop it down with the edge of my hand”

To close out the night we have Stevie Ray Vaughan at #25 with his excellent cover of the classic Hendrix track, “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)”.

The blues wasn’t a genre of music that I had much experience growing up during the 80’s. It was during a senior retreat that I was introduced to one of the blues rising stars during that era of my life. He was Stevie Ray Vaughan and I only got to know him after he had already passed into legend after he died in a helicopter crash.

Since then I’ve become not just a major listener of blues and blues rock music, but I would say I’ve become a connoisseur.

While I’ve since listened to Jimi Hendrix’s original of the song and consider it the best version, I will always have a special place in my musical library for the one and only SRV.

Song of the Day: Trouble Man (by Marvin Gaye)

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Arleigh

I just got back from watching an early screening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Now, what does this have to do with the latest “Song of the Day” featuring musical legend Marvin Gaye. Well, I’m glad you asked. The song gets mentioned by a major character in the film and gets some airplay towards the end. The lyrics of the song itself could almost be synonymous with the storyline for this follow-up to Captain America: The First Avenger.

The song is also the theme song to the 1972 Soul Cinema Classic film production Trouble Man.

While the song remains a classic R&B song that does consistent radioplay I’m sure it won;’t hurt for new listeners coming to listen to it even more after experiencing it for the very first time watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Trouble Man

I come up hard, baby, and that ain’t cool!
I didn’t make it sugah, playin’ by the rules!
I come up hard, babe, but now I’m fine.
I’m shakin’ trouble sugah, & movin’ down the line.
I come up hard, but that’s OK.
‘Cause

Trouble Man don’t get in my way!!

I come up hard, baby!

I mean fo’ real, baby, cuz I’m a Troubled Man!
Gonna keep movin’, gonna go to town.
I come up hard, and now I’m gettin’ down!
There’s only 3 things that’s fa sho*:
Taxes, death and trouble

This I know, baby. this I know.
Yeah, you never let it sweat you baby,

Whooooo

Got me singin’, yeah, yeah, hooo

I come up hard, baby, I had to fight!
To keep my dignity with all my might!
I come up hard, I had to win!
Then start all over. And WIN AGAIN!!
I come up hard, but that’s OK!
‘Cause Trouble Man don’t get in my way

Hey,Hey!

Now I been some places and I seen some faces
I got my connections they take my directions
Don’t care what they say. that’s OK, they don’t bother me
I’m ready to make it, don’t care ’bout the weather
Don’t care ’bout no trouble, got myself together
No laughin’, no cryin’, my protection’s all around me

I come up hard, baby
I mean for real, baby
With the Trouble Man
Movin’, goin’ tight
I come up hard, come on, get down
There’s only 3 things for sure:
Taxes, death and trouble

This I know, baby, baby
This I know, baby, baby
Hey now, let it sweat, baby

I’ve come up hard, but now I’m cool
I didn’t make it, baby, playin’ by the rules
I’ve come up hard, baby, but now I’m fine
I’m shakin’ trouble, sure movin’ down the line

Song of the Day: Who Is He (And What Is He to You) (by Bill Withers)

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Arleigh

February is almost over and I’m sure those who celebrated Valentines Day a couple weeks back are either flying high on love or becoming bitter by the day at things not turning out the way either party have imagined.

The latest “Song of the Day” puts into words such a a scenario that those in the latter might be going through right about now. It’s a song by soul and blues singer Bill Withers. He’s better known for classic soul hits such as “Lean On Me”, “Just the Two of Us” and “Ain’t No Sunshine”.

“Who Is He (And What Is He To You)” is a song of infidelity and betrayal. I just love the bass line that goes throughout the song. The song’s lyrics also hints at a sense of malice and and built-up rage at the betrayal. One could almost imagine how things will erupt after the final note and lyric has faded in the background.

Who Is He (And What Is He to You)

A man we passed just tried to stare me down
And when I looked at you, you looked at the ground
I don’t know who he is but I think that you do

Dag gummit
Who is he and what is he to you

I have something in my heart and in your eyes
Tell me he’s not someone just passin’ by
And when you cleared your throat was that your cue

Dag gummit dag
Who is he and what is he to you

Now when I add the sum of you and me
I get confused and I keep coming up with three
You’re too much for one man but not enough for two

Dag gummit
Who is he and what is he to you

Hey you tell me man don’t have not much for intuition
That what you really think or are you wishin’
Before you wreck your old home be certain of the new

Dag gummit
Who is he and what is he to you