Pond Prompts - 9/13/07

My favorite song is..

The song I usually mention is "Little Wing." I like the versions by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan equally. Jimi's version is very dream-like and beautiful. You can hear the pure love in Jimi's voice. Not romantic love, but a more general kind of love. In contrast to that beauty, the guitar work is a little rough. It's nice to listen to, yes, but it doesn't flow like the vocal melody.

Stevie Ray's version is instrumental, but keeps the same feeling of the original. Stevie Ray didn't need vocals for his "Little Wing" performance - he expressed everything through his instrument. What I like about SRV's version is the intensity of it. Some moments are quiet and gentle, and others are so powerful, so emotional. His guitar playing on this song, in contrast to Jimi's, is more fluid and has a little more of that Texas swagger. Two different playing styles, same song. Both versions are excellent.