Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Jakob Dylan doesn’t like to analyze his music. Truth be told, he doesn’t particularly like listening to it, either. “I don’t listen to any of our records because I don’t want that influence of what we’ve already done hanging over us,” says Dylan, 32. “If I’m critical of the past, then I become a critic just like everyone else.”
Jakob Dylan’s best songs capture the frailties of human nature. On “Breach”–the latest album by his band, the Wallflowers–Dylan goes a step further, allowing fans to explore all the things he was reticent to talk about in the past (e.g. his famous dad, Bob). At a sold-out concert Thursday night at Metro, Dylan led the group through a superb set that showcased the new, paid homage to the old with a faithful rendition of their breakthrough hit “6th Avenue Heartache,” and included a dead-on cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes.”
“We did ‘Breach’ as quickly as we could,” says Jakob Dylan, phoning from Los Angeles last week. “The last record came out in 1996, but we were [on tour] until the middle of 1998. I was aware of a lot of time going by [between albums] and I wasn’t happy with that. I took some time off to rest when we got home from touring. But other than that, we got back to work right away.”
Movie soundtracks have become music to record companies’ ears. Once studios discovered that popular music from such artists as Simon and Garfunkel and the BeeGees could help sell a film, the lush orchestral scores that were the high-water mark of the ’50s all but disappeared. These days, soundtracks have become far more than promotional tools for hyping a movie. They are thriving independently of the films that spawn them to become a force on the album charts – with some even outliving their big screen brethren.
If you have MTV, try to catch the exclusive airing of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” video. The fully animated clip was drawn by Magnus Carlson, whose animated “Robin” series is a favorite in Great Britain. The band is briefly depicted in a bar at the end of the 6-1/2-minute video, but the music and the stark images are the stars.
The most coveted item at rock shows isn’t a pair of decent earplugs. It’s the backstage pass. We want those round (or square, or triangular) stick-on adhesive passes that are our entree into rock ‘n’ roll nirvana for the same reason we want Porsches, 15-carat diamond engagement rings and brainy significant others who are dead ringers for supermodels. We covet what we can’t have.
It wasn’t that the Wallflowers were particularly physical performers. If anything, they remained as immobile on stage as Blues Traveler. However, their songs had variety and veered in tempo, and singer-guitarist-songwriter Jakob Dylan’s passionate delivery made each song spring to life. The Wallflowers are having their first taste of commercial success, thanks to their haunting hit single, “6th Avenue Heartache.” Their hourlong set included most of the songs on their latest album, “Bringing Down the Horse,” as well as a rocking cover of “Tears of a Clown.”
“I’d hate for you to write this story and have everyone think I’m a happy, cheerful person,” Jakob Dylan said. “It’s not good for the image of the group.” He’s joking. The Wallflowers’ lead singer-songwriter-guitarist proved to be anything but a wallflower during a recent telephone interview from his Los Angeles home. His pensive songs may exude bittersweet longing, but in real life he is chatty and quick-witted and the first one to poke fun at himself.
Eye Candy keeps watch on music-related items worth a closer look: The shotgun reunion between David Lee Roth and Van Halen may have been a bust, but the original Van Halen lineup looks young and happy in “Van Halen – Video Hits, Volume 1” (Warner Reprise Video). The 64-minute home video also includes “Me Wise Magic,” a new track featuring Roth on vocals . . .