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."Jakob Dylan has talent to
spare"
....Wallflowers, who
are on a roll of their own with a new album ("Breach"), and with
singer Jakob Dylan on the cover of the latest Rolling Stone. 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 about in the past (e.g. his famous dad,
Bob).
....... At a sold-out concert Sunday night at
Bimbo's, Dylan led the group through a superb set that showcased the new, paid
homage to the old with a faithful rendition of the Wallflowers' breakthrough
hit "6th Avenue Heartache," and included a dead-on cover of David
Bowie's "Heroes." Kicking the show off with the hypnotic single
"Sleepwalker," Dylan stoically stood centerstage and sang,
"Maybe I could be the one they adored/That could be my reputation/It's
where I'm from that let's them think I'm a whore/I'm an educated
virgin."
....... After years of not answering questions
about his father, the younger Dylan has cautiously opened up on a handful of
new songs. It's an interesting perspective of the protagonist (whom we assume
is he) he presents--shy, unsure and not always certain that his detractors are
wrong in their assessment of him. He is his father's son, but he questions
whether that is enough.
.........The bulk of the taut, 80-minute set was
taken up with the new material complemented by the four singles from 1996's
quadruple platinum ``Bringing Down the Horse,'' a single tune from the band's
neglected 1992 debut and covers of The Who's ``Won't Get Fooled Again''
and David Bowie's ``Heroes.'' The darkly catchy ``Sleepwalker,''
the first single from ``Breach,'' set the tone with insinuating organ
licks and the witty, cautionary chorus, ``Cupid, don't draw back your bow, Sam
Cooke didn't know what I know.'' ``Some Flowers Bloom Dead'' had a perky
pacing that betrayed its downbeat sentiment. ``Letters From the
Wasteland'' continued the marriage of swinging rhythms and minor key moods.
In one of the evening's highlights, Dylan strummed the twangy chords of
"Hand Me Down," and sang from the point of view of a
disappointed father (or a fan of the father):
......."You won't ever amount to much/You
won't be anyone/ . . . You're a hand-me down/It's better when you're not
around/You feel good and you look like you should/But you won't ever make us
proud . . . /Now look at you/With your worn out shoes/Living proof
evolution is through/We're stuck with you/This revolution is doomed."
........The emotion in his voice was real, and,
yes, at times his low, husky vocals sounded strikingly similar to you-know-who.
But the song was his. And, if anything, the story-driven rock feel of
"Breach" owed less to vintage Bob than to Bruce Springsteen.
In the past, Dylan had a penchant for penning oblique lyrics ("She always
prayed to headlights").
........He has grown into a thoughtful songwriter
with a nimble gift for wordplay and an evocative voice that tugs at the heart.
By Randy Cohen
........This is the Official Rock Publication Web Site
All photos and written material courtesy of Rock Publication
.Copyright © 2000
E-mail at
Rockpub@aol.com
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.....9/26/00 San
Francisco