Music News	Music Venues	Search Events

E-mail story

comment

Printer-friendly version

Younger Dylan's new solo CD doesn't fall far from the family tree

BY KEITH RYAN CARTWRIGHT

PROVIDED

Jakob Dylan will perform at the Music Farm on Tuesday.

Like father, like son.

His father has a well-documented eccentric personality and is arguably one of the single most influential songwriters of all time. So, OK, perhaps Jakob Dylan isn't nearly as influential or eccentric as his famous father Bob Dylan, but he sure is almost as reclusive.

Perhaps it has to do with a comment he made in a May article published in Vogue magazine in which he said growing up he "never felt that anonymous."

The younger Dylan rarely grants interviews, and when he does, he speaks nothing of his family — he married his childhood sweetheart Paige in 1992, and the couple have four sons, who range in age from 13 to 6 months — and as a result, much like the elder Dylan, he has cultivated a sense of mystique.

"As you acquire more responsibilities in your life," he told Vogue, "music has to be a passion, something you just need to do. Otherwise, there are a lot of exit signs along the way."

In spite of his growing contention with fatherhood — it had been five years since he released his last full-length album with The Wallflowers — perhaps the 38-year-old singer/songwriter finally has a renewed passion.

After signing with his father's longtime label — Columbia — and penning a number of songs used for various television programs, Jakob released his first solo effort, "Seeing Things," just a few weeks ago.

Produced by Rick Rubin (Red Hot Chili Peppers/Johnny Cash), the album is composed of 10 mostly acoustic songs recorded last year at a house owned by Rubin in the Hollywood Hills.

Unlike his previous work with The Wallflowers — the band released five albums, won two Grammys and sold millions — this particular album is less textured and more comparable to his father's catalog.

"This kind of record is something I've wanted to do for a long time," he was quoted as saying in the Vogue article. "I really wanted the songs to feel like they've been here for ages, like they were cut from stone."

The spare instrumentation that Jakob was looking for is something Rubin has been experimenting with, so to speak, since he produced the "American" series, the final recordings of Cash's legendary career.

His former band has remained in limbo since 2005. Be that as it may, Jakob is launching a solo tour with his new backup band the Gold Mountain Rebels, and they are slated to perform Tuesday at Music Farm.

After all, today, these are the songs he feels most passionate about.

"I'd like to think they'll be here after I'm gone," said Jakob, who despite his reluctant media presence isn't afraid to draw comparisons to his ol' man.

Keith Ryan Cartwright is a Colorado-based freelance entertainment journalist.