The Wallflowers
Biography
As part of the mid-'90s revival of roots-rock, the Wallflowers held a special connection to one of the original inspirations: vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Jakob Dylan. Though he is the son of a legend, Jakob's similarities to his father are occasional -- in fact, the Wallflowers are more influenced by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers than original '60s folk-rock, though lyrically, Jakob remains a close companion to the original Dylan.
Born in 1970, Jakob Dylan was raised in Los Angeles by his mother, Sara Lowndes, after his parents' divorce in 1977. He studied at private schools in L.A. and New York, and decided to follow in his father's footsteps by the late '80s. He formed the Wallflowers with guitarist Tobi Miller, keyboard player Rami Jaffee, bassist Barrie Maguire, and drummer Peter Yanowitz and signed to Virgin. Released in August 1992, the Wallflowers' self-titled debut album sold poorly, and Virgin soon dropped the band. Undaunted, Dylan assembled a new Wallflowers -- guitarist Michael Ward, bassist Greg Richling, and drummer Mario Calire -- keeping only Jaffee. The group signed to Interscope and recorded its second album with producer T-Bone Burnett, a longtime friend of the Dylan family.
Selected Discography
Rebel, Sweetheart
2005
Red Letter Days
2002
Breach
2000
Bringing Down The Horse
1996
The Wallflowers
1992
I think Jakob is a great songwriter and a talent. His solo work is very good. I saw him at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco as well as at Warfield with Counting Crows and they were great. Cool song structures and ideas. Seeing Wallflowers and Counting Crows perform 6th Avenue Heartache (Adam Duritz sings the backup vocals on the studio version) was pretty cool. They stood on the monitors and sang to each other... very soulful version!
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Totally forgot about these guys. Completely over-looked and I think he's under rated. . .
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amen....they really were on the early edge of the alt country movement.... . r i g h t there at the same time as Uncle Tupelo was coming to a close. This record predates a ton of stuff we now consider alt-country. . . . l i k e Wilco and Whiskeytown.
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Never got the recognition deserved. Bringing Down The Horse was in a discount bin for $3.99 recently. Shameful for one of the greatest Folk/Country / R o c k albums of all time.
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I forgot about the Wallflowers until a few years ago when I heard a song of theirs on the muzak at work... then saw them on PBS and just had to buy their newer albums. Rebel, Sweetheart is my favorite. Bob Dylan was something of a prophet of his generation, and Jalob Dylan's lyrics kind of seem like the continuation of a heritage... not in the same way, and not something contrived or sought-out, but very much in the DNA.
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Their debut is the best by far. I saw them play at the Earth Day concert in 1993 along with Matthew Sweet and others.
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Doctors should prescribe BDTH for kids with ADHD. The first time I heard that album I almost blew my brains out, it was that depressing. Fortunately, I fell asleep first. Snoozzzzfest .
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And all the people arguing about whether Bob or Jakob Dylan's is the best singing voice:
It's kind of like arguing whether beef tastes better than oranges. |
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I like the wallflowers over-all sound quite a bit. So much so that I sat down to learn a couple of their tunes (6th Ave Heartache, One Headlight) to throw into my bar set. When I started learning the lyrics I was alarmed out how dumb I felt singing them. I still like the way the songs sound, however, the lyrics are best not subjected close examination.
An interesting side note, I always liked Mike Ward's guitar sound and wondered where he went. Found out he is a pro bicycle racer now. |
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I like there song "Closer to you" but I have no clue about their other stuff. If they have a classic sound similar to goo goo dolls I might even consider picking up an album. Are they really that bad though?
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two words for sophiethimme s : I AGREE!
jakob dylan did his father a great disservice by becoming a musician. he would have been better off as a grocery bagger or something less famous-y. |
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Love them, but haven't heard the new stuff. Guess I should pick up a copy.
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He didn't pick up his dad's lyrical talents but the songs hold up. Bringing Down The Horse doesn't get the credit it deserves. They must have a pretty bad PR machine behind them because I never heard of The Wallflowers again after BDTH (Not even on VH1!!) Then they pop up on Pandora with another 3 albums.
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An incredible talent. I think it is amazing that he decided not to use his father's name or style to promote himself. Easily his father's rival as a lyricist he has the added benefit of having a beautifully soulful voice.
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Wasn't former guitarist M. Ward in School of Fish? Anyway, Bringing Down The Horse I completely wore out growing up. Damn! That cd got me thru some tough times as a young man. Like the group Tonic, these guys are one of the most underated projects ever.
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Closer to you is an awesome song, it also doesn't hurt that Jakob is the son of one of the best song-writer.
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When I heard this song for the first time, I actually thought it was Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker s . I really like it. :)
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I loved the song three Marlena's so much, I named my first child Marlena. It didn't hurt that my Aunt Lena had just past away and I could mix a little of Dylan's soulful music and honor my Aunt at the same time. I love their sound! My daughter loves to hear her name when we play this song. So do my two other kids! (No I didn't name them all Marlena) ;o)
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what's cool is he did it on his own without any help from his dad... except for the last name of course, I guess that would help just a little.
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I think Jakob is an amazing artist in every respect, songwriting, music, all of it. And its nice to know his father doesn't overshadow his bright star.
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One of my favorites. You have to listen to the words to appreciate the music!!
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They have a little more than just those songs. I absolutely love everything on the breach and red letter days albums.
I would love for pandora to file in Jakob Dylan's solo stuff. I think Stardust Universe is amazing. |
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Saw them once. They are okay, but it seems there is talent there they just have not tapped into. I saw his dad, no comparison because of different genres. I just wish they had more. One Headlight, Sixth Avenue, & Josephine are awesome. I just want more. Does that make sense.
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