GASP (Shock!) /awe. Yes, friends. “And other music. Like, also.”
The year, lovers, is 1996 and I am positively enamored with Bringing Down the Horse by The Wallflowers. One Headlight, 6th Avenue Heartache, Three Marlenas, The Difference, Josephine… What an album. Then they played a song for the worst Godzilla movie ever made, and we’re talking about a series of movies that relied on men in rubber monster suits trampling scale models of cities, for the most part. I don’t know why they did that. Right around then, I checked out. I know there were more albums, I remember hearing Letters from the Wasteland once and just not caring at all. Why? I honestly don’t know, I liked the Wallflowers.
But now I know. I was waiting on Jakob Dylan’s solo effort. This album is so good I almost can’t believe it. He’s stripped it back to a simple alt-country style, relying on brilliant guitar work, compelling lyrics and no-nonsense vocals to hold this music up. Let me assure you, you could put a bull elephant, 47 ACME anvils and a concert grand on top of these songs and they would stand firm. Dylan’s heartfelt delivery and zero-frills mix really contributes a welcome characteristic to this music: it is made entirely of substance. There is no filler. Zero MSG, folks. 100%, Grade-A, quality music.
I am a Jakob Dylan FAN. Listen, good reader, and join me.