Jakob Dylan Goes Acoustic!
Jakob Dylan's aptly titled solo debut, 'Seeing Things,' reveals timeless song craft from the Wallflowers' frontman.
by Kristi York Wooten Newsweek Web Exclusive
June 4, 2008
Jakob Dylan says he knows what reviewers will write about his first solo recording, the Rick Rubin-produced "Seeing Things," which goes on sale June 10.
*"The article's going to say, 'Dylan goes acoustic'," he tells NEWSWEEK with a laugh. "I can give you 20 references of what the [writers] will say to be witty."
Those familiar with Dylan's tenure as leader of rock band the Wallflowers know that this son of Bob Dylan has spent the better part of the past two decades tunneling his own passageway as a songwriter, without the obvious help of his dad—and without too many favors from the press.
Perhaps critics haven't given Dylan, 38, enough credit for his years as the straight-ahead, azure-eyed rocker who competently led his Wallflower charges on a Grammy-laden journey through multiple personnel changes, hits such as "6th Avenue Heartache" and "One Headlight," and a stack of late-'90s magazine covers that focused more on his penchant for bowler hats than his knack for verse.
Or maybe Dylan knows all too well the endless scrutiny of being the son of one of rock's most revered wordsmiths.
The fact that "Seeing Things" is a joint effort between Columbia Records and StarbucksEntertainment may provide fodder for the younger Dylan's naysayers, if for no other reason than these new associations—the first, with his father's record label, and the latter, with the Seattle-based coffeehouse that does a pretty good job of trying to be that label.
Being a platinum-selling rock star isn't the only prize for Jakob Dylan. He's always aimed to be a songwriter's songwriter, and now with "Seeing Things," in Rubin's intimate—and yes, mostly acoustic—setting, Dylan's considerable abilities are finally laid bare.
"He puts the ball back in the hand of the artist," Dylan says of Rubin's guidance. As for their working relationship and the songwriting process, Dylan says, "I never got the sense that what we were doing was crafting a record."
