The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 685

Number 685

Wallflowers

"6th Avenue Heartache"

(1996)

Genre:Alt Pop

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. Bringing Down the Horse was released in May 1996, producing the alternative radio hit "6th Avenue Heartache." Late in 1996, the single "One Headlight" was released, and by the spring of 1997, it had become a Top Ten hit, pushing Bringing Down the Horse into the upper reaches of the charts, as well.

Bringing Down the Horse was a big seller throughout 1997, thanks to "6th Avenue Heartache," "One Headlight," and "The Difference," the third single pulled from the record. Early in 1998, "One Headlight" won Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. Settling down from the rush of success, the Wallflowers rightfully took a long four-year break from recording. The new millennium sparked new creativity, and the Wallflowers returned in October 2000 to release the excellent Breach. The album went largely ignored, leading to the more mainstream Red Letter Days the following year. After a two-year hiatus the band returned with Rebel, Sweetheart. ~ John Bush

For Bob Dylan see Numbers 841 & 929

For Tom Petty see Number 969

What does Rolling Stone think of Wallflowers?

On the Wallflowers' debut album, frontman Jakob Dylan did exactly the things that would invite embarrassing comparisons with his icon of a father, Bob. There was the faux country drawl, the syllables held out for an eternity, the narrative array of sideshow characters and music dominated by a Hammond organ. Four years older and a whole lot wiser, the Wallflowers return with an eye-popping second album that casts their leader in a far better light. Young Dylan's songwriting remains shaped by echoes, but here they come from some of his dad's other "children": The anthemic "One Headlight" carries a distinct Tom Petty-like urgency, and "Invisible City" may be the best song Bruce Springsteen hasn't written in years. There are still plenty of genetic imprints. "Josephine" turns on a chord change straight out of "Just Like a Woman," and lines like "I've learned to compromise good people for alibis" show that the apple continues to fall pretty close to the tree. This time out, that's a compliment. (RS 737)

Crowbarreds choice for Website to find more on Wallflowers http://www.the-wallflowers.net/

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Now if he does an album with his father.....) and the Album ranked at Number (....we are sure it would be a 5 star classic)

This song has a crowbarred rating of 69.2 out of 108

The Wallflowers - 6th Avenue Heartache (David Fincher)
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