Customer Reviews

Seeing Things

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Seeing Things does NOT hearken back to the days of Bob, but instead clearly plays out poetic visions of today and tomorrow. Jakob & Bob may be similar in style and attitude, but listen, pay attention, hear Jakob's sentiment, and you'll see very clearly that he draws strength from an emotive engine very much his own.

Bob Dylan and Jakob Dylan are two phenomenal singer/songwriters, each standing firmly on his own ground, each deserving of our full attention. I'm an avid listener of both Bob and Jakob's music and simply do not understand why reviewers are reluctant to grand Jakob his own platform.

Don't listen to this album with 3-minute hyper-pop expectations.
Listen to this album with time and quiet to hear the whole thing through.
The listener will glean as much depth and sentiment as he/she brings to the table. Pay attention and you will not be disappointed.

Seeing Things is a mellow masterpiece in a gallery of neon noise.

Please rate this review "helpful" if you're tired of reading through the "He's not as good as Daddy" comments... >_> I'm absolutely certain that those reviewers are either not listening or... something worse.

I like the Wallflowers and I like Jakob by himself. This CD is sparsely orchestrated and acoustic with Jakob's voice as the highlight. The CD is very listenable, but watch out--the lyrics will sneak up on you. There's a lot of strong sentiment in these mostly quiet songs.

"Evil is Alive and Well", the opener, is definitely a strong start. It's sparse and almost gothic sounding. The first listen made my hair stand up on end.

"Valley of the Low Sun", sounds like a ready-made traditional with very strong contemporary lyrics 'with snow covered beaches and bombers named after girls...' Either his Dad or Richard Thompson could have written this one.

"War is Kind" is one of the softest spoken protest songs you will ever hear. Jakob gets his message across in a quiet and ironic manner.

You hear a lot of influences in this collection: Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Richard Thompson, and yes, I think Jakob hears his own drummer as well. At 10 songs and a little over 37 minutes, "Seeing Things" keeps me hearing things a little less time than I would like, but the CD is still a winner and I am predicting it will be one of the best CDs of the year.

Rebecca Kyle, June 2008

Kudos to Jakob Dylan for a gorgeous acoustic album that, while channeling a bit of Jackson Browne, Greg Brown, Buddy Miller and even his father, nevertheless manages to stand alone as a unique expression of outstanding songwriting, inspired song arrangements and spot on deliveries.

This one is a keeper.

In true Rick Rubin fashion, he has stripped Jakob Dylan down to bare minimals. Don't come asking for The Wallflowers, we have no grand band scale here. Seeing Things has no rock gimmicks to distract the listener. There's just Jakob's lyrics and voice to pay attention to. Both which have evolved to be even stronger and more passionate than before.

There's no weak or filler songs, to say. Although the songs tie together beautifully, all have their own world and imagery to ponder. Jakob's voice is in the forefront, with the acoustics behind him. Like with The Wallflowers, Jakob uses his deep tone and slight rasp to his advantage. Yet his voice is more clean and clearer on this album. There's not really much more one could ask for in his solo debut.

This is one of the best albums out this year!!! Jacob's writing and voice are excellent. Away from the Wallflowers, his voice is clearer and more emotional. From the very first playing, this album grew on me and I will not take it out of my cd player. It is available on LP and as we all know, LPs sound so much clearer and deeper sounding then CDS. I will definitely purchase this one on LP when I find it. Songs are well written with great lyrics. Put this cd or LP on and sit back and listen to great vocals and emotional sounds with your lady or spouse. I am definitely sure she will enjoy. Keep it coming Jacob.

After five albums with his band The Wallflowers, Jakob Dylan steps out on his own for the first time ever. The aptly titled "Seeing things" is a look at the sad state of the world, set to stark, acoustic Folk songs produced by master of stripped music, Rick Rubin. Rubin produced Johnny Cash's "American" series of albums, of which I have two which I love.

Listening to it the first time, everything sounded much the same to me, though I thoroughly enjoyed every song, even going "yes" at 2 or 3 tracks, but listening to it over and over fully unfurls the beauty of this album. The songs are hugely melodic yet simple.

Accompanied primarily by guitar, and sometimes some delicate percusion and harmonies, there is subtle variety despite the simplicity. "Will it grow" is Country tinged with a 2 step beat, while the sing-a-long "Something good this way comes" is Americana. "All day and all night" is the most upbeat sounding song (if that's possible on this laid back, gentle CD).

The guitar/vocals only "Valley of the low sun" (with its lyrics about war; "I know that soldiers are not paid to think/But something is making us sick" he sings, also referring to bombers named after girls) sounds very much like something from Bruce Springsteen's song book.

Other standouts include the acostic ballads "Everybody pays as they go" (with some female harmonies, lovely), "War is kind" (another Springsteen-esque song, a look at the effects of war through the eyes of a mother, brother, daughter, and a lover), "On up the mountain", and the Blues-tinged "I told you I couldn't stop" which is more richly adorned with guitars, Jakob's forlorn raspy delivery and a faintly tapped beat, this is my absolute favourite song.

Jakob stated that he set out to create music on this album that would be timeless. I think he succeeded.

I liked his previous band but this is true Jacob Dylan music. At an age that remembers and appreciates the older Dylan's music, Jacob brings a sanity to rock music. Both my husband and I listened and smiled at the music. We are probably not his target audience, but he has new older fans!! I listened to the CD a few times in a row and really appreciate Jakob's clarity and authenticity as an artist. Loved it!!

One of the best albums to come out this year, so far. Not a weak cut on it.

Dylan does a great job of summing up the mood of the country right now, and the state of affairs with songs like Valley Of The Low Sun and Everyone Pays As They Go. Very tasty acoustic guitar work here as well. Sparsely produced also----just the way I like my music.

The comparisons will inevitably be made to his dad's music, but that's not really fair. Bob hasn't put out an album like this since the 70's, though he's certainly done some great music in the past decade.

In short: great album. Highly recommended.

Jacob Dylan's latest CD is a bit of a change of pace from his most recent offerings with the Wallflowers. It is more mellow with a hint of folk to it sometimes. While I love the Wallflowers when they get down and rock, this CD shows what a magnificent guitar player Jacob has become while showing off his continued growth as a singer and poet songwriter. While billed as a solo album, there are some accompanying musicians with him that round out the new tunes very nicely. I saw him in concert in Charleston, SC about a week after Seeing Things was released and he played almost all of the new material from the CD and it was terrific!! If you are a Jacob Dylan fan, then the new CD is a must for your collection.

I've been a huge fan of the Wallflowers and Jakob Dylan in particular for over 10 years now. I consider them to be one of the most underrated bands in modern history, as they have released 3 absolutely brilliant (yet profoundly different) albums since "Bringing Down the Horse" to little or no fanfare.

With "Seeing Things," Jakob has--yet again--crafted an album of songs so real that it HURTS. Listen to every word and there's bound to be something that cuts right through to speak to your soul. The Wallflowers' sound complemented his lyrics nicely, but never in my life have I put on a Wallflowers CD because I'm craving an amped-up melody. Acoustic Jakob Dylan is effortless & sincere. I've always considered him a songwriter before a musician, and his beautiful lyrics take center stage on this album.

I've been listening to "Seeing Things" on repeat for a month now and my heart still swells at every song. Good soul food. Nice job, Jakob. I hope there is more to come.