After taking a decidedly folky path on his previous solo release, Women + Country, Jakob Dylan has returned to his rock'n'roll roots with his longtime band the Wallflowers on their first album in seven years, Glad All Over. Speaking to Exclaim!, Dylan explained that in spite of his solo success, he was anxious to return to the band, which now features guitarist Stuart Mathis and former Chili Peppers/Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons, alongside founding keyboardist Rami Jaffee and bassist Greg Richling.
"We got together a bunch of times and did a lot of talking, but we didn't really play as a band together until we got to Nashville [to record]," Dylan says. "We had our fingers crossed, but we all had a hunch that it was the right arrangement of the group and it was the right place to be doing it."
Those discussions about rekindling the Wallflowers' original fire led to Dylan approaching one of his heroes, Mick Jones of the Clash, to appear on the album. Jones contributes to two tracks, including Glad All Over's first single "Reboot the Mission."
Dylan says, "I haven't bumped into anyone my age, either playing music or just a fan of music, who won't undeniably say the Clash wasn't one of the most impactful and powerful groups, in whichever version of them you like or whichever record you like. There was just nobody any better. I've never been caught up in the whole punk rock tag — I didn't care about that — they were just a terrific rock 'n'roll band who moved me then and still do."
Dylan also admitted to listening to a lot of ZZ Top in preparation for the album, and their swampy grooves are evident in a few Glad All Over tracks, such "Devil's Waltz" and "Hospital for Sinners."
"I don't know if it's true or not, but I imagine [ZZ Top guitarist] Billy Gibbons doesn't write anything without his band in mind, and starting from scratch right there in the studio," Dylan says. "Those guys are so good that they can do something new each time with the same three chords that sounds great. That's all you can do, sit back and try to learn from the people you admire."
As previously reported, the Wallflowers hit the road to promote Glad All Over, starting October 6 and play Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre on November 6. You can see all their upcoming dates below.
Glad All Over arrives Tuesday (October 2) via Columbia Records.
Tour dates:
10/6 San Antonio, TX - ALT Universe Festival
10/9 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre
10/13 Mexico City, Mexico -Corona Capital Festival
10/24 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
10/25 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
10/26 Des Moines, IA - Wooly's
10/27 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
10/29 Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
10/30 Green Bay, WI - Meyer Theatre
10/31 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
11/2 Chicago, IL - Park West
11/3 Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Music
11/4 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
11/6 Toronto, ON - The Phoenix
11/8 Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
11/10 Rahway, NJ - UPAC
11/11 Huntington, NY - Paramount Theatre
11/13 Homestead, PA - Carnegie Music Hall
11/15 Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
11/16 Dallas, TX - Palladium
11/17 Winnie, TX - Nutty Jerry's
11/18 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits
"We got together a bunch of times and did a lot of talking, but we didn't really play as a band together until we got to Nashville [to record]," Dylan says. "We had our fingers crossed, but we all had a hunch that it was the right arrangement of the group and it was the right place to be doing it."
Those discussions about rekindling the Wallflowers' original fire led to Dylan approaching one of his heroes, Mick Jones of the Clash, to appear on the album. Jones contributes to two tracks, including Glad All Over's first single "Reboot the Mission."
Dylan says, "I haven't bumped into anyone my age, either playing music or just a fan of music, who won't undeniably say the Clash wasn't one of the most impactful and powerful groups, in whichever version of them you like or whichever record you like. There was just nobody any better. I've never been caught up in the whole punk rock tag — I didn't care about that — they were just a terrific rock 'n'roll band who moved me then and still do."
Dylan also admitted to listening to a lot of ZZ Top in preparation for the album, and their swampy grooves are evident in a few Glad All Over tracks, such "Devil's Waltz" and "Hospital for Sinners."
"I don't know if it's true or not, but I imagine [ZZ Top guitarist] Billy Gibbons doesn't write anything without his band in mind, and starting from scratch right there in the studio," Dylan says. "Those guys are so good that they can do something new each time with the same three chords that sounds great. That's all you can do, sit back and try to learn from the people you admire."
As previously reported, the Wallflowers hit the road to promote Glad All Over, starting October 6 and play Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre on November 6. You can see all their upcoming dates below.
Glad All Over arrives Tuesday (October 2) via Columbia Records.
Tour dates:
10/6 San Antonio, TX - ALT Universe Festival
10/9 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre
10/13 Mexico City, Mexico -Corona Capital Festival
10/24 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
10/25 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
10/26 Des Moines, IA - Wooly's
10/27 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
10/29 Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
10/30 Green Bay, WI - Meyer Theatre
10/31 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
11/2 Chicago, IL - Park West
11/3 Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Music
11/4 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
11/6 Toronto, ON - The Phoenix
11/8 Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
11/10 Rahway, NJ - UPAC
11/11 Huntington, NY - Paramount Theatre
11/13 Homestead, PA - Carnegie Music Hall
11/15 Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
11/16 Dallas, TX - Palladium
11/17 Winnie, TX - Nutty Jerry's
11/18 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits