Red Letter Days

Performer: The Wallflowers
Artist: Mike McCready
Engineer: Tom Lord-Alge
Producer: Tobias Miller; Bill Appleberry
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: This is a Hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players. On the surface, RED LETTER DAYS bears some sonic similarities to the previous couple of Wallflowers albums (rich, Byrdsy guitar tones, Tom Petty-ish roots-rock production, and of course Jakob Dylan's husky, engaging vocals). Closer listening, however, reveals a number of advances. For one thing, Dylan's lyrics are sharper than ever, especially on the darkly poetic verses of "When You're on Top," which nicely counterbalance an almost too-catchy chorus that smacks of chart envy. Similarly, "Three Ways" and "If You Never Got Sick" achieve a moody poignancy that's simultaneously visceral and evocative (no mean feat). There are new sonic developments as well; Rami Jaffee's keyboard arsenal sounds somewhat expanded beyond his trademark B-3 organ, and is utilized accordingly, to give many of the songs a more modern edge than the band has evinced in the past. One small step for man...well, you know the rest.

Rolling Stone (11/28/02, p.92) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...The album overflows with catchy melodies, propelled by Dylan's urgent vocals....It adds up to a straightforward barnburner of an album..." Entertainment Weekly (11/8/02, p.106) - "...Pure, sunny pop....Cheery..." - Rating: B+ Mojo (Publisher) (3/03, p.112) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Dylan and company make some damn fine music....It seems that they have finally loosened up enough to enjoy themselves and make music they want to hear..."

Growing up in the shadow of Bob Dylan would be too much for many, let alone trying to make it in the same field as the legendary troubadour. But Bob's son Jakob Dylan succeeded on his own terms when his band the Wallflowers hit it big with their own brand of roots rock in the 1990s and 2000s. Not ashamed of their admiration for Bob, Neil Young, or the Band, the Wallflowers became one of the genre's biggest acts by the turn of the century.

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