The Never Ending Pool

Just saw him in Amsterdam for the first time. Didn't know much what to expect, but it really was a terrific concert. He's got a wonderful band, especially the guitarist, reminiscient at times of "the" band, and played most of his new album, but also quite a few earlier songs. A really good mix of ballad-type songs and more uptempo rockers as well, plus a little solo acoustic set in the middle that was really nice. I guess he wouldn't like to hear it, but it was not difficult to imagine seeing his father around BotT or JWLH days on the stage instead of him. It was not needed though, the music certainly stood on its own. Go see him if you can (and while he's still playing intimate (cheap) venues).

thanks for the review...i saw him years ago with the Wallflowers and everything thing I've seen or heard by him online or on TV is pretty solid. He's definitely very into the music and the songwriting.

I had actually only heard his latest album before the concert, but now I've started listening to his earlier stuff as well, and I really like it so far.

I think "Breach" is his best album to date, and I would put "Red Letter Days" at the bottom of the list. The first Wallflowers album, before "Bringing down the Horse," is underrated. It's a shame they abandoned that musical style for something more commercial.

The solo album isn't that strong lyrically, but I like the stripped down affair. After listening to Brendan O'Brien screw up so many Springsteen albums, as well as the final Wallflowers album, the sound on the solo album was a nice relief.

i think i agree with you on some of your points.. the production on Rebel, Sweetheart was indeed off at times.. it ruined two of my favourite tracks, How Far You've Come (by making it slick and sticky and taking out some interesting chords) and the song i still call The Drunken Marionette (by making it a boring uptempo number, losing all its bitterness and melancholy).. i wish the wallflowers would abandon the adult-rock genre, i don't think it matches jakob's songwriting.
that's why i like his solo album, i think he should build on that sound, why not make the next album stripped down but with electric guitars? or is that a paradox?
i do think seeing things has strong lyrical moments, for me it's always his imagery that makes his writing unique and the way he portrays emotions.. and i think he did that very well.

i went to the london gig on friday and i think live, jakob experiments a lot more with the songs on his album, which makes them a lot richer and even better.

oh, and i'd also love a live recording!

The one I'm listening to now is called "Rebel Sweetheart," but I'll check out "Breach" a well. Still looking for the one song that really rocked in concert that I don't remember any words of.

Lyrically "Seeing things" is often a bit too hazy for my taste, but I also like the stripped-down recording, and there's some wonderful melodies, especially that song "The valley of the low low sun."

if you're looking for a song that rocked the concert, not sure breach is the place to look. in london, the only songs he played from breach were up from under and mourning train, both solo acoustic..
a song that rocked quite a bit was shy of the moon from the first record and, much to my surprise, the reworking of closer to you (off red letter days) as an almost reggae number.. good fun!
if you remember anything about the song, i can surely help you out.

My favorite moment on "Seeing Things" is "This End of the Telescope," which has the most engaging lyric, I think. But I get your point about the imagery he brings to his work. Definitely sets him apart from some of his contemporaries.

Have you heard the iTunes Originals version of "Here He Comes"? That's such a great song, and a good example of why O'Brien should be barred from any studio. (For exhibit B, see "Long Time Coming" from "Devils and Dust" ... ) The demo version does a lot more justice to the song.

Also, there's a show of his from Aug. 15 in Berlin up on Dime. I'll re-open my torrent to seed in case anybody missed it.

Setlist:
01. [4:20.70] All Day And All Night
02. [3:39.20] Something Good This Way Comes
03. [3:20.11] Everybody Pays as They Go
04. [4:35.54] The Beautiful Side of Somewhere
05. [4:13.11] Evil Is Alive And Well
06. [4:23.58] Shy of the Moon
07. [4:08.72] Closer to You
08. [5:15.45] Will It Grow?
09. [4:32.34] Up on the Mountain

i think my favourite moment on Seeing Things is Will It Grow. Even though i love Valley Of The Low Sun (mostly for the beautiful melody) and Everybody Pays As They Go (which my friend jokingly titled The Oyster Card song) has a very special place in my heart..
i never heard the itunes original songs, because i couldn't buy them for whatever reason.. nor can i work torrents, so any uploads would be appreciated

Will It Grow is my favourite, too. Nevertheless I love most of the other songs as well.

And even if I repeat myself, here is the link to Jakob's Newport Folk Festival performance in August on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93224500

By signing up the All Songs Considered podcast, you can get the concert free as mp3-download.

I hope I can see Jakob live sooner or later...

@kasper: It wasn't 'Three Marlenas' that rocked, was it? Perhaps you find your song in the Folk Festival concert!?

Thanks for the help. No, it wasn't "Three Marlenas" though I liked that one as well, reminded me quite a bit of "Sweet Jane." That concert on NPR is really nice by the way, terrific sound quality as well. I think the song I meant was as Laura suggested, "Shy of the Moon". I really enjoyed "Here he comes" as well, that someone else mentioned.

haha, i'm just listening to the set at newport.. did anyone else hear the comment he made about "i thought i'd just do us all a favour and START with an acoustic guitar... but because i couldn't made up my mind, i brought an acoustic guitar, but you can also PLUG IT IN!"..

i don't get why people say that he ignores the subject of his father.. he doesn't. but, having read quite a few interviews and articles about him over the years, even i find it tedious , that bob is brought up EVERY SINGLE TIME (and i love bob dylan). i can only imagine how annoying it gets for him..
still, i thought the comment was funny..