The appeal of Jakob Dylan’s tremendous documentary on Laurel Canyon’s vibrant music scene, Echo in the Canyon, is the pure, unadulterated fandom that drove the project.
Dylan is a huge aficionado of the Southern California sound, which was defined by the likes of the Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield and the Mamas and the Papas, who all left indelible marks on American music. Their glowing histories are celebrated in Echo in the Canyon, but it’s Dylan’s interview with Tom Petty that is the film’s real centerpiece.
It was Petty’s final interview before he passed in 2017, and it’s quite an expansive one. For instance, Petty came across as an ultimate fanboy when Dylan asked the late legend about the impact the Byrds had on him in 1965.
“Tom never lost that adolescent spark when it came to music,” Dylan said while calling from Los Angeles. “We were so fortunate to be able to speak with him since he spoke as a student of the music; not one of the giants of the industry. It was fun speaking with him in a guitar shop for two hours after it closed and having him mess around with guitars and amps.”
Dylan, now 56, remains a huge Tom Petty fan. Petty, of course, played with Dylan’s legendary father, Bob Dylan, as part of the supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys, which also included Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and George Harrison.
Dylan’s Wallflowers are on a jaunt marking the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough album Bringing Down the Horse. The tour, however, is just as much about Petty’s overlooked 1982 album, Long After Dark, as it is a Wallflowers’ anniversary.
Both aforementioned albums will be played from start to finish. Dylan promises to play as many Petty songs as Wallflowers’ material. Petty’s lifelong friend and bandmate, keyboardist Benmont Tench, can’t imagine dusting off the tunes the band played with his iconic pal.
“Not having Tom as the engine for the vehicle makes it something I can’t imagine,” Tench said while calling from Los Angeles. “I think it would make me sad to walk into a room and see everybody but him and start playing those songs.”
So the Wallflowers breathe life into a beloved catalog, and the bonus is that a light is shone on an album that is overlooked. Long After Dark followed Petty’s incredibly successful Damn the Torpedoes and Hard Promises. It included the synth-driven “You Got Lucky” and the jangle-heavy “Change of Heart.” It’s a solid album that slipped through the cracks.
Long After Dark was released just as Dylan turned 13 and became obsessed with music.
It was during the ’80s that he was compelled to become a musician, not unlike his father. Dylan’s adolescent pals were huge music fans, but they ultimately didn’t commit to life as musicians. However, it was different for Dylan. There was no other career path for him.
“It’s no secret how I grew up,” Dylan said. “I grew up with kids who were creative back in the ’80s. My friends took guitar and piano lessons. But their parents eventually told them to focus on something serious. I never got that memo. I’ve been fortunate enough to do what I love. It’s so significant. Kids dream about becoming musicians. I don’t think there are any eight-year-olds who dream of working in a tower. It would be a shame to go through life and never try to do what you’re passionate about.”
Dylan finally arrived with the Wallflowers’ second album, 1996’s Bringing Down the Horse. Such hit singles as “One Headlight,” “6th Avenue Heartache,” “The Difference” and “The Three Marlenas” helped the album to sell more than four million copies. Their next single, “Sleepwalker,” off their third album, was another successful number during their late ’90s- early 2000s run.
Dylan was in his mid-20s when he crafted Bringing Down the Horse. Six albums later, he’s middle-aged but remains inspired—as he should.
A big number of aging songwriters recently, such as Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Dylan’s own father, are releasing fine work during their twilight years. Bob Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways, which was created right before he became an octogenarian, is considered by some as one of his greatest albums.
“I’m not surprised by that,” Dylan said of his father, concluding. “There’s no reason why you can’t get better as a songwriter. It’s wisdom through experience.”
*The Wallflowers will play their latest album and hits from Tom Petty’s catalog at the Mountain Winery on Oct. 16. mountainwinery.com
