Jakob Dylan and his band came back stronger and more committed after their first release and a long time on the road to serve up "Bringing Down The Horse," an outstanding recording that will be considered a classic at some time down the road, if it isn't already.

Anyone who thinks Jakob received this critical acclaim merely because he is the heir apparent to his father's talent, need think again. The younger Dylan and friends were able to turn out a masterful piece of work despite constant scrutiny and incredibly high expectations. Sure, his voice, especially on songs such as "Invisible City," sounds eerily like Bob's, but so what? Springsteen, Petty, and about a thousand other people have imitated the elder Dylan over the years. In Jakob's case, it's not imitation so much as heredity.

This album spawned a number of hits, including "The Difference", "6th Avenue Heartache", "Three Marlenas," and "One Headlight." Unlike many "hit" songs, these four tracks hold their respective edge, and lose none of their power even after being played to death. (For the record, "Headlight" was recently included on a list of the top 100 pop songs of the past 35 or so years, as compiled by Rolling Stone magazine and MTV, placing the Wallflowers in the company of the Beatles, the Stones, Petty, Springsteen, and Old Man Dylan. Take this with a grain of salt, though - there are also a lot of duds on that list.) No matter - "One Headlight" is musically tight and lyrically flawless, obviously deserving of mention on any list of great Rock songs.

Three Marlenas" is a wonderful ballad. "Heartache" is about as good a Rock and Roll song as has been released in the past decade, and "The Difference", with its big sound, strong backbeat, and the great line "Sometimes old men die with little boys' faces," is superb.

But wait - that's only the beginning. There are seven other tracks on this album, and all are excellent. It's a safe bet that you'll not once skip a song while listening to this disc. You're more likely to repeat one three or four times before moving on. "Josephine", "Laughing Out Loud", "God Don't Make Lonely Girls" and, my personal favorite, "Invisible City", all rival the four songs mentioned above.

Dylan's vocals are solid on the upbeat numbers, and especially moving on ballads ("Marlenas" and "City" are good examples). The backing band is strong, the production superior.

This is not a one - shot deal by the genetically gifted son of a Rock legend. It is a mature, elaborately crafted recording by a band that has been out there, paid its dues and is reaping its well - deserved praise.

For anyone who has lived in a vacuum for the past four years and hasn't heard this recording, go ahead and take advantage of the wonders of modern technology. Click on any song and listen to a 30 - second sample. That will be enough to hook you. I guarantee it.

Melodic and thoughtful songs make up the majority of this CD. The hits are not the only things worth listening to, it is just good rock and roll without any of the dramatics heard so often from other bands.

This album takes the cake for the best album in my collection. Each track has a unique sound and mindset that could make each and every one be a hit single, but they still come together extremely well for the overall dark, rich mood of the album. Songs such as "One Headlight," "Sixth Avenue Heartache," "Three Marlenas," and "The Difference" are, as they have well proven themselves to be, very radio friendly. These, along with lesser known "God Don't Make Lonely Girls," "Bleeders," and "Laughing Out Loud" have a relatively uplifting beat though they are definately not dance grooves. My favorite song is "Invisible City." All of Jakob's lyrics are deep, philosophical, and wonderful, but this song is the epitome of great lyrics. "In this invisible city/ where no one sees nothing/ we're touching faces in the dark/ feeling pretty is so hard." It's soft, dark, and slow with beautiful vocals and, as I've mentioned before, only the best of lyrics. "Josephine" is the main love song on the album with striking vocals by Jakob that are very exposed. It is a truly gorgeous song, well written and well sung. The album closes with "I Wish I Felt Nothing," which is another one with great lyrics (aren't they all though?). The placement of this song as last is perfect for the album, closing with a song that sums up the total dark feel of the album. Some may say the album is depressing but I say it is real and insightful, an album you can listen to straight from beginning to end over and over and over again. A must have!

The years of slugging it out on his own without brandishing his father's name everywhere eventually paid off beautifully for Jakob Dylan, a considerably talented artist in his own right. For a brief shining moment in the mid-1990s, Dylan and his Wallflowers ruled the rock and roll world. The younger Dylan writes sensitive songs with an old-fashioned touch, often sung with a female point of view. "Bringing Down the Horse" contains not one throwaway, each song is enjoyable. After the debut The Wallflowers disappeared without a trace, Dylan assembled a brand-new collection of musicians to work with, as well as talented outside help, which no doubt helped his cause.

Dylan sings with perspective and a gruff lonesomeness about day-to-day situations, no different than a simple storyteller. The mood is sometimes down-and-out and searching, yet The Wallflowers also possess the rugged feel of a Budweiser commercial at times. "One Headlight," "6th Avenue Heartbreak," and "The Difference" were played a jillion times on radio, yet never got stale. Adam Duritz of the Counting Crowes contributes his blustery vocals with Dylan's on "6th Avenue" for an amazingly tuneful combo. On "One Headlight," Dylan pleads, "Come on try a little, nothing is forever" with all the gusto he can muster, as if growing out of a stale phase. The mood on "One Headlight" sounds forlorn and desperate, while the bass line chugs onward, practically never-ending. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dylan and his band are positively barren on songs like "Bleeders," "Three Marlenas," "Josephine" and "Invisible City," where the pace is almost mellow to a fault.

The opposite is true on barnburners like "The Difference," which comes off as The Wallflowers' version of moshing out. "God Don't Make Lonely Girls" practically screams out "This Bud's for you!" on a Budweiser commercial; it's a good-time rocker that these guys should put forth more often. "Angel on My Bike" is outstanding, and "I Wish I Felt Nothing" is country to the core, complete with "I just got dumped" lyrics. The album ends appropriately mellow.

Though "modern-rock" radio liked playing these guys extensively, there's truly nothing much modern-sounding about them. With a gifted but unpretentious lead singer, fluid organ work everywhere and a down-home, juiced-up rhythm to their songs, The Wallflowers don't strive to blow listeners away with a wall-of-sound noise or cutting-edge effects. This is simply hearty rock and roll that critics might claim lacks risk or is too milquetoast Americana. Still, Dylan paves his own way and does music on his own terms. With his cool and relaxed attitude, plus his unique integrity, Dylan deserves all of his success and more. Now, if he could only find some helpful connections within the music business...

I had never listened to The Wallflowers untill my brother was murdered in Jan. of this year. He loved the Bringing Down the Horse cd and we played "One Headlight" and "6th Ave. Heartache" at his funeral. Everytime I listen to those songs it makes feel close to my brother. I immediatly went and bought the cd, now my 7yo son loves it too. He wants them to come to Virginia Beach so we can see them in concert. We missed them last year. Jakob is an amazing songwriter. Keep them coming.