US MAGAZINE, JULY 1997:

"JAKOB DYLAN AND THE WF MAY NOW BOAST TWO TOP TEN BILLBOARD SINGLES, TWO GRAMMY NOMINATIONS, AND A DOUBLE-PLATINUM ALBUM, BUT THE SINGER AND HIS BAND WERE NEARLY HAS-BEENS BEFORE THEY EVEN STARTED. THE WF'S VERY GREEN 1992 DEBUT FLOPPED, AND DESPITE THEIR RECORD COMPANY'S URGING DYLAN TO EXPLOIT THE FACT THAT HE'S THE SON OF BOB, HE REFUSED, AND THE GROUP WAS SOON OUT OF A RECORD DEAL. "WHEN I CAME ALONG, PEOPLE WERE LIKE, 'GREAT, THIS GUY WILL SELL NO LESS THAN 2 MILLION RECORDS JUST ON HIS NAME ALONE,'" SAYS DYLAN, WHO'S MARRIED AND HAS 3-YEAR-OLD SON."[BUT] I DIDN'T TAKE THE AVENUES PEOPLE EXPECTED ME TO TAKE. I WAS NEVER INTERESTED IN DOING JUNKY TV SHOWS. I WAS THINKING LONG-TERM. AND THAT FRUSTRATED PEOPLE."

UNFORTUNATELY,THE WF BECAME EQUALLY FRUSTRATED, SLIPPING INTO OBSCURITY FOR THREE YEARS, PLAYING COUNTLESS L.A. DIVES, POUNDING ON DOZENS OF TIGHTLY-CLOSED DOORS AND GENERALLY FIGHTING TO SURVIVE THEIR OWN SHORT-LIVED LEGACY. AFTER FINALLY SIGNING WITH INTERSCOPE RECORDS IN 1994, THE QUINTET PUT OUT 'BRINGING DOWN THE HORSE'(1996)AND BECAME THIS YEAR'S PREMIER ROCK-ROOTS BAND. IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN ON THE RADIO, OR MTV WITHOUT HEARING "ONE HEADLIGHT", OR "6TH AVENUE HEARTACHE", OR SEEING DYLAN'S BEAUTEOUS FACE, AND THE 27-YEAR-OLD CAN'T HELP FEEL VINDICATED. "IF I WRITE A SONG THAT'S GOOD, I DESERVE TO BE APPRECIATED FOR THAT," HE SAYS." IF I WRITE A SONG THAT'S TERRIBLE, IT'S JUST TERRIBLE. WHO MY FAMILY IS DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERNCE. NOBODY HELPED ME TO GET WHERE I AM NOW, WHICH IS GREAT, 'CAUSE I DON'T OWE ANYBODY ANYTHING."

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