Bob Dylan and his love for a surprising Britpop band Stereophonics
There is a case to be made that Bob Dylan is the most eminent living musician, with his efforts speaking for themselves. A true poet, possessing a sharp perspective, Dylan has always oozed artistic panache, and this natural genius has endeared him to fans all over the world, and from different walks of life, for over 60 years.
Dylan is so culturally vital that he gives former Beatle Paul McCartney a run for his money for the top spot, as, after all, the ‘Fab Four’ were open about the love they had for the Duluth, Minnesota native. Adding to the strength of this claim, he introduced them to the benefits of a potent green plant known affectionately by some as Mary Jane.
Although at the time it seemed inconsequential, it was to be more significant than any of the red-eyed revellers in that New York hotel room could ever have imagined, as it changed the trajectory of The Beatles’ career, starting with 1965’s Rubber Soul, which, by proxy, altered the course of popular culture forever.
Given that Bob Dylan is so revered, his thoughts on a wide range of music are like gold dust to fans, as he always offers a naturally individualistic take that differs from that of the norm, and back in 2017, he surprised us all when listing some of his favourite recent music. In an interview on his website, Dylan named Après by Iggy Pop and works by Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse.
Dylan expressed: “Iggy Pop’s Après, that’s a good record. Imelda May, I like her. Valerie June, the Stereophonics. I like Willie Nelson and Norah Jones’ album with Wynton Marsalis, the Ray Charles tribute record. I liked Amy Winehouse’s last record.”
Whilst all of the artists Dylan named made sense, one that stood out as highly surprising was that of Welsh Britpop heroes, Stereophonics. They’re the band that gave us super-charged anthems such as ‘The Bartender and the Thief’ and ‘Dakota’, which could not be further from the works of Dylan, making it almost incomprehensible that the ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ icon would be a fan.
However, in an interview with The New York Post, Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones provided a potential reason why Dylan enjoys their music. He perceives this as a similarity in their writing styles, with him admitting Dylan’s legendary oeuvre inspired him. He said: “The only thing I can put it down to is the storytelling. That’s what’s always been in our music — a beginning, middle and end. I’ve always loved that in Bob’s work; my favourite Dylan song is ‘Who Killed Davey Moore?,’ which is about a boxer that died in the ring.”
Jones then revealed how he discovered that Dylan was a fan: “I didn’t know what to make of it, initially.” The news came via his compatriot, the comedian Rob Brydon, “It was Rob Brydon that told me about it — he sent me a text. Of course, it gives you a jab in the arm.”
“All the taps on the back we’ve had have been from people we’ve really admired,” the frontman concluded. “David Bowie took us out on the ‘Reality’ tour in 2004, we’ve also done tours with the Who, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Bob saying that is like the cherry on top. But it doesn’t matter if it’s Bob Dylan or the postman; as long as someone likes what we’re doing, we’ll keep doing it!”
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