Duff McKagan, who could not remain indifferent to the words of praise from Bob Dylan, touched on this issue in an interview with Classic Rock magazine recently and said:
“I started getting texts from friends. Axl [Rose] went: ‘Hey dude, have you seen this?’ I was a little stunned because… Bob Dylan?! I don’t know him, so for me to be recognized by him as a songwriter was great. I’m still a little blown away.”
McKagan, who made these sentences in shock and intense emotions, stated that he sent an open letter to Bob Dylan and continued his words as follows:
“I sent him a deluxe version of Tenderness, and I sent a handwritten card saying: ‘Thank you very much for your kind words, here’s my record. And if you ever want to write a song together.’”
Bob Dylan Commented On ‘Chip Away’
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in 2022, Bob Dylan talked about a number of his favorite bands and songs. These included The White Stripes, Royal Blood, The Chemical Brothers, and McKagan’s song ‘Chip Away.’ Dylan had this to say about the song ‘Chip Away,’ which was included in McKagan’s 2019 album ‘Tenderness’:
“There’s a Duff McKagan song called ‘Chip Away,’ that has profound meaning for me. It’s a graphic song. Chip away, chip away, like Michelangelo, breaking up solid marble stone to discover the form of King David inside. He didn’t build him from the ground up; he chipped away the stone until he discovered the king.”
Dylan, who stated that he found himself in the song, continued his praise as follows:
“It’s like my own songwriting, I overwrite something, then I chip away lines and phrases until I get to the real thing. Shooter Jennings produced that record. It’s a great song.”
No Dylan Collaboration In ‘Lighthouse,’ But There Are Other Stars
The expected Bob Dylan collaboration is not included in McKagan’s solo project ‘Lighthouse.’ However, the album includes the names of other stars. Guns N’ Roses bandmate Slash, Iggy Pop, and Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell are some of these names. On the other hand, McKagan stated in the interview that they could prepare a joint album with Alice in Chains guitarist Cantrell and added:
“Alice In Chains played The Palladium in Hollywood in 1990, and I got up and played. We hung out for the next three or four days up at my house me and the whole band. That began a really great friendship that has carried on through all kinds of ups and downs, but we both came out of it pretty good. We’re talking about doing an album together at some point.”
Rock fans are waiting for a possible Duff McKagan and Bob Dylan joint project.