It was a Saturday
I came home early drunk with love
And other things
I must confess I love it all
(Double Day - Dulli/McCollum)
I'm sitting here on a winter's night sipping a glass of Left Hand's Fade to Black. I start my music writing with a band that I adore. It's also appropriate timing as the Twilight Singers (frontman Greg Dulli's current band) will be releasing their next CD in February.
The Afghan Whigs came out of Cincinnati, Ohio in the late 80's and became one of the few bands to sign with Subpop not from Seattle. The early efforts were a little raw, but not grunge. Greg Dulli's inner soul singer filtered through.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54NNFMOfJJw
1992 bought Congregation. The inclusion of "The Temple" from Andrew Lloyd Weber & Tim Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar is clue that this band had different influences than the average alternative (does anyone use that in 2011?) band. The Afghan Whigs were finding a unique voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf7CymaNbes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNFgLKJDmao
What should I tell her?
She's going to ask
If I ignore it, it gets uncomfortable
She'll want to argue about the past
(If I Were Going - Dulli)
This the opening of Gentlemen. By this point, the Afghan Whigs have transformed into a post-grunge blue-eyed soul ensemble. There's no teen angst, but there is heartbreak, cheating and abuse in their songs. These are confessionals. It's safe to say that the Afghan Whigs found their sound with Gentlemen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C26BI1kJdkk
Black Love followed in a similar vein.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8r5Xvz9CjE
Then their final studio album, 1965.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9hLB0p2tFA
and that was it. The whigs were the next big thing that never quite broke into the mainstream, but Congregation, Gentlemen, Black Love and 1965 are still favorites of mine. They contain rock music for adults. (adults with issues perhaps, but still adults)
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