apart from all of them, I might end up voting for Blame, Etc. but listening through right now and Shawn Smith's vocals on Night By Candlelight...
― Haribo Hancock (sic), Thursday, 1 February 2018 01:28 (six years ago) link
either honkys or faded
― faust apes (NickB), Thursday, 1 February 2018 01:32 (six years ago) link
^similar for me, but this will require relistening
― The Sound of the City Slang (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 1 February 2018 01:40 (six years ago) link
Hmm, maybe "Going to Town?" Or "Blame Etc.?" It's a million times better live, but when it shifts from Blaxsploitation to Whigs it kicks ass. Or "Honkey's." "Got you where I want you, motherfucker" is what they call an opening line.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 1 February 2018 01:46 (six years ago) link
I mean, goddamn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKvQkofehCI
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 1 February 2018 01:47 (six years ago) link
And I mean, shit, from the now legendary 2012 reunion shows. I was at this one ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THAKskSp6mQ
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 1 February 2018 01:48 (six years ago) link
First time I saw them was in ... 1997? I might have been at the height - or a height - of music snobbery, or at least suspicion of anything major label and "alternative." Hadn't really followed them that much, but liked Congregation at the time and Gentlemen later, yet still bought into the (false) narrative that the band had somehow peaked with Gentlemen and was kind of floundering. So I got myself on the last minute guest list for their show, which of course started really late, so I was tired, and I think I had a cold, and I went by myself because either no one was around or wanted to go. So there I go to the show, get myself a little VIP spot and BLAM, they just killed me. I particularly remember being so gobsmacked by the horn section and singers, total surprises to me.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 1 February 2018 01:54 (six years ago) link
"Honky's Ladder" has the worst lyrics, but the best guitar. "Crime Scene" has the best lyrics, but I played it too many times and got burned out on the whole quiet-loud thing. "Blame Etc" might get my vote, cuz it's one I underrated for a long time, but I've found myself skipping ahead to it the last few times I played the album.
― bernard snowy, Thursday, 1 February 2018 02:20 (six years ago) link
I might have to go with "Bulletproof" but it's tough to go wrong on this album
― Simon H., Thursday, 1 February 2018 02:45 (six years ago) link
put on yr rose fur coat baby, cause it's 1973
worth revisiting from a certain ilxor: http://lastplanetojakarta.com/articles/gentlemen.html
― mookieproof, Thursday, 1 February 2018 03:10 (six years ago) link
btw 'faded' > 'purple rain'
― mookieproof, Thursday, 1 February 2018 03:12 (six years ago) link
hey that's a take I think I may agree with.
― fgti spinner (Spottie), Thursday, 1 February 2018 03:19 (six years ago) link
Between Faded and Crime Scene for me prob. Faded is the ultimate car belter. idk, cant go wrong w any of these. Maybe ill throw a vote at summers kiss I D K
― fgti spinner (Spottie), Thursday, 1 February 2018 03:36 (six years ago) link
Saw them a couple months before they started recording the album and then a couple months after it was released. The first one seemed extra special because they were trying out some of the new material, including -- if memory serves -- the three final songs consecutively. Besides...
The night after the Red Wings lost the '95 Stanley Cup, the Whigs played Detroit and Dulli's first words were "How 'bout them Devils?!" A beer ricocheted off his chest and he laughed it off.
― Andy K, Tuesday, December 15, 2009 2:05 PM (eight years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I think this was also the night R*ck McC*ll*m got a ride to Saint Andrew's in a Detroit Police car. A bunch of us were standing outside and went silent as he got out and walked into the venue. I broke the silence with something like, "I have a good feeling about this one."
― Andy K, Thursday, 1 February 2018 03:36 (six years ago) link
I am seeing them for the first time in April and I am so stoked, the setlist from their last tour looked nuts
― Simon H., Thursday, 1 February 2018 03:45 (six years ago) link
this album is pretty much perfect from start to finish so this is extremely difficult. probably between Blame, etc. and the closing trio
― ufo, Thursday, 1 February 2018 05:18 (six years ago) link
just listened to this album for the first time, all the way thru, and im gonna say............................ faded
― flappy bird, Thursday, 1 February 2018 05:42 (six years ago) link
'My Enemy' but this is really tough. What a record.
― Gavin, Leeds, Thursday, 1 February 2018 07:04 (six years ago) link
aww at how thin Greg got for that tour!
― Haribo Hancock (sic), Thursday, 1 February 2018 07:31 (six years ago) link
saw them in November and there were still tix on the door: presale for co-headline with Built To Spill sold out in a day last week
― Haribo Hancock (sic), Thursday, 1 February 2018 07:32 (six years ago) link
this is one of the first records i bought, age 15, solely on the strength of a review (in select iirc) and man did i get lucky
what an album, fucking great from front to back. gonna need to think pretty hard to pick a winner here
― your skeleton is ready to hatch (bizarro gazzara), Thursday, 1 February 2018 08:33 (six years ago) link
every one’s a winner baby
― faust apes (NickB), Thursday, 1 February 2018 08:34 (six years ago) link
I find it hard to settle on a favourite Whigs album, usually flitting between this and ‘Gentlemen’.
Still kicking myself I didn’t see the 2012 reunion show with Rick on board in London; I naively assumed they’d be back round again soon enough and would come further north, but alas.
I’ve seen the post-reunion Twilight Whigs a few times and enjoy them.
― michaellambert, Thursday, 1 February 2018 11:48 (six years ago) link
Must've been at least 15 years since I've heard this. On memory I'd instantly say 'Faded' but will spin this again tonight.
― ♫ very clever with maracas.jpg ♫ (Le Bateau Ivre), Thursday, 1 February 2018 12:07 (six years ago) link
when you saynow we got hell to paydon't worry baby, that's okay...
― faust apes (NickB), Thursday, 1 February 2018 12:28 (six years ago) link
Oddly, I've never heard this even though I played Gentlemen all the time at the time (I went through a break up and man is Gentlemen a break up album...).Need to get a copy of Black Love asap.
― willem, Thursday, 1 February 2018 12:44 (six years ago) link
^ this (minus the break up)
― ArchCarrier, Thursday, 1 February 2018 12:47 (six years ago) link
I saw them at t in the park 1996 when this album came out. They were the band I wanted to see most. Was not disappointed, they were fantastic.
― Algerian Goalkeeper (Odysseus), Thursday, 1 February 2018 13:32 (six years ago) link
Bulletproof if I have to choose but real answer is "all of them"
I love how it hits on familiar Dulli themes (motherfuckers, going to town, taking a ride, kissing) and the band completely slays from start to finish. Their best album imo. I saw them a few times in the early-mid 90s and again on the reunion tour and they have never even come close to disappointing me. They are a top notch live band.
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Thursday, 1 February 2018 13:51 (six years ago) link
motherfuckers, going to town, taking a ride, kissing
great name for a Whigs comp
― Simon H., Thursday, 1 February 2018 13:53 (six years ago) link
it's one of the last three, i just haven't decided which yet
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Thursday, 1 February 2018 23:49 (six years ago) link
as I throoooow the chaiiiins I foooorged in li-ay-ay-fetoooo shaaaaater toooo the flooooor!!
― bhad and bhabie (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 2 February 2018 01:13 (six years ago) link
and if you knew-hoo just how smoo-hooothI couldstopitonadime
― bhad and bhabie (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 2 February 2018 01:18 (six years ago) link
holy shit @ that 2012 "blame etc." that josh posted
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 2 February 2018 01:26 (six years ago) link
what a band
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 2 February 2018 01:28 (six years ago) link
― mookieproof, Wednesday, January 31, 2018 8:12 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
wow, post of the year
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 2 February 2018 01:29 (six years ago) link
put on yr rose fur coat baby, cause it's 1973worth revisiting from a certain ilxor: http://lastplanetojakarta.com/articles/gentlemen.html― mookieproof, Wednesday, January 31, 2018 7:10 PM (yesterday)
― mookieproof, Wednesday, January 31, 2018 7:10 PM (yesterday)
c/p:
By the time one gets through the ballad, “My Curse,” sung achingly by Scrawl’s Jody Stephens...
lol
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 2 February 2018 06:37 (six years ago) link
yeah it's Faded
― ufo, Friday, 2 February 2018 06:40 (six years ago) link
summer's kiss and didn't even have to think about it
― campreverb, Friday, 2 February 2018 16:19 (six years ago) link
at the 2012 show i saw they opened with "crime scene" and closed (pre-encore) with "bulletproof"/"summer's kiss"/"faded" and that was the moment i realized that black love was my favorite whigs album
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 2 February 2018 16:22 (six years ago) link
oh yeah this really was the best show i've ever seen https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-afghan-whigs/2012/bowery-ballroom-new-york-ny-bdffd12.html
that setlist, my god. I only want for "my curse"
― Simon H., Friday, 2 February 2018 16:26 (six years ago) link
which i was lucky enough to see later that year, they invited marcy mays onstage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz11k12udBg
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 2 February 2018 16:27 (six years ago) link
that was a really amazing atp too, it was really ideal to see godspeed playing in what felt like an empty airplane hanger. kind of entered a trance during the very late demdike stare set
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 2 February 2018 16:29 (six years ago) link
Basically this album is like Let it Bleed if every song was trying to be Gimme Shelter.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 2 February 2018 16:34 (six years ago) link
just bought tickets for their show with built to spill oh my god i cannot wait
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 2 February 2018 16:43 (six years ago) link
just got tix <3
― fgti spinner (Spottie), Friday, 2 February 2018 16:46 (six years ago) link
wish we could somehow attend the same show spottie
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 2 February 2018 16:47 (six years ago) link
aw me too!
― fgti spinner (Spottie), Friday, 2 February 2018 16:54 (six years ago) link
But it really can't be said enough how life-changingly great this band is live.
"Black Love" benefits I think from following "Gentlemen," which I think as far as it goes was sort of an accidental crossover. That is, timing and critical acclaim put the band on the radar for people peak-grunge/alt, but ultimately the group just had too much going on (or were too heavy or intense or whatever) for the average alt day tripper. Kind of like the folks who picked up "Laid" by James based on the single. That's one of my favorite albums of all time, but so much of it is so spare and ghostly and subdued that anyone (at least in America) that went for the single might not have dug the rest. So back to "Black Love," I feel that album slipped under the radar in a way. Either it was not the album casual fans expected after "Gentlemen," or it was too much the album the band should have made after "Gentlemen," if that makes any sense. All I know is that at the time there were countless copies of "Black Love," like "Laid," clogging up the used CD bins.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 20 June 2020 14:29 (three years ago) link
"honky's ladder" was a weird choice of lead single and i think dulli's said that it was the label's decision that he disagreed with and that they had a lot of other trouble with their label at the time. "my enemy" always seemed like the most obvious single to me but it wasn't one
― ufo, Saturday, 20 June 2020 14:53 (three years ago) link
i feel like if "going to town" didn't do it for them nothing would
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Saturday, 20 June 2020 14:59 (three years ago) link
yeah I agree with that
I NEED to see these duys live again at some point. Their coheadlining set with BTS was amazing but TOO SHORT.
― k*r*n koltrane (Simon H.), Saturday, 20 June 2020 15:27 (three years ago) link
Is their an interview or article where Dulli talks about his connection to Los Angeles? I know he lived there before/during the Afghan Whigs early days.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 20 June 2020 17:00 (three years ago) link
He owns or owns a couple of bars there.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 20 June 2020 17:14 (three years ago) link
He worked at Tower Records on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood I think around 1984-1985, before the formation of the Whigs. It's a block and a half from the Whisky and about a 20 minute walk to the corner of Fountain & Fairfax. I remember he talked about writing most of Big Top Halloween out there, but I was wondering if there was a longer piece where he talks more in depth about his life and times living in Hollywood during the glam-rock era.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 20 June 2020 20:24 (three years ago) link
i recall a twilight singers show shortly after elliott smith died during which he went on at *excruciating* length about how they knew each other in la and where they hung out, etc etc as the band vamped endlessly
― mookieproof, Saturday, 20 June 2020 20:28 (three years ago) link
good album
― the burrito that defined a generation, Sunday, 21 June 2020 04:58 (three years ago) link
it's absurd to me that Gentlemen got almost 2x the votes in the album poll thread. Black Love is obviously the better, more fully realized album.
― k*r*n koltrane (Simon H.), Sunday, 21 June 2020 05:07 (three years ago) link
your bad takes scourge me
― mookieproof, Sunday, 21 June 2020 05:11 (three years ago) link
1965 > Black Love > Gentlemen
― an, uh, razor of love (sic), Sunday, 21 June 2020 05:38 (three years ago) link
^^^^ black love is my fave but any ranking of those records is legit
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Sunday, 21 June 2020 12:43 (three years ago) link
They are each incredible, emotive, savage, funny, thrilling records. All clearly come from the same writer & same players, working in the same genre - Dulli’s voice would be clear as a writer of words even if his vocals weren’t on them - yet each has a distinctive tone that holds for the whole album.There’s no wrong way to rank them.
― an, uh, razor of love (sic), Sunday, 21 June 2020 13:00 (three years ago) link
imo you can also throw twilight in there
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Sunday, 21 June 2020 13:03 (three years ago) link
Black love > gentlemen > 1965I still find 1965 spotty & a tad embarrassing. Would not play it for someone who has never heard them to say “hey I once totally loved this band” Black Love best communicates best what I love about this band.
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Sunday, 21 June 2020 13:07 (three years ago) link
Solidarity on the crying front, La Lechera!
Another thing about the impact of Summer's Kiss is how it makes a call to Suffering by Satchel: the lyric 'put on your old fur coat, it's 1973' features in both and I have no idea which was first and don't care.
Dulli is an unusual case. I like savage as a descriptor for him as he does have a wildness - in the pit of his voice and in the way he roams around within a bar, pressing at the boundaries, to the point where it feels improvisatory a lot of the time.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Sunday, 21 June 2020 13:27 (three years ago) link
I think I'd take Congregation over 1965 tbh (despite a few incredible songs on the latter)
― k*r*n koltrane (Simon H.), Sunday, 21 June 2020 15:11 (three years ago) link
This is their best album by quite some distance - more fully formed songwriting than Gentlemen and not as hammy as 1965. Even if the hamminess is part of the point this album just hits the perfect midpoint between the fire, the sleaze, the darkness and moments of unexpected beauty.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 21 June 2020 15:14 (three years ago) link
my main arguments for Black Love > Gentlemen is the production is fuller and it has a real ending
― k*r*n koltrane (Simon H.), Sunday, 21 June 2020 15:16 (three years ago) link
No less good, but entirely different players*, and the character is writing in a tone of regret & reaching toward redemption, instead of celebrating their assholism. Which makes for a great sequel, after the increase of swagger:self-loathing ratio across the last three, but further marks it as separate.
* bar a couple of guest stars obv
― an, uh, razor of love (sic), Sunday, 21 June 2020 20:16 (three years ago) link
As I throw the chainsI forged in lifeTo shatter on the floor
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 2 November 2020 17:33 (three years ago) link
chinaski i used to cry A LOT (like a lot a lot a lot) while listening to this album -- while walking, while driving, while seated at home. it wasn't nostalgia and it couldn't have always been pms, so i think this album has some magical quality that zings right to the feelings and electrifies them. bulletproof was my personal ultimate catalyst for uncontrollable weeping.― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Saturday, 20 June 2020 13:38 (four months ago) link
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Saturday, 20 June 2020 13:38 (four months ago) link
This is just one of those rare albums that for whatever reason (I'm not really even sure what it is) it connects with certain listeners on level different anything else. Like if I put this record on right now it would completely wreck me or possibly send me on a drug/booze/crime bender
― chr1sb3singer, Monday, 2 November 2020 17:52 (three years ago) link
This album has duende
― handsome boy modelling software (bernard snowy), Monday, 2 November 2020 19:19 (three years ago) link
Just imagining the first wall of guitar in Summer's Kiss and is making me want to walk into the midnight sea.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Monday, 2 November 2020 20:24 (three years ago) link
I haven't heard anything by Afghan Whigs other than this. I remember a lot of wah-wah guitar and clavinet and no tunes, except Night by Candlelight, which I love and makes me think of Prince gone goth.
― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 2 November 2020 20:42 (three years ago) link
this is the best afghan whigs album but everyone who's ever liked them really needs to hear In Spades if they haven't already
― it bangs for thee (Simon H.), Tuesday, 3 November 2020 16:23 (three years ago) link
"Faded"....jesus what a fucking epic song, actual goosebumps right now
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 3 November 2020 18:19 (three years ago) link
― handsome boy modelling software (bernard snowy), Monday, November 2, 2020 2:19 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink
love this. seems like a good thread idea.
― glengarry gary beers (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 3 November 2020 18:21 (three years ago) link
I know it's a night for the biggest of takes, but this still shakes the foundations. And is true.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Saturday, 9 January 2021 00:54 (three years ago) link
<3
― mookieproof, Saturday, 9 January 2021 00:55 (three years ago) link
still most amazed because i was much more a fan of ppl gazing at shoes than dulli's over-the-top entertainer thing . . . but somehow the shtick still worked on me
obviously it didn't work on a lot of people, and he certainly wasn't in prince's class, but he was much better at it than seems reasonable
― mookieproof, Saturday, 9 January 2021 02:45 (three years ago) link
I've been luxuriating in the Twilight Singers discography and the thing is Dulli is just a really consistently awesome songwriter
― stylish but illegal (Simon H.), Saturday, 9 January 2021 03:43 (three years ago) link
Considering some of the bands that DID get tons of FM Xradio play, I just don't get why they did not play these guys. I think that about a few of the other 90s bands too.
― earlnash, Saturday, 9 January 2021 15:07 (three years ago) link
25 years ago today. pic.twitter.com/Xb9eBA9yNt— greg dulli (@MrGregDulli) March 12, 2021
― mookieproof, Friday, 12 March 2021 14:50 (three years ago) link
really it's about as perfect as rock albums get
― ufo, Friday, 12 March 2021 15:04 (three years ago) link
Agreed
― Oor Neechy, Friday, 12 March 2021 15:08 (three years ago) link
bought this the day it came out ffs
still an incredible record on every level
― you are like a scampicane, there's calm in your fries (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 12 March 2021 15:09 (three years ago) link
fuck
― mookieproof, Saturday, 13 March 2021 04:07 (three years ago) link
we should also be very thankful that Dulli's movie never got made, could have needlessly sullied this project if it sucked (which let's be real it probably would have)
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Sunday, 14 March 2021 17:29 (three years ago) link
It’s just Dulli in a belted leather jacket going for a ride/going to town in different settings and different times of day for 95-100 minutes
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Sunday, 14 March 2021 19:24 (three years ago) link
the weird thing about a movie is that presumably the characters would have to have jobs, whereas in greg dulli songs it always feels like everyone's occupation is "lover"
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Sunday, 14 March 2021 19:44 (three years ago) link
straight in
― mookieproof, Monday, 1 May 2023 04:48 (eleven months ago) link
It was a SaturdayI came home earlyDrunk with loveAnd other things
― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Saturday, 11 November 2023 21:33 (five months ago) link