Afghan Whigs:From Congregation to Beast

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These will require a slightly different approach. So far I have relied on preconceptions and personal prejudice to see me through, but I don't know any of this stuff yet. (This is on the recommendation of a work colleague). Normally I rely on the know-it-all internet just to check things when I can be bothered, but I prefer not to let inconvenient things like facts to get in the way. However, I do need some context, so I will be doing a little boning up on the band before I start. First thing to note is that the Spotify archive starts at Congregation, which is actually the third album. That can't be helped so purists will have to accept that I'm allowed to do what I damn well like. Next, I think i'm going to have to give the whole thing a listen to get an overall feel before trying to pan out some details. So, let's go....

Addendum May 2023: I have not been attentive in extending this post, so 2017’s In Spades and 2021’s How Do You Burn are not included here. Also, there are two albums predating Congregation, Big Top Halloween and Up In It. Maybe one day I’ll add them, in which case I’ll remove this paragraph.

CONGREGATION

31st January 1992

Congregation is the third studio album by American alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs, released on January 31, 1992, by Sub Pop. After touring for two years in support of their 1990 album Up in It, the band received a $15,000 advance from Sub Pop to record a follow-up album. It was primarily recorded at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville and Buzz's Kitchen in Los Angeles during July to August 1991. The band's frontman Greg Dulli produced the album entirely with audio engineer Ross Ian Stein. The album's production and release were hindered by Sub Pop's financial difficulties, which were eventually resolved by the massive commercial success of Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind.

Expanding on the aggressive sound of the band's previous work, Congregation has more refined musical details and slower songs such as ballads. Its music also incorporates R&B, soul, and funk influences. The album's cover depicts a nude black woman holding a white baby in her arms, interpreted as a comical allusion to the band's African-American music influences. The songs explore themes of pleasure and guilt in the context of dysfunctional relationships and sexual deviancy. Conceived during the burgeoning grunge scene, the album has been viewed by music writers as stylistically distinct from other Sub Pop and grunge music.

From Wikipedia

Her Against Me

I'm Her Slave

Turn On the Water

Conjure Me

Kiss the Floor

Congregation

This Is My Confession

Dedicate It

The Temple

Let Me Lie to You

Tonight

Miles Iz Ded

First listen gives an impression of fairly typical for the time alternative rock which I imagine did well on the US campus radio circuit. Guitars and drums prevail. If it reminds me of anything then I'd say Smashing Pumpkins, the vocal is a bit Billy Corgan. Pleasant surprise comes with 'The Temple', when it started I thought "ooh this sounds a bit like Jesus Christ Superstar" and lo and behold, that's what it was. It's not that much of a stretch from the original to the Whigs' version, it was always quite full on. Let's not forget that the original cast recording featured Ian Gillan of Deep Purple as Jesus. The band were signed to the Sub Pop label at the time and Nirvana were at their height. Comparisons between the two would therefore be lazy and obvious, but if you've read much of this blog you'll know that L and O is my modus operandi so l'll not shirk the opportunity. At this time Burt Kocain and the boys were at their height, and the Afghan Whigs don't stray much from the winning formula. A bit more melodic and with a different lyrical approach, but essentially, growly, noisy and grungy but also tuneful. 'Turn On The Water' could be about waterboarding, if any of us knew about such a thing at the time. It settles down into some quieter and slower songs at the end including a tribute to the recently deceased Miles Davis 'Miles Iz Ded'.

GENTLEMEN

5th October 1993

Gentlemen is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band the Afghan Whigs. It was recorded primarily at Ardent Studios in Memphis, with the band's frontman Greg Dulli producing, and released on October 5, 1993, by Elektra Records.^[1]

Written by Dulli on tour for the band's 1992 album Congregation, Gentlemen is composed as a troubling song cycle that follows a toxic relationship as it ends.^[2] Noted for Dulli's grimly acerbic lyrics and influences from soul music, it is considered by critics to be the Afghan Whigs' greatest record,^[2] an essential release from the 1990s, and among the best-written breakup albums.^[3] The album was remastered in deluxe format for its 21st anniversary and covered extensively in a dedicated volume of the 33⅓ music book series.

I think people get kinda disappointed when I say the album isn't all autobiographical, and I'm like, God, that’s kind of mean, to think something like that. Why would you want poor little me to go through all that? It's like anything else. You use some license. It's observation. Maybe it started out with something autobiographical, and then you want to blow it up into something bigger.

From Wikipedia

If I Were Going

Gentlemen

Be Sweet

Debonair

When We Two Parted

Fountain and Fairfax

What Jail Is Like

My Curse

Now You Know

I Keep Coming Back

Brother Woodrow/Closing Prayer

Opens with tumbleweed-y wind noises in 'If I Were Going' which is reasonably calm and measured. 'Gentlemen' is a driving bit of rock with plenty of wah-wah-ed riffs. Lead singer Greg Dulli seems quite angry and desperate as a general rule. In the next track 'Be Sweet' they slow it down a bit again and he he claims "I got a dick for a brain and my brain is gonna sell my ass to you". That's sexual self confidence on the Plastic Bertrand level I'd say This is their seminal album by all accounts, after signing for a major label (Elektra) after a significant bidding war. I've always been a bit dubious about the term 'seminal' really, in this context it means have a strong influence on later work, but I can't figure out how the same word relates to the other meaning. What's the link between the two concepts? I guess there's some kind of entomology relating to seeds. Also, it only really gets used in relation to rock albums.

Anyway, I digress, which may tell you something, I'm finding this all a bit samey. Even with the slower songs, you're just waiting for them to crank it up and start thrashing about. Lead vocals on 'My Curse' sound like they might be Patti Smith, but are, in fact, Marcy Mays of Scrawl (no, me neither). Wikipedia claims the lyrics were too personal for Dulli to sing - how is the solution to that getting someone else to sing them for you? - methinks he might be being a bit too precious. 'Now You Know' has a great repeating central riff. I kind of wish the band had turned up on a Saturday morning kids show so that some slack-jawed youth could ask them "How did you think of your name?". I'm not going to ruin it for myself by resorting to Google but to me it seems like two random words married together.

BLACK LOVE

12th March 1996

Black Love is the fifth album by the band the Afghan Whigs, released in March 1996. It was released by Elektra Records/Sub Pop in the US and by Mute in Europe, and was produced by Greg Dulli. Black Love was preceded by the single "Honky's Ladder" and followed by the single "Going to Town" (also released as the Bonnie & Clyde EP in the US).

Prior to this album's release, lead singer Greg Dulli seriously explored producing a movie in the film noir genre, but despite his optioning at least one book, the movie was never made. Dulli's ideas for a soundtrack led to the songs recorded on this album.

The album was reissued on November 25, 2016, on Rhino Records, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its initial release. The 20th anniversary reissue was released as a double CD and triple LP, and includes nine previously-unreleased tracks.^[5]

From Wikipedia

Crime Scene Part One

My Enemy

Double Day

Blame, Etc.

Step into the Light

Going to Town

Honky's Ladder

Night by Candlelight

Bulletproof

Summer's Kiss

Faded

Opener is 'Crime Scene Part 1'  (there's never a part II is there? I think this is one of the most heinous crimes committed by rock stars in the name of art, and yes I'm looking at YOU, George 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1' Michael) which starts with a church organ before breaking into more conventional territory. This REALLY reminds me of what little I know of the Smashing Pumpkins (basically 'Tonight, Tonight'). 'My Enemy' is more punky, with jabby guitars. I suspect that they heavily influence bands of which I know less than the SP's such as My Chemical Romance. The problem is, I'm 46 now, I don't have all this angst any more so it just sounds like juvenile whining to me. 'Blame etc' is quite interesting, funky guitar and extensive use of the wah-wah pedal. 'Step Into The Light' is calm and gentle. They finally resist the urge to crank it up halfway through.  You know I'm no fan of bad language so 'MelonFarmer' references in 'Honky's Ladder' made me purse my lips in disapproval. I liked 'Night By Candlelight' which incorporates some strings to augment the guitars. Maybe a little bit Nick Cave-ish? I think Dulli's voice is a weakness, there's not much light and shade in it really (well, plenty of shade I guess) and his default position is strained anger. Good bit of free-form piano at the end of 'Bulletproof'.Closing sing, 'Faded' is over 8 minutes long, so I settle myself in. There's an interesting guitar sound that you can't quite decide really is a guitar or a girl's voice.

It was a good ending to what I think is the best album of theirs I've heard so far, despite all the gripes above. This is a much more musically diverse album than the first two, Wikipedia goes on about how they incorporate soul and funk influences and I've found it hard to see it up to now but this does at least hint at it. Just searched for the album cover using just the search terms 'Black Love' on Google. That was a mistake. Quick! Clear the browsing history!

1965

27th October 1998

1965 is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Afghan Whigs. It was released on October 27, 1998, by Columbia Records.^[1]

The album was written and recorded after Greg Dulli, the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist, underwent treatment for clinical depression.^[2] The Afghan Whigs recorded primarily at Daniel Lanois' Kingsway Studios in New Orleans,^[3] with additional recording done at Ocean Way and Larrabee North in Los Angeles, The American Sector in New Orleans, and London Bridge in Seattle.^[4] Dulli produced the album and wrote most of its songs.^[4] For the cover, a photograph was used showing astronaut Ed White on the first American space walk as part of the Gemini 4 flight which took place in June 1965.^[5]

The album incorporates jazz,^[6] R&B, and soul music influences in its mainly rock sound.^[7] The lyrics feature erotic narratives and paeans to sexuality.^[8][9] Music journalist David Stubbs writes that the album's subject matter "reconciles lust for women with respect for women", abandoning the "ironic self-loathing" of the band's 1993 album Gentlemen (1993) and the "down in the dumps" lyrics of Black Love (1996).^[9]

From Wikipedia

Somethin' Hot

Crazy

Uptown Again

Sweet Son of a Bitch

66

Citi Soleil

John the Baptist

The Slide Song

Neglekted

Omertà

The Vampire Lanois

This starts more soulfully than previous albums with 'Somethin' Hot'. In fact this is much more accessible and tuneful than previous efforts, 'Crazy' is really quite commercial. 'Sweet Son of A Bitch' (I say, steady on), starts with the adults-only version of the kind of noises that Fleetwood Mac made on 'Big Love' - and that was bad enough. 'Citi Soleil' is in French at the beginning. Wha-hey! Love a bit of foreign language, especially when they give up a few lines in and revert to English. It's good too. Sort of a west-coast surfer feel to it.'John The Baptist' moves into Bon Jovi territory to my ears, something akin to 'Keep The Faith', and a sax break too! I liked the sleazy funk of 'Neglekted'. More saxophone on 'Omerta', this time less structured - more of an atmosphere piece. It ends with 'The Vampire Lanois' which is an instrumental and I thought must be related to the Anne Rice Vampire books in some way, but my customary rigorous internet search provided no confirmation. One of my requirements for an artist on here is that there is progression and the Afghan Whigs definitely show it. I've liked every album better than the last and this is not an exception to the rule. I've also checked out Dulli in pictures and video and reckon he's a dead ringer for David Morrissey

Addendum May 2023. So ‘The Vampire Lanois’ is clearly a reference to uber-producer Daniel. The album was recorded at his Kingsway studio in New Orleans.

DO THE BEAST

15th April 2014

Do to the Beast is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs, their first in 16 years. It was released on April 15, 2014 on Sub Pop Records, the same label that released their albums Up in It and Congregation.

The album received mainly positive reviews; according to online review aggregator Metacritic, it has a score of 74%, indicating "generally favorable reviews". A reviewer for the Los Angeles Times concluded that it was "overall a more muted, moody affair than the Afghan Whigs in their heyday."^[1] A Rolling Stone review wrote that on the album, "The stylishly sleazy intensity is still there on their first record since 1998's excellent 1965, only with a wider palette."^[2]

All tracks are written by Greg Dulli.

From Wikipedia

Parked Outside

Matamoros

It Kills

Algiers

Lost in the Woods

The Lottery

Can Rova

Royal Cream

I Am Fire

These Sticks

What do they mean by 'Do The Beast'? Are they trying to launch a new dance craze in the vein of the Timewarp, Monster Mash or even the excellent Pachacuti? Probably not. They broke up in 2001 and then reunited (with a few one-offs in between) in 2012 and this is their first album since. 'Lost in the Woods' gets straight into it with some good crunchy guitar. It's pretty conventional rock, but there's nowt wrong with that. 'Matamoros' has a kind of middle-eastern feel to it at times and even begins to stray into the proggy world with it's changes of pace and musical style. 'Algiers' employs an old musical trope which I can't really describe in the percussion, a drum-beat followed by castanet type thing. You'll know what I mean if you listen to it. The song itself doesn't have me agog.'The Lottery' sounds a bit like a hard-edged U2. It's quiet time for 'Can Rova' - and is that really a drum machine in the background? It rolls on to the final track 'These Sticks' which is suitably apocalyptic.

So that's it. I can't say I'm a convert, but I can see why they are rated. Apparently Dulli did a lot of the vocals on the movie 'Backbeat' about the early days of the Beatles in Hamburg and the death of Stuart Sutcliffe. Haven't seen it in years (since it came out in fact) but I do remember that the musical performances were quite visceral. I'm guessing he did the Lennon parts.