February 11, 2005

• Awesome. Afghan Whigs was one of my favorite bands -- the Gentlemen record (plus an American Music Club record) was part of the soundtrack to one of the big breakups of my romantic life -- and I really enjoy the one Twilight Singers record I've purchased, the way Dulli is really indulging and updating the Philly soul part of his aesthetic.
• I tried listening to Gentlemen about a month ago, under one of my "let's see if I still like the albums from high school" moments. It's a crappy album, now that I have some distance. It's really dated and, y'know, every damn song on there IS the same. 1969, however, has aged better (despite being overproduced). Anybody remember when he got his ass kicked by a stagehand named Toad?
• js, are you talking about the guy who was a carpenter? I heard that one. That's different from the skinhead who whacked Dulli over the head with a baseball bat. That was just fucked up. The carpenter was someone brought in because the Whigs wanted the stage changed. Dulli was high and ragging on the guy's appearance. The carpenter beat Dulli's ass when he walked by offstage. The people working at the venue broke it up. The rest of the Whigs just watched. Dulli played the show that night all fucked up. That's the story. I don't know if it's true. Disagree with you on Gentlemen. CMJ raked that at 14 for the best albums of the nineties.
• Totally disagree with you on Gentlemen, js. And on 1965, which is relatively boring and without focus, IMO. The self-loathing is just so wonderfully right up in your face on Gentlemen. And every song is the same? So not true. I usually like your take on music, js, but twice in one day today I'm finding myself disagreeing with you (first, on the Franz-Ferdinand-sounds-like-early-Talking-Heads issue, now this). To each his own, I guess.
• Plus, the photos of the kids comprising the cover art for Gentlemen are awesomely unsettling.
• Do I detect an LA monkey? oh and great link.
• Wasn't there a 'zine called "Fat Greg Dulli?" Weren't there these things called "'zines?" Why am I suddenly feeling old?
• Just pulled out my copy of Gentlemen, which I got as a promo while working at a record store when it was released, so no cover art. I still think their earlier stuff was better, and that this sounds like way too many other overproduced 90s bands who got swallowed up in the great indie buyout by the majors. I lived in Cincinnati at the time, and there was a lot of snarkiness about their moving to Seattle to jump on the SupPop bandwagon. Never saw them afterwards, but while they were a local band they gave a damn fine show. Fat? He's older, and people do accumulate fat around the face when they age, but he to my eye doesn't look that bad. Got any other photo evidence?
• Debonair is still a pretty cool tune, however, and to my ears holds up well.
• Debonair IS still a pretty good tune. But there's no reason to have it as an album anymore. It's totally that early '90s sound which used to sound so different from the '80s, and now just sounds like the beginning of the Hoobastank era. The self-loathing is there, but it's a one-trick pony. Now with emo, I can have self-loathing in any flavor I want, anytime. I guess it's just not as interesting. (Other records that are slated to be removed from the collection from the brief sweep of the collection: Alice in Chains- Dirt; Braniac- Smack Bunny Baby; Dink- s/t; Love Battery- (the one with "Stars" on it). In all, probably about 40 records, mostly promos that sounded interesting at the time, but now I never listen to... And hey, I didn't say that 1969 was something I listen to all the time now (it's overproduced too), just that it's better than Gentlemen. Oh, and Sully, CMJ is now in the habit of licking dog balls. I would subtly discourage people from using it as an arbiter of taste. Now I'm gonna go back and argue about the Talking Heads...
• (My favorite 'zine name was Evan Dando Must Die. And people still do 'em, like the CrimewaveUSA folks. West Virginia Surf Report has a website now, and John Marr has disappeared...)
• Thanks for the link, Sullivan. Despite the argument about the Whigs being dated, I still love them and the Twilight Singers. Ah, the early 90s!
• Did anyone watch Dulli's MBE performance? It's excellent. Number Nine is an amazing song. His cover of Strange Fruit is scary. Dulli strangely seems a little happier (in interviews) and less cocky these days. About Cincinnati: Dulli hasn't lived there since the Whigs recorded Big Top Halloween. That was their first album. The reason the band never played much in town is because they were scattered across the country. John Curley stayed in town and opened a recording studio. Another problem was Curley and Dulli had interests outside the Whigs. They produced records and Dulli went to film school at UCLA. Those two are talented guys but they couldn't stay focused on the Whigs. For the record: I take Gentleman over Nevermind anyday. Dulli wrote the album after a breakup he had with a girl he was living with in LA. He moved out and went straight back to Cincinnati. The band almost decided not to do the songs written for Gentleman. Here's something monkeys should try. Exile In Guville by Liz Phair came out the same year (1993) as Gentlemen. Listen to those albums together is like hearing the the male and female perspective of a breakup. Plus, Phair and Dulli were both a little too aware of how good looking they were. I wonder what would happen if they had kids.
• Guyvill and Gentlemen: interesting double bill, Sullivan. I'll have to give it a shot. crushes on boys who cover Liz Phair songs
• Here's an issue of Fat Greg Dulli.

  Greg Dulli One-Night Stand Kit: Nifty Afghan Whigs money clip and dice cufflinks 8 miniatures of Wild Turkey 2 packs of Dunhills 1 bottle of rib sauce 3 moist towlettes "Karaoke With The Staples Singers" tape "Best Of America" karaoke tape 1 Today contraceptive sponge 17 condoms Don Fleming's phone number

  I don't think Dulli feels that way about Don Fleming.
• Really? Over Nevermind? I dunno. Nevermind also seems really dated and overproduced to me now (as opposed to Siamese Dream, which Vig also did) but I can't distance myself enough to listen critically. I like In Utero a lot lot more though.
• I am not ashamed to say that the albums I bought in the early 90's are still amongst my favorites. Gentlemen makes my top 5. And I never minded a few extra pounds on a guy either.
• I think Gentlemen still sounds excellent.