Gentlemen

I love the music, but the lyrics are complete trash and give me gross incel vibes

did not finish. i feel it is my right to not finish albums now.

This is a little too aggressive, 90s for me. Sounds like music for guys who yell at their girlfriends in public. Yeah. I hate this.

Amazing album. Unfortunately it works as the missing link between grunge and shitty bands like Bush and Creed.

This band has always floated around the periphery of the music I listen to. Oft recommended but seldom listened to. What turned me off in previous listens was the lyrical directness. I always felt like the music begged for something more abstract and circuitous. This listen was quite enveloping though. Something finally clicked.

The singer's voice kind of ruined it for me.

3.0 - A killer backing band with explosive drums and great guitar work. Non-chord based and almost absent of melody, which actually helps create some expansive soundscapes. But, sweet Lord do I find that lead singer grating! He sings with joyless, grunty disgust and the lyrics just make him seem like a dumb douchebag. Some of the writing seems lazy, leaning on unneeded swearing, which comes off as pretentious. The only standouts are "Curse Me", which has a female vocalist. Absolute gem. And the last instrumental track (again without the lead vocalist) is great.

Sort of a boring parody of a boring generic 90s album. So ethereal that it completely leaves your memory *as it is playing*

Incredibly discomforting, this might the best breakup album ever. Greg Dulli delivers a vocal performance with as much diversity as the genres explored on the record, and the choices in instrumentation (especially guitars and relentless drumming) seem to match his emotional range perfectly. Having never listened to anything by The Afghan Whigs previously, this resonated emotionally with me on the first listen. A rarity, but something that a lot of albums can only aspire to do.

Familiarity: 0/10 Notes: wow. Symphonic Grunge, layered emotion, and tight playing. Note to self, check out more Afghan Whigs Real Rating: 8/10

How have I gone all these years without this band in my life

I guess I was aware of the Afghan Whigs but never spent much time paying attention to them. Was surprised to find out this is an album about being sad about having a boner. This is Incel Rock. I didn’t care for it, and “Angst in My Pants” is my favorite Sparks song.

Got to the fourth song, Debonair, and called it quits. Jesus was a grating album. Just loud, unmelodious shouting. Didn't add and not even remotely interested in listening to anything else they've done.

Never heard of this but it's absolutely fucking great. Melodramatic angst-ridden lyrics, dark vibes, just a great breakup album. Sounds way more recent than 1993 as well. Loved it.

Angst lyrics but 90’s rock sound.

Had never heard of this band and was pleasantly surprised enough that I'll be checking out much more of their catalog, who knew I liked early 90s emo

I listened to the Afghan Whigs full records as a part of another list I’m taking on and I think this one is the best. Mixture of soul, R&B, post punk and alternative rock to make an interesting genre all their own. Favorite song: Debonair Least favorite song: Fountain and Fairfax

A meeting of conflict and lassitude, laziness and propulsion. Great in theory, and a handful of others have pulled it off. But not these well-intentioned chaps.

Ugh, with the whining. Eeeeuuuaaahhh. Eeeeuuuaaahhh. 50 mins of this. Even the guitar was whiny. I don't know who this speaks to but I'll bet they are real downers at a party. It's like The Cure at 78 rpm. Or Smashing Pumpkins at 45.

#3 was so bad I found myself adjusting the sound settings in my car thinking there was something wrong with them

Sonically, this album is just whatever; middling 90s grunge that could probably play on the radio for a week or two. Lyrically... this album is so disgusting. These lyrics reek of a man who has been sitting in a basement for weeks not showering, mountain dew cans everywhere, stained sheets, dim gross yellow light. He is such a disgusting man, I can see why he was broken up with. These lyrics are truly despicable. No favorite songs.

Wow, it looks like I found another candidate for the surprise of the year (for myself only, of course)! The Afghan Whigs with an album "Gentlemen", described as the best breakup record ever written. I don't know about that, but you can feel the emotions filling the whole room from the moment the first song starts. The album oscillates between an indie rock, quirky melodies to hard rock, full-on grunge tracks. The combination, that falls somewhere in-between those genres perfectly encapsulates the anger and sadness, creating a very atmospheric setup for the whole album. I think that might be one of those records, that doesn't have any fillers - every song fits into the concept, but also stands on its own. One can easily say, that there is 11 singles, each deserving a spot on the list of "greatest songs you musty heard before you die". Vocal on this album doesn't sound very well, the voice of the main vocalist, Greg Dulli, breaks up pretty often, but probably that's on purpose - it also adds more melancholy and desperation for some of the tracks. What's interesting, my two favourite songs from the album are the two where Greg doesn't sing. First one, with similar style of singing, but from a woman, Marcy Mays, "My Curse". I think this song is the culmination of the album - great, hard rock ballad, do not listen when you are going through a breakup yourself, many tears may follow. The second favourite song is the last, instrumental "Brother Woodrow/Closing Prayer". It's just an excellent ending to the album filled with emotions, giving you slow and soft release, perfect song to loop forward to the beginning of the record. Easy 5 stars, I'm looking forward to the journey into Afghan Whigs' discography.

Excellent; one more album in the list of reasons why I started this project.

Forgot how good the Afghan Whigs are. While grunge was taking over, this album is a nice alternative sound to what would become the ALTERNATIVE sound.

I enjoyed this album.

The best lines start as post-punk on the bass and develop with the rest over the length of the cycle. The vocal and volume switch-up works, doesn't break through pervading grime.

Raw and emotional. Lyrically repugnant. Don’t love the vocals but subjectively appropriate for the style/message. I don’t like it, but I COULD under the right circumstances. Going middle of the road rating, but can’t fault the whole package.

Musically, right up my alley. Lyrically, not as much. Overall: not bad, not great.

No. 73/1001 If I Were Going 4/5 Gentlemen 3/5 Be Sweet 3/5 Debonair 4/5 When We Two Parted 4/5 Fountain And Fairfax 3/5 What Jail Is Like 3/5 My Curse 3/5 Now You Know 4/5 I Keep Coming Back 3/5 Brother Woodrow 3/5 Average: 3,36 Musically I liked this, the singers voice really showed some weaknesses on some songs.

Radiohead with all of the pretension but none of the talent. Shitty lyrics, tacky song names, Dad Rock at its most uninteresting.

One of my favorite albums of all time. Before I listened to Gentlemen I was a boy, after listening to it I was a man. The Afghan wigs aren't easily my favorite band and I have seen them perform numerous times.

Me gustó mucho, creo que cumple con su cometido de corazón roto rockero. A ratos suena oscuro, a ratos suena enérgico, pero como que la sensación de tristeza se mantiene constante. Todo suena bien y sigue esa misma línea. Disfruté sobre todo "Gentlemen", "Be Sweet", "When We Two Parted" y "Now You Know". 10/10

Great album, really enjoyed the sound and the concept.

Wow, awesome mix of grunge and psychedelic guitars. Definitely hear some king gizz in here.

Atmospheric and soulful.

Intense alternative guitar rock. Very impressive.

Prachtalbum! Ik heb nu al zin in het concert deze zomer, de kaartjes al op zak!

Ovo mi je jedan od najdražih albuma devedesetih

Quando a junção de camadas sonoras carregadas de guitarras demonstram que a busca por conexão se transforma em um jogo de manipulação e desilusão, desafiando as convenções e revelando a essência crua da condição humana.

Afghan Lids

This is one of those albums I wish I’d known about back in the early and mid-‘90s. It’s a mix of alternative and rock with a raw, gritty sound that adds texture and emphasizes the underground indie rock feel. I love the rhythm guitar, which has such a strong drive that grounds the songs and sets their tone and direction. The production is also raw and gritty but still meticulous, giving each instrument its own space to stand out and shine.

One of my favorite albums of the 90’s

Great rock album. Feels adjacent to Alice In Chains. Themes of abuse, manipulation, and the fallout of a romantic relationship. The vibe is spot on. Love whatever they’re doing with the instrumentals. The singer’s cadence didn’t feel quite right to me, but it did make for some unnerving moments. Album twisted the expected, kept me on my toes. Some transitions and leitmotif. Standouts: Gentlemen, Be Sweet, Debonair, When We Two Parted, Fountain and Fairfax, My Curse, and Brother Woodrow.

Another band that I wish I'd got into sooner. Quite grungey, but subtler and more varied.

Great AW album, just like Congregation and 1965, but Gentlemen might be their best. Mainly listened to their music in the 90s, but it might be time to check out their more recent albums. my vote in 1993: 10/10 and in 2024: 10/10.

I was surprised I hadn't heard of this band or album since it should have been in my wheelhouse. Then again, discoverability wasn't stellar before the internet. I can hear a lot of other bands' inspirations in this, both forward and backward in time, giving this album a bit of a timeless and nostalgic feel for me, though I'm not sure what it does for others.

Very good album. Couldn't stop listening and got better the second time through. Will add this one to the rotation!

Geen tijd gehad om deze top plaat te beluisteren, maar dat hoeft ook niet, want deze heb ik waarschijnlijk meer gedraaid dan welke andere CD ooit! Helemaal goed.

Geweldige band! En deze plaat is een van de meerdere hoogtepunten in hun oeuvre. Wel erg 90's-anger maarja dat is nou eenmaal waardoor ik gevormd ben😉

Otra de las grandes sorpresas de este conteo. PORQUE NO HABÍA ESCUCHADO ESTO ANTES. Brutal disco, creo que es el mejor disco nuevo para mí que escuchado hasta ahorita en este juego.

So good

This album was a scuzzy revelation when I first heard it and I loved it for that.

Irresistibly heavy, heady and at times hedonistic, Gentlemen is presented by Afghan Whigs approaching ascendancy. It's almost hard to find a flaw with this record, apart from it being not long enough. But it is best that things are this way. It gives off a feeling of warmth and comfort, oddly enough. Appropriate choice of color palette for the album cover, too.

5/5 the emotional delivery won me over. i can hear dulli going through life events as he sings. the fact that the best song My Curse isnt sung by him speaks to the quality of the songs themselves and the band performance. i can almost hear the producer yelling notes to the band as they play only to be ignored.

Amazing

Never heard this band before but still makes me feel the 90's nostalgia feeling creeping in. This was a good record and still sounds good 30 years later. Album cover is a little bit creepy, reminiscent of another album I discovered from this list, Throbbing Gristle's D.O.A.

I had been meaning to check in on Afghan Whigs as they were the subject of Bandsplain this week and I had never heard them. This is one of the most intense records I’ve heard and it absolutely rips. May not be a repeater for me unless I’m really in the mood but goddamn this is excellent

powerful

Great album, good rock

This is so '90's

A great find for me! The vocals were much weaker than the instrumentation on this albums though the lyrics were decent and the vocals did grow on me as I listened. Since I didn’t know anything about this band the second vocalist was a fun surprise (and she was great on My Curse). The guitars reminded me a lot of Ash from a few days ago. “Debonair” had a funky intro and the solo on “My Curse” was my playing style so that was fun. The album sounds like a hybrid between Pearl Jam and Drive By Truckers. Would do a 4.5 if possible but I think this would keep growing on me if I listened more so I’ll give it a 5.

Not a 5/5 but can't give it 4/5. 93/100 would be fair. Brilliant album.

Amazing to hear the origin of kings of Leon music

One of my favorite albums ever.

Take a dive down into the dark, debaucherous depths of Dulli and The Whigs’s most well-known—and most malignant—masterpiece; fucked up as it might seem, it’s one of my favorite places to be.

This album is really disgusting but also really good. With lyrics like this I was really surprised to see a song with a female vocalist, but it was pretty awesome. The only song I didn't love was the 2nd to last one. Finding albums like this is what makes this list fun. Score: 90 Art: 80

it was okay

Fantastic album

Good when driving at night

Teenage angsty straightforward lyrics on music that was the bridge between grunge and alternative rock. With dark over and undertones, superb guitarriffs. A classic from the 90's

this is a good 90s rock album. like real good. the right guitar tones. a little fuzzier, but still clean and present. nice meandering solo work and riffs. big songs, big sounds. theres a misstep with a eric clapton-esque riff and a different singer? “my curse” its not a bad song it just feels out of place. other than that this is the kind of indie turned giant label rock you need. could sit with archers of lof, built to spill, pavement of the time. so much went wrong for music in the 90s. this shit kicks.

Pretty cool rock

Pa onak površinski se čini dost običan "već sam to čuo x y puta" album, al kad se malo poprati i zagrebe ispod ima tu dosta dobrih stvari i ekšli umjetničke vrijednosti, def nastavljam slušat kada budem u moodu za tak nešt. Poticajna četvorka.

Buen disco de rock, con buena voz, melodías y ritmos.

Decent grunge era entry. I wasn't familiar with this band or any of the songs. I'll need to give another listen to properly place it. I liked "My Curse" with guest vocalist Marcy Mays the best or at least most interesting to my ears at first listen. I can see enjoying this record but don't feel like I missed out on it back in the '90s.

This album was cool, and I'd like to listen to it more. 4/5

Zbog ovakvih stvari sam unišao u ovu kolotečinu albuma. Da mi se isprsi nekad neki album od nekog nekad izvođača za kojeg nikad nisam čuo, i bude ono materijal za daljnji nastavak egzistencijalnog života - Ovo će biti na nekoj repeticiji, osjećam.

Had a few listens now as it's very much an 'album' rather than collection of a few standout tracks. Did enjoy - constantly revising who they remind me (Ooh just like - Verve, ooh U2, ooh Muse etc). Looking forward to hearing more of them

Wow this was a ride… I have never heard of the Afghan Whigs even though I listened to my share of 90s grunge. It has a lot of the characteristics of its generation of music, but Gentlemen isn’t exactly the 90s grunge formula. The album is crafted like a movie exploring a very complicated and troubled relationship. The album ends with “Closing Prayer” - an instrumental piece that evokes the rolling of credits. So while the grinding guitars feel very 90s, this album stands out from a lot of that era’s music. The first time through I wasn’t sure I loved this, but after a second pass I really was drawn in to the story and the music. I wish I had discovered this when it was released because there sure is a lot to explore here. I’m not sure I have the energy now for this much drama often, but this album is definitely worthy of this list with a lot of depth to explore.

Consistent quality throughout, though it’s mostly just moody alternative rock. I think if I cared more about the lyrics or if there were more musical highs I would like this album better. 7

I didn’t always love listening to this but I found it really compelling. I found it a fairly effective take on the concept album, creating complex, troubled characters on a fucked up journey.

Interesting, with metal vibes, a bit out of tune but I liked it. Maybe a bit grunge

Never heard of this band or any of their songs before but I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting more of a strictly 90s style vibe, but the album had some pretty diverse sounds. I saved My Curse and Now You Know to my Spotify.

Pretty good had never heard of them before

Never heard of these guys before so had no preconceptions. Not the kind of thing I’m into but this seems really solid - interesting rhythms and liking the amount of swears in there. Will try and listen to some more of their stuff.

Getting some notes of Flaming Lips - good hard rock vibes.

Dunno how I've never heard these guys before... v. good album

I enjoyed the raw, alternative rock on this album. Some great guitar work, a very charismatic lead singer, and some bitter feelings about relationships are all over this thing. He's got a Jim Morrison thing going in "Fountain and Fairfax," and I think that he must have been influenced by The Doors. I admit I got kind of lost in this one. There's substance, cool riffs, and passion.

O sea chido, como cualquier rock alternativo. Auqnue sí hubo canciones que me dieron hueva y di varios skips. Favs: debpnair y my curse

Had never heard of this band. Pretty good album.

Sonido crudo pero original, me hubiera gustado conocer esta banda más joven. Hoy no me volaron los sesos como quizá lo hubieran hecho hace veinte años. 3.5 estrellas que suben a 4 porque sí los pienso escuchar de nuevo. Songs: Now you know, Debonair

De ver la portada esperaba más rock alternativo noventero hacia el grunge estandar pero, aunque en cierto modo lo es, es mucho más que eso. Me llamo mucho que siento una línea completa dentro del disco en su temática hacia temas sobre la ansiedad y hacia sentir como si fuera un album concepto que en partes fuera una confesión de alguien que realizó algún crimen grave. Esa mezcla fue bastante interesante y creo que las canciones están muy bien logradas. Musicalmente el inicio agarra de sorpresa, excelente, desolador y pone el ambiente correcto. El disco es mucho más pesado de lo que esperaba, no es que sea Slayer pero de verdad tiene un sonido único y no suena simplemente a "otra banda de esas" Variado, interesante, inteligente... Sonando a ratos a una mezcla de RHCP, Bowie y composiciones de Peter Gabriel en una licuadora sobre una base de grunge. Muy muy interesante

Rock Alternativo noventero mucho más agradable de lo que esperaba. Entre el nombre y la portada me imaginé que vendría una cosa Nirvanesca pero sin siquiera llegarle y fue grata sorpresa escuchar otra cosa. De esos discos que en aquella época quizá tuvieron para hacer que despegara la banda y solo les faltó vivir en Seattle en vez de Cincinatti.

Alternative rock, 1993. Gentlemen starts with incredible music since the first moments of the record and that feeling gets better going through this album. Every song portrait a different vibe to enjoy and the voice matches perfectly with the instruments in all the project. Definitely in the top 20 records of the 90s and in the top 10 of its genre.

Loved it.

very fun to listen to

This isn’t really my style but it definitely had a lot of strong moments, in terms of both music and themes. There were moments that felt really self-indulgent , but overall it’s decent. 7/10

Will need to listen again to get the full lyrical story. Musically was great though.

Angry, early 90s music. Will have to listen to this more. Liked the opener, but then it faded out a bit.

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