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Gentlemen

The Afghan Whigs

1993

Gentlemen
Album Summary

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.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. Noted for Dulli's grimly acerbic lyrics and influences from soul music, it is considered by critics to be the Afghan Whigs' greatest record, an essential release from the 1990s, and among the best-written breakup albums. The album was remastered in deluxe format for its 21st anniversary and covered extensively in a dedicated volume of the 33⅓ music book series.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.93

Votes

9988
Genres
Pop
Rock

Reviews

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Sat Aug 21 2021
2

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

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Wed Aug 11 2021
1

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.

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Wed Mar 24 2021
1

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

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Fri Jun 25 2021
5

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

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Sun May 16 2021
4

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

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Mon May 10 2021
4

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.

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Wed Jan 20 2021
5

Angst lyrics but 90’s rock sound.

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Fri Apr 21 2023
5

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.

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Thu Jan 14 2021
4

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

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Sun Feb 14 2021
4

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

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Thu Feb 04 2021
4

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

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Thu Feb 18 2021
3

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

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Mon May 03 2021
3

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.

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Fri Apr 08 2022
5

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.

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Fri Apr 22 2022
5

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

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Wed Nov 02 2022
5

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.

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Thu Oct 21 2021
4

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.

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Wed Jun 02 2021
3

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.

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Thu Dec 21 2023
3

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.

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Sat Apr 10 2021
2

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

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Thu Nov 11 2021
2

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.

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Fri Sep 23 2022
2

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

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Fri Sep 10 2021
1

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

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Thu Apr 07 2022
1

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.

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Wed Aug 03 2022
1

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.

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Thu Feb 02 2023
1

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.

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Tue Mar 21 2023
1

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.

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Tue Jul 13 2021
5

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

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Tue Jul 13 2021
5

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.

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Sun May 08 2022
5

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😉

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Sun May 08 2022
5

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.

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Sun May 08 2022
5

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

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Wed Aug 24 2022
5

Ovo mi je jedan od najdražih albuma devedesetih

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Thu Oct 13 2022
5

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

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Fri Dec 23 2022
5

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.

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Mon May 29 2023
5

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

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Fri Jul 28 2023
5

Amazing to hear the origin of kings of Leon music

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Mon Sep 11 2023
5

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

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Sat Oct 14 2023
5

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

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Wed Nov 22 2023
5

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.

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Mon Nov 27 2023
5

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.

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Sun Dec 31 2023
5

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.

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Fri Jan 12 2024
5

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.

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Sun Feb 11 2024
5

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

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Thu Feb 22 2024
5

Great album, really enjoyed the sound and the concept.

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Mon Dec 07 2020
4

Enjoyed for the most part. Songs didn't really stand out from one another, but they sounded good.

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Tue May 18 2021
4

Didn't know what to expect but damn, I really liked this album. Good rock, good lyrics, and just overall a good album. Could get into my feels with this one but also just say fuck it to the world at the same time typa vibe.

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Fri May 21 2021
4

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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Thu Feb 18 2021
4

Bändin nimi oli tuttu jonkinlaisena indierockin edelläkävijänä mutta musiikki oli ihan vierasta. Jotenkin tämä oli jäänyt täysin paitsioon vaikka saman aikakauden ja genren bändejä olen fanittanut. Tykkäsin todella kovasti ja tätä tulee varmasti kuunneltua tulevaisuudessakin.

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Wed Jul 21 2021
4

Pre-Grunge 90s Alt! There were definitely some good songs on here. I think it would be a pretty great break-up album, but hopefully I won't have to test that theory haha

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Sun Jul 04 2021
4

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

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Fri Jun 04 2021
4

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

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Tue Jul 13 2021
4

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

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Sun Jul 04 2021
4

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

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Sat Jun 05 2021
4

Excelente. Algunos sonidos grungeros tipo pearl jam pero también tranqui al final. Rock

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Tue Aug 03 2021
4

Very solid album. His voice is pretty grating but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Enjoyed the switch-up to the female lead singer as well. Might need to start doing a favorite bar for these albums - "You think I'm scared of girls/Well maybe/But I'm not afraid of you" is pretty fire Saved: Debonair*, What Jail Is Like

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Wed Aug 11 2021
4

Strong musicianship, interesting vibes and very listenable.

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Tue Aug 17 2021
4

Really liked the first half of the album, the latter half wasn't as good.

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Fri Sep 24 2021
4

This was cooler and more raw than I expected. I thought of the Afghan Whigs as an overrated indie darling band, but there's some solid stuff here.

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Fri Sep 24 2021
4

Was listening to local radio last night, and I thought to myself “I’m not familiar with this Replacements song…” it was these Afghan Whigs. That Replacements influence is pretty strong. Very Good album - the breakup theme was disconcerting; probably because it seemed so sincere. Listworthy = 👍

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Thu Oct 14 2021
4

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.

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Thu Oct 14 2021
4

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

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Thu Oct 14 2021
4

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

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Fri Oct 15 2021
4

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

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Thu Nov 04 2021
4

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.

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Thu Nov 25 2021
4

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

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Mon Jan 10 2022
4

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.

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Mon Jan 10 2022
4

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.

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Thu Jan 13 2022
4

deze vond ik ook leuk my curse neem ik mee

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Wed Jan 26 2022
4

This one is good too very 90s

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Wed Jan 26 2022
4

I really liked this. Admittedly right up my street as it sounds like the Replacements but the songs were very strong and well put together

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Thu Jan 27 2022
4

Unrelenting grit and grunginess like this can only come from Ohio.

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Thu Jan 27 2022
4

I always like a concept album, and hats off to the delicious guitar riffs and engaging vocal performance. I wish the production was a little less muddy and the sounds the played had a little more variety, but this had enough going for it to just barely scrape out a fourth star.

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Thu Feb 10 2022
4

This is one of those instances where the sunmative album is greater than any one individual song.

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Wed Mar 30 2022
4

Four stars. I don't really know what to say about it, though, that hasn't already been said about how nasty it is (particularly by Greg Dulli); good thing the tunes are so good or else it might be a bit *too* bracing.

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Fri Apr 01 2022
4

Un disc del seu moment. Emparentat amb el grunge per l'època, però no pel seu so, rock alternatiu amb certs aires de soul. Molt del seu temps, que en el seu moment em va passar desapercebut. La fama de clàssic perdut la té ben merescuda

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Sun May 08 2022
4

Echt een te gekke plaat. Rock maar toch soulvol.

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Wed May 11 2022
4

p709. 1993. 4 stars Accessible indy rock with distinct hints of Nirvana. Came cold to this and was pleasantly surprised. On the replay list.

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Fri May 13 2022
4

This must be my week of 1993. Along with Grant Lee Buffalo, I get The Afghan Whigs, both not falling in the grunge category, amazingly. This is The Afghan Whigs' 4th album. Besides the last song, every song is about breaking up or some aspect a toxic relationship. The music and lyrics are high drama. There does not appear to be an overarching story; each song is its own story of relationship misery. Greg Dulli (lead singer) used Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" as inspiration with each song on its own within an overall motif. I definitely see that. The lyrics are very descriptive and can be pretty vicious. Some of the Afghan Whigs' music has a soulful influence but this album, besides one song, is straight forward drama and rock. It is one of the best albums that I've heard where the lyrics and music are trying to match each other. The album is great listening to as a whole capturing the overall tone but also has great individual tunes. "Debonair" is the one sort of funky song on the album with a great, unique groove, has tremendous and vicious lyrics about being in a poisonous relationship "Cause it don't bleed, And it don't breathe, It's locked its jaws, And now it's swallowing," and is one of my favorite songs of the 90's. "Gentlemen" has a intense dramatic intro and maintains that throughout the song. "What Jail Is Like" builds the drama using the soft-loud-soft dynamic and compares the relationship to being in jail. The Afghan Whigs broke up in 2001 and reformed in 2012 and are still absolutely amazing seeing live. They have 7 studio albums all worth checking out with this probably being their best.

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Fri May 20 2022
4

Probably deserves another listen

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Mon Jul 04 2022
4

Brilliant rock album full angst and a intoxiticating relationship story 👍

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Thu Jul 14 2022
4

Is it a 4 or is it a 5? I had to give it a fourth listen this morning to make sure. It definitely improves with each listen. The album depicts the anger, hurt and frustration of a couple going through a break up and it tells the story very well. It's a great album to get lost in and I love the idea that this is a contemporary version of a song cycle. It's not as good as Winterreise though! A very high 4 for me.

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Fri Jul 29 2022
4

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.

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Fri Aug 19 2022
4

Had never heard of this band. Pretty good album.

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