Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Very different and I think I quite like it! A bit wailing in places, but there’s some great Melodie’s in there as well.
3.75
This was decent. It had parts that I enjoyed, but I didn't quite get into it like I would have liked.
Mostly fine, except for I keep coming back which grated my soul like nails on a chalk board. Bruh needed a vocal coach or something
Boring
This was on track to be a solid 4-star album. Solid jams, great energy, lots of attitude... But it quickly outstayed its welcome. By track 4, the intentionally atonal wailing that was such a vibe in the early-to-mid-90s had blown past "nostalgic" and was well into the "shut the hell up already" zone. Shame. It had a lot of promise.
I feel like I would have really loved this record circa 1996 as a 14 year old. As a 41 year old I was not into it. It wasn’t bad per se - but not something I’d want to return to.
Debonair is a high point. Otherwise this is the epitome of an early 90s, grunge-adjacent, rock album. And I say that, as a fan of early 90s rock music, in the least nostalgic/complementary way possible. It's just kind of boring. The singer isn't great. It kind of reminds me of The Lemonheads or Paul Westerberg. Not really heavy enough to be grunge, but with some of the same affectations. A grunge-ish paint-by-numbers album, if you will. Not terrible, I guess. Would give a 2.5 if I could.
Great album cover. Songs are decent.
Varsin viihdyttävä. Viikonlopun aikana pyörähti useamman kerran läpi.
Uusi tuttavuus. Ihan hauska ja solidi levy.
Eerste indruk is goed, album begint spannend Gentlemen echt meega lekker nummer damn Debonair ook top Erg goed album, kende deze band ook nog niet dus leuk om te leren kennen! Sommige nummers zijn wel een beetje vals ofzo haha en ergens heeft vet wel wat puurs maar ook beetje vreemd Zou sommige nummers zeker vaker luisteren, dus would buy maar komt niet op m'n wishlist.
2.9/5 - Nothing fancy, and ona first listen i assumed they were like every other late 80s - mid 90's grunge band. i felt i was missing something. A second listen and their uniqueness came to me. It sjus tnot always prevalent, or front and center. But it's got some enjoyable songs on it.
Started strong, liked the first couple of songs, then took a turn for the worse
Melody and pitch are optional, but a lot of mid-90s aggro. 3.5
Middling
Interesting Indy
The music on this was just okay. But there was more raw emotion on here than we usually hear on a record. Almost confessional. A touch cringe but still powerful
Nice
I mean it’s not something I’d throw on everyday but it’s not awful background noise.
3/5 interesting but no.
Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
It started too sad for me but hen developed into Aspen very cool alternative rock. Nice to listen to once in a while
I enjoyed it quite a lot, especially the instrumentals.
Woah woah! Honestly not much to say about this album. I loved the guitar parts! But I did not particularly enjoy this approach to the vocal production. I feel like it left me wanting more. The songs, the tones, even the lyrical content was all pretty enjoyable though.
interesting. Rough. Not 'catchy' exactly. I should prob give more listens.
Not what I was expecting. Did the job as background music. Not sure I'd listen to it again but was ok.
Good. Wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again tho.
Melancholy MOR. Meh.
Hard to rate... Really left no lasting impression for me. 90s grunge influences, but too whiny for my taste. The music is actually quite good, but the singing/voice/lyrics are just… existent.
Not really my thing. Too punchy
not my style
This is not terrible, but terribly unremarkable. I'm not a fan of the vocal delivery. Kind of a bad mix of Soul Asylum and Jane's Addiction.
Why does this name sound so familiar? I can't think of any songs by them but I must have heard them before because it sounds so familiar. Let's check it out! I'm liking it. Giving me The Cure vibes somehow. I like the slow tempo. I'll give it 3 stars.
3.5 if i could. Good experimental post-punk / 90s alternative album, just not terribly original. Derivative at times. High highs and low lows
Everything sounds decent I guess, but the whole thing is a little forgettable. This is one where I’m surprised how regarded it is, to me it’s a dime a dozen.
Another group I've never heard of, I enjoyed this as it glided by. Got me in the mood for my end-of-term 1993 dress-up tomorrow (30th anniversary of my school).
Nothing wrong with this. 3.5 starts, but the Whigs - eternally half-way up the main stage bill at Reading in the early 90s - are not really a Champions League level act are they?
hard to pick, feel like on the whole a 2 but some were like 4
3,5
First time I've heard this band. Pleasant enough.
Not exactly what I expected! I thought these guys were more collage/indie rock but it feels like proto-deftones. Interesting!
Instrumentals ok Lyrics fragwürdig
Argh tää on aina ollut turhauttava levy (tai bändi), koska taustat, riffit ja muut on loistavaa settiä, mutta solisti lyriikoineen on aika ärsyttävä tapaus. Liian aggressiivinen. Mutta jos tätä soittaa taustamusana, niin toimii ihan hyvin ja sanotaan 3/5.
Oma suhtautuminen bändiin on ollut aina että meneehän tuo, mutta harvoin tulee kuunneltua erikseen. Ihan jees kyllä, 3/5
I never wanted to listen to this because the album cover is gross; bear in mind that I listen to a lot of death metal in my free time and those never bother me. Anyway, this was overall an okay listen.
this was ok. not great, not terrible. just ok.
New song starts, hey, this is pretty good. Halfway through it, wtf happened? Repeat x album.
This is ok. Another “Why is this on this list?” album.
Competent
I’ve always meant to check this band out. Neat
This sounds really good, but the lyrics are kinda trash.
Musically I like this, but I'm not so sure about the vocals. His voice has a bit of the same quality that J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. has, that vocal style that sounds like he's constipated. Aside from that though this is pretty good. 3 stars.
Please Rise for the Incel national anthem 🫡 Thing is the instrumentation is REALLY good and this shows in songs like Gentlemen and Be Sweet and then like you listen to what he's singing about and it's pretty silly and honestly lame. But there are good songs here, again the two I mentioned I quite liked, it's just a clash of the music sounding excellent the singer sounding pretty shit which evens it out, shame.
This album felt wholly unremarkable to me. Generic 90s rock and nothing that hooked me in or offended me. Middle of the road stuff.
Afghan wigs :)
I could feel the author's hatred, pain and disgust while listening. Probably that's why I wanted this to end so badly. All around me were negative feelings... I'm giving it 3 out of 5 because the artist can convey feelings through their art, however, their art style isn't unique, and I don't appreciate the vocals.
Sure, it can play in the background, I don't mind
Another throwback to the grunge era. I had this album in college and do remember liking Debonair and a few other tracks. Relistening 30 (!) years on, I'm struck by how good the instruments still sound and how bad the vocals are. Apparently Greg Dulli played John Lennon in "Backbeat", which sounds crazy to me. How?? Anyway, the sound is its own, it wasn't a copy of Nirvana or the other big grunge bands of the time, and it does still work.
The rhythm guitars are great. Very melodic with lots of maj7 and 9 chords etc. Probably influential to late 90s/early 2000s emo like Sunny Day Real Estate and the Get Up Kids. Not all songs are very interesting. The singing is a little flat at times. I'm not sure about the lyrics. Favorite song by far: Debonair.
Going to need more listens to get a definitive impression
Don't hate the concept, but not digging the execution.
This album was a perfectly fine alt rock/grunge album. It was by no means in the leagues of Nirvana or Pavement but it definitely wasn't the worst 90s rock album I've heard so far on this list. The vocals sounded like Trent Reznor and the lyrics were basically a concept album about a toxic relationship. I especially liked the track from the woman's point of view. High 3
This album feels like a cross between Soul Asylum and the Pogues. Lot of screaming in their songs (not a bad thing, just an observation). I've listened to the album twice now, and the only song that really hit me was "What Jail Is Like." I found that to be an odd yet interesting song. The instrumental at the end was pretty cool too, you don't hear a lot of bands ending albums like that (Pearl Jam's "Yield" one of my faves by that band comes to mind). I liked it, but there was nothing about it that really grabbed me. So a big "meh" from me.
Es un disco rarísimo, porque los temas lentos son una crema, con increíbles arreglos; pero los temas más rocanrol son muy flojos, lo que lleva a que en su generalidad no me termine de cerrar.
Decent 90s rock ish
I liked most of the sound, not so much the vocals. Overall, this did not feel very exciting or interesting for this genre of music, which I love mostly all of it.
Music itself is enjoyable enough, the vibe does not quite arrive.
For being grunge-like rock, it’s more my style than some other stuff I’ve had on this list but still gets pretty rough by the end of the record. 5/10
First song was not very good... Singer is kinda rough, like a budget Chris Cornell. Guitar solo in Gentleman was great. I like the effect on the guitar used throughout. Lyrics remain angsty. Overall, not bad, not great. Not going to listen to this band anymore, but didn't feel like they wasted my time.
"I got a dick for a brain, and my brain is going to sell my ass to you" is an all time line The guitar in each song is very unique which I really enjoy. Not the biggest fan of the singers voice but that instrumentals are very good
Never thought this band was all that special per se and that goes for the album. It's good but not sure about being on this list to be honest.
Another record I’d be interested in reading why it was chosen. It was fine, but run of the mill. I thing bad, but zero stood out.
Reminded me of other bands i listened to in this era. Solid but nothing really stood out. Probably between a 3 and a 4.
It's very 90s but seems fairly generic 90s. It's fine, I'd listen to it again, maybe, but I won't search it out to put on.
ok
I went into this record with high expectations. I’m quite aware of The Afghan Whigs but never really dived into them. I like the raw production and shift in intensity. The layers are somewhat intricate and Greg Dulli explores multiple genres on this, his defining work of art. On paper I love this. But in reality I leave disappointed. It’s hard to put my finger on what it is exactly. Is it the vocals? Is it the lyrics? Maybe it’s the feeling of emotional distance on an album that’s supposed to be all felling? Maybe it’s just me. But I don’t care half as much about this as I expected I would.
Fine. I know it’s about a relationship and stuff, but it doesn’t really grab me and I don’t remember much about it.
I wasn’t sorry what to expect and was pleasantly not disappointed. It was a bit generic, but then it could be those that came after that copied them. Who knows.
2.5
I feel that emos that like LIVE would like this album. It's grungy with a side of melancholy. Perfect for those moments of self reflection deciding on when/how to get attention.
Very Good. The vocals, while growing on me over the course of the record, i feel detracted from the more interesting musical tone & timbre. I am nit picking i suppose as i will delve deeper into the Whigs discography.
A bit grungy, a bit indie, a bit rocky. This is fine. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: What Jail is Like Date listened: 08/03/23
There's some really great songwriting and production on show here. It sounds great. The guitars in particular stand out to me as being really well produced and mixed, the slide seamlessly between different tones that serve the direction of the songs without ever being overpowering. Similarly there is just the right amount of bass and its doing interesting enough stuff to give some interest but without making itself the focus. The problem seems to come with the vocals here, the singer isn't untalented by any means but he seems to make some questionable decisions, sometimes stretching his range to try and get the effect of his voice cracking which doesn't really land. He also seems to operate in this raspy range which is far to low and slow for him to be comfortable a lot. The vocals are also mixed very strangely, in parts its almost like they have been taken from a completely different project and dropped in with only minimal effort put into making it sound like an organic part of the song. The lyrics throughout also scream "I'm 16 and writing my first edgy love songs" One thing I did respect was the ending. An instrumental (a good one at that) with a relatively complex title gives the whole thing a conceptual spin which I love. In fact I feel like the rest of the album could have benefitted from being a bit more high concept, they are so desperately reaching in that direction but don't quite get there. It makes me wonder if some A+R rep got involved and got them to tone it down from their original vision. Disappointing if something like that happened. Ultimately it has a lot of strengths and some cracking songs but I didn't love it.
Kind of a plain, mellow, 90's grunge vibe.
Смешанные чувства Где-то до 3 песни альбома я думал что будет все довольно однообразно, но потом то ли я влился, то ли альбом разогнался и мне стало очень приятно его слушать. Не могу сказать чем именно зацепило, но было прям неплохо Алкоальбом: друзья что-то намешали на вечеринке
Mood: "Начал за здравие, кончил за упокой". То есть, я думал, что это будет боевой такой инди-рокешник, нооо... да, так и было первые несколько песен. Прикололся с текста: "Ladies, let me tell you about myself I got a dick for a brain And my brain is gonna sell my ass to you" Посмеялся. А потом это скатилось в какую-то непонятную кашу. Месиво инструментов, вокал из жопы... В итоге, если и буду переслушивать этот альбом, то его первую половину. P.S. Передаю привет Коле Моргунову и его рекомендации послушать группу Bicycles from Afghanistan: теперь я знаю две группы, которые отсылаются к этой ближневосточной стране в названии.
Reviens me demander une critique quand le groupe aura percé, merci Robert.
Ish.
kinda creepy
Pretty standard indie/punk rock Very generic sounds No song in particular stands out Middle of the road album
Good to get back to an album by a proper band again, largely forgettable, liked the 2 singer setup
I'm not sure if they're aware of how creepy they sound. The instrumentation is good. Pretty sure I won't be listening to it again, though. It's like it was almost good, but there's something off about the entire album. Something disjointed and unnerving (which they may be going for) that I don't enjoy. Maybe I just don't get it. Not terrible, but not for me. 3/5
Music was cool, guys voice put me off
I really want to like Afghan Wigs more than I do. They've got that early 90s indie rock sound that's maybe just a bit too whiny for me? IDK. They're good and I enjoyed this record but didn't love it.
HL: “My Curse”, “Debonair”, “I Keep Coming Back”, “Brother Woodrow” Read during listening that the Afghan Whigs are heavily influenced by soul. Feel like it didn’t come thru until the final 3rd, which was disappointing (but that’s on me, I created expectations prior to listening). Is this an essential listen? Not at all in my opinion. Did I like it? Yeah, it was pretty good. December 28, 2022 (late)
En el cuarto álbum de The Afghan Whigs logran mezclar el r&b y el soul, con todo lo que conllevan estos géneros tanto en lo musical como en sus letras, con el rock, con su característica pesadez e instrumental. Es interesante cómo a la impronta roquera se le unen arreglos orquestales, baladas delicadas y hasta un tema instrumental como outro del álbum. Tienen una banda muy balanceada en cuanto a groove, nivel compositivo, las canciones tienen un atractivo que se hace notar desde la primera escucha. Todo también se ve equilibrado con una voz líder muy acertada en todo momento. Al tener un cierre de álbum tan por lo bajo con los últimos dos tracks, da la sensación de que comienza con un arranque muy power que va cayendo con el transcurrir del álbum. Pero lo cierto esque es un álbum balanceado y muy correcto. Este balance hace que no se note muy atrevido en su pasar y sean más o menos todos los temas muy llanos entre si, haciendo de su escucha, algo aburrida.
Ok album, not bad but definitely not great either. 3,5/5
Instrumentally, I really dig this - but the vocals (not just his voice but the actually melodies) are annoying. Music 5. Vocals 1. Avg = 3
I’ve heard “of“ the Afghan Whigs, but I can’t recall hearing any song. The tracks feel familiar but not familiar enough. This is the kind of music that if I’d heard it when I was 18 I probably would’ve loved it. Now I feel completely ambivalent. I really liked the instrumental Closing Prayer track. I’m also stupidly intrigued by their name as it detracts from their style. All I see in my mind’s eye is a load of 19th century British politicians - not really the image for a heartfelt break-up album.
Eh
I've had a run of bands that I'd never heard of in the last two weeks. Some of them I've listened to several times as well as going for a dive into their catalogue. That won't be happening with The Afghan Whigs. The most interesting song is The Curse which features a guest vocalist. Dulli needs to try something other than yelling when he sings. There are some good sounds but album blurs into sameness because of Dulli's dullness.
Pretty out there, good album
Been meaning to listen to more of The Afghan Whigs ever since Miles Iz Ded showed up on my discover weekly once. At some later point, I'd seen them labeled as Grunge, though I'm not sure I agree with that. They were a Sub-Pop band and so I'd always thought they were from the PNW, but it turns out they're a Cincy based band. Not sure why that matters. Solid 3. Standouts: Gentleman, Debonair, When We Two Parted, My Curse
Heard it before?: no Enjoy it?: Yes, has a very soothing presence Favourite song: Track 3 - Be Sweet
I could never get into Afghan Whigs much but the music is objectively good. All their songs have a seedy LA vibe in a good way.
Garage/Indie/Alt rock. I like the guitars. And maybe the cello (?). Afghan Whigs sound like somebody else. The name is on the tip of my tongue and I just can’t think of who it is. Although I know of the Afghan Whigs, I couldn’t name any songs or albums before today. I may have heard ‘Debonair’ before. It seems to me that the band was either in a movie playing themselves or was on some soundtrack in the early 90s. Reality Bites or Singles come to mind. I just looked it up and they did play as a band in some movie I didn’t see and they were on the soundtrack of the movie Beautiful Girls. I like the first few songs but the interesting instrumental parts start with Be Sweet. Be Sweet - Guitar reverb/feedback is cool When We Two Parted - guitar sounds. Is it a Wah wah pedal? Is this what it means to make a guitar weep? Or is it a cello? The line about the person who hurts you being the only one that can make them feel better is very psychopath-y. My Curse - is it a different singer? (I just looked it up and yes it is) I Keep Coming Back - the beginning has the same kind of vibe as ‘The Night We Met’ by Lord Huron I just genuinely liked it all. Found out that it is an album about the end of a relationship. According to Pitchfork, it’s ‘A harrowing song cycle chronicling the death throes of a relationship ‘. I will have to listen to it again knowing that - someday.
I enjoyed this album. I was drawn in by the recurring theme of personal reckoning and the honesty of the lyrics, though I'd guess the narrator and everyone he consorts with are folks I'd rather not have in my life. Lots of scoundrels. The album was hovering somewhere between 3–4 for me, never quite reaching 4 as musically this didn't have enough diversity to surprise me after the third song. I also did not like the harmonies. I couldn't tell if it was the singer doing his own purposely awful harmonies or some other band member who shouldn't have gotten a microphone, but that was a bad arrangement/production choice. I don't care what the aesthetic. Boo. Never listened to the band before, though the name is familiar. Now I have.
One of my favorite album covers. There are definitely some good songs on here, though I wasn't into it for the whole album. I liked it quite a bit back in the day, though, but unlike Automatic for the People, I don't remember it very well. On some songs, I felt myself thinking Greg Dulli was a great singer, and then on the next song I would wonder how the hell this take made it to the master. The music often sounds great, and the lyrics are sometimes powerful and provocative, but at the end of the day, I kept wanting there to be more hooks. My daughter dug it, though, what few songs she heard. So it's got that going for it.
Started off strong than petered out
A very 90s sounding light grunge feel. Never heard of them before but this isn't the worst
Better than I expected from a band with probably one of the most pretentiously crap names in history. Dodgy cover though.
Some really cool sounds in here and I like the vibe - I just wished a liked the vocal delivery better
3.5/5
Good listen.
You have heard this 90s post grunge before
A little hard to listen to at times.
I actually enjoyed the misery that was this album.
Decent listen
An interesting album, which definitely sounds like 90's alternative with a slight bit of grunge mixed in. Guitar pedals to the rescue! Pretty good album overall.
peak 90s alt sounds.
I'm mixed on this. On the one hand, I like the overall sound of this being rickety and unstable and it sets them apart. On the other, I mostly struggle to connect with the songwriting and getting used to Dulli's vocals is not easy. I think if I was more of a rock head I could slip into this easy, but for now only a few songs stand out for me.
Didn't hate it, but it was also a little cringe. It feels like Three Doors Down, but not in a good way. One of the best songs, in my opinion, wasn't even sung by the lead singer. Overall, the album is fine, but not great. Best Songs: Gentlemen, My Curse Worst Songs: Fountain and Fairfax, What Jail is Like
man this is so emo
Fine
Is background music. Wouldnt be bad to add to a shuffle but not interesting enough to go searching for
Had some highlights but overall was pretty mid. Didn’t really like the lead singer’s voice.
This was a decent album that’s I’ve never heard of before. Felt like they were a more relaxed 90s alternative band without sounding too grungey. I liked the instrumentals. The guitarist was solid. The lyrics were ok and the singer was pretty decent. Nothing too bad about the album other than it was probably just too generic at points. 5.9/10
Some really good tracks but I did find the vocals quite grating on occasion.
A concept album of sorts about the toxic breakdown of a relationship. Self-lacerating, lashing out, and brutally frank, the influence of soul ballads (eg Dark End of the Street, as covered on the preceding Uptown Avondale) is apparent, although presented in a much noisier fashion. This is a lot more sophisticated than much of the contemporaneous grunge rock, but no less dark. Possibly more so. I listened to this a bit when it first came out, but stopped because the dark emotional weight made it hard to listen to. This is still one of the most harrowing albums about a romantic break-up and toxic masculinity ever recorded. It still packs a punch today. The album is well summed up by the line “It's in our heart, in our heads, in our love, and in our beds.”
This is a record that grows on you. At first you don’t care much for it but as you listen the bands unique…’90s almost emo sound wins you over.
like a more heartbreaky, less depressed version of nine inch nails 3.5
Quite enjoyed this. It seems pretty heavy lyrically, and it packs a punch musically too, but not at the expense of melody or craft. My Curse was an unexpected but welcome left-turn. The lead singer reminds me of a few other rock singers of the era but I can't think who any of them are. Trent Reznor maybe?
The music was good but the vocals were unimpressive. I've never heard of the band yet they are described as "one of the most critically acclaimed alternative bands of the early '90s"
Okay album. Very 90s some good songs but nothing stood out for me.
Decent pick of Alt Rock that's occasionally generic, but with some bright spots here and there. Favourites: "Gentlemen", "Debonair", "Brother Woodrow"
Musically this album is fine, but Greg Dulli's vocals aren't doing it for me. I enjoyed Marcy Mays on "My Curse." This is a perfectly fine album of its genre/time, but not especially memorable. Fave Songs: My Curse, When We Two Parted, Fountain and Fairfax, Brother Woodrow
Unexpectedly emo 🖤
Didn’t really grab me. More dubiously portentous, gloomy dude-alt.
Surprised on listening to this that I wasn't more into them at the time as it's a 90s sound I was definitely into back then. Probably deserves a repeat listen but initially I don't find it outstanding. Last track, an instrumental, possibly the best one for me. 3.5
Decent, could possibly creep into a four star album on another day. At times these guys sounded like a more rough-and-tumble version of Television; or perhaps a more polite Stooges. The genuinely emotive vocals add welcome grit to the rather polished production. This is only a few primal howls short of true brilliance - but this record never quite overcomes its own innate good manners to reach this point.
Genre: Alternative Rock 3/5 My feed the past week or so has been nothing but 90s alt-rock, and to be quite honest, it's fogging up every subsequent listen. The Afghan Whigs, a group no one has heard of, makes a competent rock record. Am I sure why this was included in this book? No. There is truly nothing signifying or different than its contemporaries. The angst, the heartbreak, and the emotion is felt, but the music never lifts any of these emotional concepts above a casual jaunt. The music plods a bit throughout, but there are beacons of light. Fountain and Fairfax kicks some ass, and the title track is also good, but everything here is fairly standard fare. It's certainly "an album".
Music's that's not too good, not too bad, and generally feels like it's going nowhere
2/23/22
The music is the most interesting thing about this album. Though it is pretty typical 90s driving guitar, bass, and drums, the use of piano throughout and the new wave style bass lines help to open it up and lend a sense of expansiveness. Like a lot of other reviewers, the lyrics are by far my least favorite part. They come off as obsessive and faux edgy making it very difficult to sympathize with the singer. Overall, the album is fine and perfectly enjoyable. I just wish the lyrics were better.
It sure was music. Grungy, moody, Nirvana did it better.
I wish that I loved this album more than I did. I think I have the capacity to love it, but it just didn't click with me today. It was some great rock, but I either just wasn't in the mood or something was missing and I'm not sure what it was.
Didn't stand out too much to me. The album overall sounded pretty good, but it all sort of blended together. Still some great moments though. Favorite Songs: Debonair, My Curse, Brother Woodrow
toffe listen
Similar to a lot of other album, not an incredibly big fan.
I did enjoy it, but it seems like something that needs a few listens to really say anything more
some ok, some meh
Really quite good.
Was gonna give it a 2, but the last few tracks bump it up to a 3
i feel like i should have liked this more than i did. just got the feeling listening to this that dinosaur jr did it better.
I don't know this band. I really like the 90s alt-rock sound, love the use of the minor keys, some of the strong bass riffs remind me of the post punk and hardcore and math rock I listened to growing up (eg Estel, Fugazi) and the guitar sounds a bit like Interpol mixed with Mudhoney mixed with Placebo. Expansive. I really dislike the vocals, the singer's voice, its just so American, like if Chris Cornell or Layne Staley couldn't sing. Prefer it when heavily distorted, but the verses are kinda whiney. Reading the wiki blurb, I must say the idea of the album exploring "the dark psyche of the '90s male" is massive eye-roll, sounds very emo, self indulgent, those poor 90s males. Chorus melody of "Be Sweet" is really beautiful. Intro riff to "Debonair" reminds me of the Clash. And the guitar riffs of Warpaint. The singing in "When we two parted" is dire, so out of tune. Ditto for "I keep coming back". Like fully out of tune. I actually found phrases in almost all the songs that I loved, but equally did not find a song where I loved all of it. Its a shame, as I think if this was instrumental or a different singer it could be a 4/5 for me. But the singer drags it down a 3, and that feels generous. Second half of the album got quite same-y, much lower quality than the tracks at the top.
I've never heard of this band, though it's a genre I really like, and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Will definitely listened to this again. My only real complaint is than none of the songs on their own really stood out to me.
Was musikalisch so schön datiert aber auch abwechslungsreich, gut produziert, stimmungsvoll festgeschraubt wurde, das wird dann mit diesem männlichen Katzenjammer wieder aus der Fassung gehauen. Hab ich mich über diesen einen von einer weiblichen Stimme begleiteten Song gefreut! Trotz allem 2.6
Don’t know what to make of this. It was listenable, angry sounding in places.2/3* ?
Funny when an album happens to hit your own mood.
Rockigt och mörkt, hemska texter om en destruktiv relation. Efter närmare efterforskning ser jag att albumet är en brytpunkt för bandet, då de tog sig från ett mer rockigare grunge-sound till att inkorporera mer soul- och R&B-influenser. I albumet har de hittat en bra balans mellan den högljudda grungen och något mer melodiöst. Ett solitt och bra album, som kanske tyvärr saknar någon riktig "wow"-faktor. Debonair, Now You Know och Fountain and Fairfax höjdpunkter av de mer rockiga spåren. Av de lugnare och balladigare sticker When We Two Parted och My Curse ut. Bästa låt: When We Two Parted, kanske.
not bad. Not super my style but has gotten a few replays and will probably continue to do so.
Bright, airy, punk rock guitar over jam band drums. Like RHCP, Incubus, and Blink-182 had a baby.
Vocals are easily the weakest part, cool guitar riffs Debonair, Fountain and Fairfax are my favorites
No complaints, some I liked more than others.
Damn, this rips!
Not memorable!
its just kinda boring alt-rock
4/15
3/5
3. Good energy to have on while working. I've kind of forgotten most of it here the next day, but I suppose there's nothing wrong with that.
Kind of boring, but not bad.
fine. Appropriately angsty, but to me doesn't reach a Pearl Jam or Nirvana level of the time.
Vocalist is giving me strong Nine Inch Nails vibes. Slow start too, this could be a nicely paced album.... Second song has a lot of energy behind it, just wish this albums mixing was better for a 'remastering' Lyrics to 'Be Sweet' got a chuckle out of me. This is a decent example of good songs without autotune in my opinion. Debonair has a nice little funky jive. Songs vocals show emotion, but they're not the nicest to listen to. But the instrumentals are soothing alongside them. Its not the most calming listen, but the lyrics and word play seem to carry the most. Secondly followed by the instrumentals, but the vocalists emotion gets the better of him on almost every song. I'd give this 3 stars.
Not too bad! Pretty ordinary, definitely won't listen again.
Didn't really like it at the beginning. Seemed ok, but just too garage-y. Low quality protection, mostly uninteresting songwriting. Things turned around later on in the album when it got more interesting. In particular, the last two songs and then the final instrumental track were really good. So a 2 for most of the album but then a 4 for the last three tracks.
Some pretty good tunes, good lyrics. But some shit too. Kinda rock with distorted guitars. Last song instrumental almost a bit Radiohead-ey. 3/5
Really enjoyed this, lacked standout tracks perhaps but they’ve a good sound and an interesting style and lyrics.
A nice wee surprise of an album. Might not revisit but definitely enjoyable.
Very passable but unlikely to ever go back, forgetable stuff and god knows I’ve tried with this band over the last 25 years
Good bass heavy 90s alt rock. A little dreary at times, but I guess that has a place
Moody alt-rock. BT: Gentlemen, Debonair, When We Two Parted
Pretty cool guitar, but voice a bit creepy to me... sounded a lot like Trent Dresner. Didn't listen to it all
Aika semi, osassa biiseistä vokalistilla oli yllättävän paljon epätasaisuutta. Välillä oli hyvää settiä, toisinaan jäi sitten vähän valjuksi. Skarppaisi, mokoma! Jossain biisissä (vai biiseissä?) ollut nainen oli tasaisempi, mutta miehen äänestä pidin ns. hyvissä kohdissa enemmän. Annan tälle peruskolmosen, taustalla meni ärsyttämättä, mutta ei myöskään aiheuttanut suurempia intohimoja.
Nope not for me. 5
6/10. The cover art is kind of funny though. Good sound, but nothing to write home about.
Un bon album de rock alternatif. 3.25. Mon facteur de reecoute n’est pas eleve
Indie
It was fine. 5-6/10
Very 90’s sounding which I love. Took me right back to that era. I found the album to be simple but interesting yet effective. Not too terribly musically diverse but pleasant to listen to.
Even though it's new to me it's such a feeling of the '90s that I heard my partner and hid my snack because I was so convinced it was my mom
Little to say here, probably cause I listened to this hot off the heels of Pharcyde and it was just not as interesting.
This album was fine. It was definitely characteristic of 90's rock.
Cage the Elephanty. Not quite as good but dig it
Not bad
Moody rock. A little too loud/shouty for me, but some songs were good.
I enjoyed the groove. Not my scene.
A very 90s alt-rock breakup album. Best track: Brother Woodrow
Not very good U2 wannabes. The guitar work isn’t on a par with The Edge, and the songs are lamer. Decent drummer, though.
Decent music, cringe vocals+lyrics.
Algunas canciones medio corny. Con un sonido por momentos interesante y por momentos aburrido. No sabría decir si me gusta o no, pero creo que algunas cosas le bajaron mucho mi puntaje
..
# Album Name: Gentlemen # Artist: The Afghan Whigs # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: No thanks. Trash. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No
Maybe it's just a product of its time, but I couldn't get excited about this. But I would have never listened to it in 1993 either TBH.
Album #243 The Afghan Whigs: Gentlemen 90s rock is a bit hit or miss for me. On one hand, you have some of the greatest rock albums of all time spurring from the Britpop, Grunge, and alt rock scenes; not to mention the blossoming post-rock and shoegaze genres. But the issue with such a focus on genres and scenes is that bands stop focusing on creating their own sound, and instead try to emulate the prevailing sound. That’s why every shitty American start-up band tried to sound like Nirvana, and across the pond everyone tried to be Oasis. The Afghan Whigs are a band which I had never heard of prior, and after listening to them I think I understand why. Sure, if you were super into the indie and alt rock scenes in the 90s, you probably would have given these guys a listen, but there really isn’t any reason for people today to return to them over any other band of the time. It is simply run-of-the-mill 90s angsty rock, with lyrics that sound like the ramblings of a pre-teen. That’s not to say that it’s bad, and the band is clearly pretty talented; but Gentlemen just feels so devoid of inspiration. The lyrics are really the thing that sets this band behind their contemporaries; not everyone can be a Kurt Cobain and speak to a generation. So many other bands in the 90s tried to have pain painstakingly relatable lyrics, but instead just ended up with dross like “I have a dick for a brain” and “this is what jail must feel like”; I mean, this album is borderline juvenile. I was a lot more annoyed with it when it started, but I can’t lie, halfway through the album I started to buy in. It isn’t my favourite album ever, but it is certainly passable, and they did enough to get by at the time, but not enough to wind up on a list of greatest albums of all time. Also, what was the deal with 90s bands all having kids on their album covers? Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Sebadoh, etc, it must have been a product of the time, but I never can relate to much to an album with a literal toddler on it. Best Songs: My Curse, When We Two Parted, Debonair Worst Song: Be Sweet Score out of 10: 5.5
Umm. Yeah, I thought this one started out interesting enough, some eclectic rock with some funk elements. And as it went on I started liking it less and less, until by the end I was practically hating it. The vocals, man, were just truly painful to get through. Going with 2 stars because I thought the first few songs had promise, but I could easily see this sliding to 1.
Faen det var lame. Han kan jo ikke synge. 🤮 Instrumentalen er tidvis ok. Sterk 1-er. EDIT: Bumper til en svak 2 ene og alene påø grunn av den siste låta som er instrumental og greit kompetent satt sammen. Høres nesten litt post-rock i retningen GY!BE ut.
Tja, høyrte gjennom to gonger. Heilt OK, men ingenting som eg fortset med
49 minutes of a man singing about how toxic and abusive he is. The problematic lyrics aside, he has a horrible, sleazy voice and style of singing. It’s musically generic as well. I am once again frustrated with the sheer number of mediocre male artists on this list.
What was that? The music was whatever but the vocals, were they intentionally bad or is that really how that guy sounds? That was some of the worst singing I’ve ever experienced.
Eh... it's not terrible. At its best, it reminds me of Dinosaur Jr. (although nowhere near as engaging.) At its worst, it's just boring. The tempo and overall sound don't change up enough to keep me interested. Overall, it's definitely not something I'd ever reach for to listen to.
Really disliked the vocals
This genre and period of American alternative rock does little to nothing for me, so it’s no great surprise that this album and band is a hard pass for me. Lacking decent tunes, whiny vocals, dull, dull, dull.
I kept seeing this album cover pop up for some reason. Well, there we go. Album cover matches the theme well. Sad/darker theme. For some reason it sorta reminded me of Nine Inch Nails. I like Nine Inch Nails a lot more
So there’s a pretty famous musical from this era called Rent & in it one of the main characters is a failed musician. If you don’t know the show we, the audience, are lead to believe this is due to a downward spiral of tragic circumstances (heroin, dead girlfriend, AIDS) but it’s literally a major plot point that it takes him a year to write the worst song you’ve ever heard. This character could have released this album before his life went to shit.
4/10 I did not know what the Afghan Whigs sounded like - I thought they were a lot folkier, probably a duo. And also Scottish! And almost definitely better than this. I really dislike 90s US grunge rock - I've discovered that now. Dirgy and dirty. Tedious guitar work with so little Inspiration. Glad Britpop came along and blew this crap away.
I could see college kids having this on cassette in the 90s and being really into it. They're kind of in the tangle of maybe second generation 'alternative' bands. It didn't really do anything for me where I'm at presently in life.
As Arnold Schwarzenegger once said "Stop Whining!" This is the bad side of the 90s Alternative scene, no wonder I never listened to them as a teen.
This isnt bad it just isnt for me. I listen to plenty of "shitty" vocalists but this one doesnt do anything for me. Some interesting beats and guitar parts scattered about, eh.
A bit mediocre and self-indulgent.
I haven’t heard this before. Afghan Whigs is one of those early-to-mid 90s bands I never got into and I can’t remember if it’s because I slept on them or because I heard them and didn’t like them. Either way it’s beyond time for a reassessment. I recognize a few of these songs from the local alt rock and college radio stations and some remember not liking them. It all sounds ok to me now but there is something missing or something added that I can’t really describe, there is a post-grunge feel to this (in the terms of how it is described as a genre rather than what it should be) that puts me off. I might be able to enjoy or at least appreciate it if I listened to it more and there’s a chance that I’d consider it a classic if I picked it up in high school and spent a lot of time listening to it, but I didn’t so I don’t. Maybe I’ll reassess them again in another few years.
Bog standard 90’s alt album in which most of that genre for me has aged like milk. Some minor decent bits but overall sounded a bit cringe, vocals ruined basically all of it
sounds lif if those middle aged men who stare at you at the beach while they got a whole wife and kids at home decided to form a band
I wasn’t into the Afghan Whigs the first time around, and now I see I was right to avoid them all this time. Not my bag, baby! 1.5⭐️
Don't really know what I can say about this other than it's okay at best
Amazing how much better the music becomes when they let the competent woman sing. Then straight back to the silly little man.
I thought based on the divisive reviews of this album I'd either love it or hate it, but I found it completely meh.
dude can’t sing ??
Debonair What Jail is Like
Nah. Unmemorable songs. Try hard emoting and boring drums and guitars. I did not like this album.
This is a frustrating album because there are parts of it that I genuinely like. Musically and sonically it's excellent, with that classic '90s sound that I love. There are moments where I think it's about to click with me. Then the singers voice comes in, and it completely takes me out of it. His vocal delivery just sounds pretentious to my ears, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get past it. I'd find myself getting invested in a song, only for the vocals to ruin it almost immediately. The lyrics didn't help either. Compared to so many great albums from the '90s, I found the writing surprisingly weak, and there were more than a few lines that made me cringe. Combined with the vocals, it made the album feel more self-important than emotionally compelling. I can appreciate why this album has its fans, and there are flashes of quality throughout, but they're buried under vocals and lyricism that just don't work for me. I wanted to like this far more than I actually did, but in the end it's a 2/5.
This was so boring.
dei uma desassociada enquanto ouvia, não vou mentir, mas achei meio meh, bem ok
The music on this list is always either genuinely great or because of the author’s UK centric biases. This one is suspiciously the latter. Angsty late 90s alt rock with no bite.
Musically ok but melodramatic to the point of feeling like a celebration of wallowing in despair.
voice is VERY grating lol my favorite song was the one where its a different person singing. idk i didnt think any of them had a good effective build for me. very of its time. its competent enough but would not return to this.
Pretty boring, the singer has a rubbish voice
the band sounds great, lead singer is a tool. sounded like a bono rip off but MUCH worse. DNF
Wasn't a huge fan of this, the vocalist wasn't great and the album cover honestly gave me the creeps.
The slow lyrical songs were absolutely awful. The faster paced songs were a bit better.
Trying to keep an open mind, but the album cover seems in real poor taste. The lyrics seem completely unrelatable. I don't know anyone like these characters. They seem like exaggerated bullshit that only songwriters and auteur filmmakers could come up with. The songwriting arrangements didn't particularly captivate me either. Just kind of meh. Kind of the most beige of 90s rock. Probably won't revisit this Afghan Whigs album.
Hmmm, kinda hard to get into, kinda performative vocals? Not my fav
I don't know, I'm just not a grunge guy, DNF
geen slechte plaat, maar elke song is praktisch een doorslag van de vorige
The premise of this album is really interesting, particularly since I knew nothing of it going in. By the 2nd song I was like, what is this trashy dude music? By the fourth it was clear, but he problem? The subject matter of toxicity has not aged well and the songs are not good lyrically--just full of hatred. The music is pretty good though and unlike others, the singer's voice doesn't really bother me. However, it has no relisten-ability and who is this for, really?
Nothing to see here. Keep it moving.
And now I have listened to an album by The Afghan Whigs, a band with a great name. Generally not a big indie rock guy.
Not my cup of tea. Reminds me of the grunge era of the 90s
Nice indie album, couple good tracks..
Welp…I’ll start off by saying this album had a lot of potential to be good or even great. The instrumentals are fantastic. The closing track perfectly captured the frustration and sad vibes of the entire record. And it was my favorite song off the album because it was the only song that saved my ears from hearing the terrible whiny singer. I’m all for imperfect vocal performances but it has to somewhat go well with the music. For example, Jeff Mangum from Neutral Milk Hotel doesn’t have a good voice, it’s even bad at times. But it goes very well with the raw low quality recording and thrashing acoustic guitar. This band’s singer does not accomplish that at all…His vocal performance is almost as bad as the lyrics. The lyrics makes this guy seem like an incel that’s never gone through a break up before. Don’t get me wrong this is a very listenable record thanks to the great musicianship of the band. However, I would cringe a little bit whenever this guy started flapping his lips and making pitchy noises with his vocal chords.
If I Were Gong - 3/5 Gentlemen - 2/5 Be Sweet - 2.5/5 Debonair - 2.5/5 When We Two Parted - 2/5 Fountain and Fairfax - 1.5/5 What Jail Is Like - 2/5 My Curse - 3.5/5 Now You Know - 2/5 I Keep Coming Back - 2/5 Brother Woodrow / Closing Prayer - 1.5/5
Nothing special
So bland
Look, I’m a huge fan of 90s rock, but the pulls we’ve had so far have not done it for me. I know there’s a ways to go, but if you’re talking about cornerstones of the 90s alternative scene, we can do way better than this.
Sad 90s music. An indie band, but not one I would listen to. I can see the appeal but there are many, many bands that do the same thing better.
This has a real "deep when you're 15" sound.
Song after song my review was, pretty good instrumentation, but the vocals weren't strong enough. My Curse was a little better with a different vocalist. The last track without vocals is the best. I don't know, this is really solidly between a 2 and 3 for me.
Very Smashing Pumpkins. Meh.
Half a day later, I've forgotten about it. No really, I don't remember a single note. (Though relistening to the first song, this is not half bad. Or maybe it is, but I should revisit it to make sure.)
I remember seeing this album cover in shops during my early teaching days and it is an album of its time - an alternative grunge influenced album with a bleak set of break up lyrics. There were moments of recognisable musical character which was a reaction to the sheen of the 80s but it was mostly a bit of a dirge and an overall glum listening experience. I was SO pleased that Britpop came along and made this kind of album a thing of the past. Not a poor band but the music's appeal was unlikely to be eternal.
it's another American alternative rock band from the '90s. The layered guitars are mildly interesting, but on the whole I'm finding there's not enough about it to keep me engaged.
Meh
90’s Rock
Generic indie rock
While I didn't hate this album, there were no memorable moments nor interesting sounds. The singers voice was abysmal and off key. Not my vibe. 2/5
Mid
All I can conclude is that I won't get my time back. 2.1/5
Seems pretty 90s, which make sense. I actually found myself paying attention to the song where a woman took lead vocals ("My Curse") on both play-throughs.
Eh. Middle of the road for me
I came late to the Afghan Whigs. I guess I might’ve heard tracks from this or Congregation back then and agreed with myself they did not need my attention. I was coerced into giving that attention to Black Love which I believe followed this album. To my surprise, I found myself reluctantly impressed by it, but never felt the need to reach back into their discography (nor to investigate subsequent releases lol). Recently (relatively speaking *cough*, could be 5 years) I came across Gentlemen for practically no money and gave it a shot. I found I was no more enamoured with it than the hints I’d heard all those years back. Listening today, I had a higher tolerance for it than before and I think it might be out of relief, having put up with (doing this 1001 thing) many hideous albums of US alt-metal-masquerading as grunge. Gentlemen isn’t grunge either despite this being their first album having left Subpop. Honestly though, I’m just not buying it. Greg Dulli is not convincing me whatsoever. I’m just not having his “passionate” (annoying) screeching when the song is meant to be get serious. I’m not having his relentless “did you notice I just sang something edgy? Did you? Did you notice the edgy thing?” I’m not buying his “I love soul music. Can you hear the soooooul influence? We really love soul music!” Just nothing about his shtick am I lapping up. Sorry. If I was hearing this average, noisy, alt-rock album and it was just some unpretentious dudes, not trying to sell me a bunch of BS about how they live on the edge of the dark reaches of society or whatever, I might be able to swallow it more easily. But instead I have to call out what I am presented with. It’s probably a 3, but I’ve got myself annoyed now, so 2 it is. I’d better give Black Love a refresher listen and see what allowed me to overlook the baggage.
(40/100)
Holy cringy lyrics
Hate the music but appreciated the point of view / concept. Not many artists willing to play the bad guy, in a very not cool way.
Break enough 90s rock conventions to stay interesting, but also kind of annoying.
Ok
I don't know what this flavor of Alt-Rock is that Mr. 1001 Guy keeps trying to get me into, but it isn't working. This kind of stuff is incredibly boring. It's like a Shadow the Hedgehog monologue spread out across a whole album, set to the same bassline and drum part eleven times. If I were this guy's ex and I came across this album, I'd be like "okay, and?" My Curse was at least an interesting change of pace and there's definitely worse alt-rock on this list, but that second part's mostly because its competition is Incubus and Jane's Addiction.
breakup album that doesn't sound as good as radiohead or most alt rock bands in the 90's
This album is a good example of why I listed to a lot of Classic Rock in the 90s
Yeah not not much to say.
if not being yelled at is never not a good thing this can be avoided
This album was a very dull overall. It tried to be all edgy 90s rock, but ended up feeling kind of generic and, honestly, a bit uncomfortable. While the guitars and drums were good sometimes, it just felt like bad alt rock or some lame grunge copy. The songs weren't catchy, and 50 minutes felt like forever. But the real problem? The lyrics and Greg Dulli's vocals are awful. He goes from screaming to whining, and the lyrics are just toxic and immature. They feel like some entitled, misogynist talking about relationships, making the main character super unlikeable. "My Curse" was cool, and the last song was alright, but the rest? Sounds like someone uncomfortably yelling at their girl in public.
Maybe one decent song but mostly bad
Eh. It's not terrible, but it ain't great either. I think a straight 2 is the highest I can give it and even that's kind of a stretch.
It’s ok.
I feel like the only reason this album gained any prominence, is due to the fact it came out in the only window when there was any interest in this kind of music. It feels very bland and generic for its time, with little to no songs standing out on the album. It isn't really bad at all, it just feels like a cheap effort to write according to what is popular. 2/5
I expected some fey British indie. I did not get it.
Ik heb het geluisterd maar ik heb niet echt geluisterd, maar t klonk een beetje als een aanstellerige versie van de Foo Fighters. (Ik vind Foo Fighters niet vet)
Generic 90s rock. Wooo....
Gentlemen sounds strong and emotional, but too similar songs make it harder to stay interested all the way through.
Best Song: Debonair. Very stock standard 90s rock. Worst Song: I Keep Coming Back. Ooh boy those vocals were not hitting for me. Overall: If you ask me tomorrow what I thought of this album, I won't be able to tell you. Truly in the category of "well, it wasn't bad". Absolutely ordinary 90s alt-rock.
90’s rock n roll just sounds meh to me thus this album fall short to my ears
Dollar store NIN
Proto douche rock. Did these guys influence Creed and Nickelback?
Meh
Day790 - its indie bands like the afghan whigs that inspire other bands but i wouldn’t say it belongs on any must listen to list
Jangly guitars, dodgy singing on I keep coming back, I probably won't. Lucky to get 2 on this.
The music of this was cool in places but the singing wasn’t at the same level. Some of the sounds are reflected in later work by other bands that I like. Overall, not enough to make me come back to this one though.
Was looking forward but it didn't hit for me unfortunately.
Not for me
Sometimes we all need to listen to a real run of the mill 90's rock album, and this is a real meat and potatoes, straight up and down, beef Wellington, "Don't trust the Argies!", dick in the vagina, cheddar cheese, and chicken tikka masala album. Pretty boring, and done to death. I genuinely barely even remember anything off this record except for a few of the songs having pretty horrible lyrics.