So what does everybody think of Dulli's career? While I still love the music of the Afghan Whigs (snarly trebly but mildly funky anxious yearning stuff that's capable of real grandeur), Dulli's whole Sexually-dysfunctional-devil-stud thing seems cheesier every time I hear it. In some ways I think the first Twilight Singers album was a step in the right direction (the sounds are pretty gorgeous), but he still seems like he wants to be some kind of mix of Robert Plant and Puff Daddy. Worse things one could want to be, I guess.
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 13 July 2003 22:48 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 13 July 2003 22:56 (9 years ago) Permalink
That's a minor complaint though really - they have a really interesting idea of groove. Both Gentlemen and Black Love are worth searching, Congregation too. When it was new, I loved 1965, but it hasn't stood up as well as the others, which still sound really fresh to me.
For some reason I can't get excited about the Twilight Singers.
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 14 July 2003 00:07 (9 years ago) Permalink
― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 14 July 2003 00:13 (9 years ago) Permalink
― mig, Monday, 14 July 2003 00:21 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 14 July 2003 00:23 (9 years ago) Permalink
(snarly trebly but mildly funky anxious yearning stuff that's capable of real grandeur)
is a really ace summing-up of what makes the Whigs good
― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Monday, 14 July 2003 00:33 (9 years ago) Permalink
― bnw (bnw), Monday, 14 July 2003 00:49 (9 years ago) Permalink
I tend to WORSHIP new Dulli albums when they get out, and the Twilight album was no exception. Though Gentlemen and probably Black Love are better overall, Twilight Singers is the album I'd probably throw on now if I wanted to hear some Greg Dulli. It's definitely aged better than 1965.
Here's the total list of Twilight Singers for the new album. I found this on Howlin' Wulf Media: greg dulli, mathias schneeberger, mike napolitano, michael sullivan, jon skibic, brian young, scott ford, petra haden, apollonia kotero, mark lanegan, stanton moore, greg wieczoric, steve myers, chris phillips, matt hergert, hoss, nikki crawford, jesse tobias, rick steff, richard ford, kamasi washington, josh lampkins, chris gray, amay
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 14 July 2003 00:56 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Andy K (Andy K), Monday, 14 July 2003 01:02 (9 years ago) Permalink
Twilight: There's a very important name missing from the list above:Shawn Smith.
He of Satchel, (the somewhat "meh" band) Brad, and (the totally great) Pigeonhead. He has one of the all time grat Prince rip-off voices. You might remember him from such hits as Lo-Fi All-Stars remix of "Battleflag." He is on the first Twilight Singers album here and there, and then....well, I have no idea. It seems as if he and Dulli had some sort of wicked falling out, suddenly he's not a Twilight Singer anymore, suddenly he's back w/ Brad, and the long promised follow-up to the last Pigeonhead album has yet to arrive.
― Joe Gross, Monday, 14 July 2003 02:27 (9 years ago) Permalink
Yes, although anyone who knows why isn't talking.
The key to the Afghan Whigs discography is that a lot of their best stuff is on the early Big Top Halloween and various b-sides, and therefore not as available as the albums. The mailing list put together a b-sides and rarities compilation that is worth seeking out.
Right now I think Black Love is their finest readily available album, and Gentlemen is aging poorly. Congregation is an honorable precursor to Gentlemen. Up In It is their most grungy and therefore a bit of an aesthetic dead-end, compared to Big Top Halloween. 1965 doesn't live up to previous albums, in my opinion, because Dulli cleaned up psychologically before recording this -- I'm glad he got help, but his performances were never the same again. When I heard the first Twilight Singers album I was disappointed, but it would have been pretty hard to live up to my expectations. It's mellow, in a way that could work in a "quiet is the new loud" manner.
J0hn D.: You're probably right about GD's lyric writing. Part of the reason for the delay between the first and the forthcoming Twilight Singers albums is that the man is a perfectionist, and without an outside producer to pull it out of his hands Dulli will fuss and tweak and worry himself right up his own rear end.
― j.lu (j.lu), Monday, 14 July 2003 02:48 (9 years ago) Permalink
― David Allen, Monday, 14 July 2003 03:16 (9 years ago) Permalink
I'm excited for another Twilight Singers record. The first one was pretty damn fantastic; certainly better than 1965 or Up in It (though I love both of those as well). I take it he's not working with Fila Brazillia on this one?
― Clay, Monday, 14 July 2003 03:31 (9 years ago) Permalink
I was fortuante. Dulli and Co. rocked my town hard (repeatedly) throughout their formative years. I thought things went Dudsville with the record with the children on the cover and the subsequent fancy-pants videos. I dropped out when Gentleman arrived. It seemed more contrived. I guess I preferred the wailin' to the faux soul-crooning.
― gusbot (eternal_fields), Monday, 14 July 2003 03:52 (9 years ago) Permalink
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 14 July 2003 04:00 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Monday, 14 July 2003 08:10 (9 years ago) Permalink
― j.lu (j.lu), Monday, 14 July 2003 11:30 (9 years ago) Permalink
― praying mantis (praying mantis), Monday, 14 July 2003 14:16 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 14 July 2003 14:20 (9 years ago) Permalink
― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Monday, 14 July 2003 17:25 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Twilight Singer Tour, Thursday, 18 March 2004 03:24 (9 years ago) Permalink
― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Friday, 28 October 2005 01:16 (7 years ago) Permalink
Both are so stylishly menacing, the conjunction was extremely creepy.
One of my most potent musical memories.
― theo, Friday, 28 October 2005 08:15 (7 years ago) Permalink
― belle haleine, Friday, 28 October 2005 17:02 (7 years ago) Permalink
― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 28 October 2005 17:06 (7 years ago) Permalink
i never get sick of "come see about me" even though i think i listened to it about a gazillion times between the ages of 19 and 21is there a dulli covers thread?
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, 8 February 2010 15:33 (3 years ago) Permalink
(also black love has long been my favorite because it's so epic and seems to be the apex of his "go for a ride" phase.)
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, 8 February 2010 15:35 (3 years ago) Permalink
is "come see about me" (another?) one of the motown songs he transposed from major to minor?
― ┌∩┐(◕_◕)┌∩┐ (Steve Shasta), Monday, 8 February 2010 17:22 (3 years ago) Permalink
is there a dulli covers thread?
Dunno, but I used to love the Whigs' version of 'Creep'.
― We should have called Suzie and Bobby (NickB), Monday, 8 February 2010 17:28 (3 years ago) Permalink
black love is still onna my fav albums of all time
― XX Decontrol (M@tt He1ges0n), Monday, 8 February 2010 17:39 (3 years ago) Permalink
yes -- s uptown avondale and what jail is like EPs, as well as honky's ladder single
there is also a quasidisco version of rebirth of the cool on uptown avondale
when i have seen them live they've done "i could never take the place of your man" with shocking aplomb
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, 8 February 2010 17:49 (3 years ago) Permalink
honky's ladder has creep on it, as well as 'if i only had a heart' which is like WHOA
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, 8 February 2010 17:51 (3 years ago) Permalink
i remember seeing them on the black love tour and doing if i only had a heart, one of the best shows ever
― XX Decontrol (M@tt He1ges0n), Monday, 8 February 2010 17:55 (3 years ago) Permalink
Black Love is my fave too, they were great live on that tour.
― Pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Monday, 8 February 2010 17:56 (3 years ago) Permalink
i saw them a couple times on that tour too. it was seriously still one of the best shows i've ever seen, or at least one that i enjoyed the most.
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, 8 February 2010 18:01 (3 years ago) Permalink
they played creep, could never take the place of your man, and one other cover. superstition maybe? i have a bootleg from that era somewhere.
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, 8 February 2010 18:03 (3 years ago) Permalink
^
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Monday, 8 February 2010 18:22 (3 years ago) Permalink
"beware" on uptown avondale is a perfect example of what dulli can do to a songal green's version is great, but dulli just makes it into a totally different song
original
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, 8 February 2010 18:31 (3 years ago) Permalink
New album soon or something? Or did I dream that.
Also, he's the one really bright spot in this ridiculous story:
"To this day I'm confused about what exactly a hipster is, but I'm sure we've served a few based on our sales of Pabst Blue Ribbon."
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 3 December 2010 18:16 (2 years ago) Permalink
"We weren't going to be a cop bar anymore," Dulli says. " Garth Brooks is not going to be on the jukebox anymore. The foosball tables are leaving too, and electric darts — what were you thinking? But if you're cool with Johnny Jenkins and Black Flag on the jukebox, you'll be fine."
ahahahahaha <3 <3
― i genuinely thought when i first joined that he was the admin (ilxor), Friday, 3 December 2010 18:25 (2 years ago) Permalink
ned you missed the crucial "ohio is the worst place ever" sentence:
"To this day I'm confused about what exactly a hipster is, but I'm sure we've served a few based on our sales of Pabst Blue Ribbon," says Dulli, who grew up in Ohio watching his grandmother drink Pabst on the rocks.
― first as tragedy, then as favre (goole), Friday, 3 December 2010 20:01 (2 years ago) Permalink
on the rocks
― mookieproof, Friday, 3 December 2010 20:03 (2 years ago) Permalink
First Twilight album in five years, yep. He's out on his first ever "solo" "acoustic" tour at the moment (ie he has a couple of players with him, plus guests getting up.)
(including, at some US shows, John Curley for a set of Whigs songs in the middle)
― i'm assuming that it's tity boi, host of the mixtape (sic), Saturday, 4 December 2010 03:32 (2 years ago) Permalink
love this
― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 28 March 2011 22:32 (2 years ago) Permalink
The last time I saw them, back in 1998, was one of the best shows by anyone I'd ever seen. Last Saturday night was possibly even better. Holy Christ, how is that possible almost 15 years later?!
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 6 August 2012 21:49 (9 months ago) Permalink
I mean, with the horns? Come on!
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 6 August 2012 22:11 (9 months ago) Permalink
i just bought a ticket for their second chicago show (in oct) and I AM OFFICIALLY PSYCHED and need no further convincing that this is going to be greati think i was just holding out so it would be more exciting when i finally got to see them again
last time i saw them was on the black love tour
― nicest bitch of poster (La Lechera), Monday, 6 August 2012 22:13 (9 months ago) Permalink
My friend wrote the "Gentlemen" 33 1/3, and like me saw them last in '98 and then on Saturday, and he agrees it was just mind-blowing.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 6 August 2012 22:17 (9 months ago) Permalink
man i wanna see these guys again
― Elrond Hubbard (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 6 August 2012 22:22 (9 months ago) Permalink
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 6 August 2012 22:42 (9 months ago) Permalink
Here's a better version of that John The Baptist, with the intro tape and Blame included, plus broader vision:
and mooooootherfuck, there were only six of them* in Australia last week - if they keep touring as a 12-piece I want to go to America * 7 when Steve Kilbey got up in Sydney
― ʘ (sic), Tuesday, 7 August 2012 03:11 (9 months ago) Permalink