Afghan Whigs
Congregation

THE REVIEW

Greg Dulli, Rick Mc Collum, John Curley, and Steven Earle are the Afghan Whigs.
They represent one of the most beautiful realities of rock made in the USA in the ‘90s (too bad that due to an age-related issue, we won't experience them anymore).

Defining the music of the “Afghans” as grunge may be an exaggeration, but given the times and circumstances, it's not blasphemy, since they took their first steps at the end of the ‘80s, and were part of the Sub Pop roster (!!!!) which at that time was the trendiest (forgive my yuppie jargon) among independent labels with its cadre of hard rock punk bands that would soon forever revolutionize the music market, and their hard rock with a touch of punk and soul can fit without too much strain into the (non) genre.
The greatness of the four from Cincinnati lies precisely in their ability to combine the roughness of the ‘70s with soul, which is black music par excellence. The beautiful cover is emblematic in this regard: a voluptuous woman of color holding a white child, both charmingly naked and lying on a bright red cloth. Passion, tenderness, and elegance in twelve unforgettable tracks, in which Dulli proves to be a musician in the profoundest sense, very sensitive and elegant, with every scream and whisper perfectly placed, truly brilliant.

Among the tracks, at least three or four are masterpieces, the tight and tense “I’m Her Slave,” the captivating and passionate “Turn On The Water,” “Conjure Me,” and the ballad “Let Me Lie To You,” not to mention the ghost track at the end.
The album also includes a grunge-ified version of “The Temple” from Jesus Christ Superstar.

Music that comes from the heart, grunge played with velvet gloves by these “Afghan Progressives” who will continue their career with great albums and who deserved even wider fame with the general public, but perhaps the general public does not deserve them.