The Afghan Whigs' Gentlemen
Bob Gendron (Author)
Paperback $14.95 $13.45 Ebook (Epub & Mobi) $13.45 $10.76
Paperback - $̶1̶4̶.̶9̶5̶, $13.45 Ebook (Epub & Mobi) - $̶1̶3̶.̶4̶5̶, $10.76
"In the absence of love, there is loneliness, sorrow and desperation. And that's where I come in." --Greg Dulli, introducing "When We Two Parted" onstage in San Francisco
Like no record before or since, Gentlemen is fraught with the psychological warfare, bedroom drama, Catholic guilt, reprehensible deception and uncleansable shame that coincide with relationships gone seriously wrong. This story explores what happens when intellectual sophistication is star-crossed with outspoken braggadocio, a charismatic mixture that managed to alienate the mainstream horde and arms-folded indie scenesters while, for good measure, incited outsider jealousy and condescending rumors advanced by the Fat Greg Dulli 'zine. In addition to dissecting the record's organization, arrangements and lyrics, as well as examining old articles, reviews and interviews, this book delves into the memories, experiences and influences of the Afghan Whigs, most notably those that drive Dulli, a polarizing frontman whose fierce pretentiousness, GQ appearance and gloves-off boisterousness concealed deep-rooted mental depression and chemical dependency.
Read an extract of The Afghan Whigs' Gentlemen
Bob Gendron
Bob Gendron is a longtime contributor to the Chica…
What works so well is how Gendron transcends Gentlemen and the era from which it was birthed to tell us the whole story. The focus is squarely on Gentlemen...The book may bank on alternative nostalgia to sell itself, but it never sells that nostalgia in its pages, choosing to give fresh stories to old fans and new converts alike. Gentlemen the book is a companion for Gentlemen the album.
The Tiny Mix Tapes
From explaining how the eerie hum which opens the first track was achieved by dangling a microphone out of a car window while driving over a bridge in the band's hometown of Cincinnati, to the story of how the evocative cover was inspired and photographed, Gedron covers in unpretentious detail the recording, production, arrangement and lyrics of this album by nineties alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs. He uses interviews with all the band members to examine the musicians' influences, personal drama, and lifestyle, and to provide a window into the creative process of a group of musicians at the top of their game. This pocket-sized volume makes a nice afternoon read for the music fan for whom liner notes are simply not enough.
Book News, February 2009