The Afghan Whigs: ‘Unbreakable (A Retrospective 1990-2006)’ review

By Adrian Yap

Rating: 7/10

Contrary to perception, the Afghan Whigs did not loutishly kick the door open on stardom. If anything, they rudely knocked on it for a moment, then left for the nearest 7-Eleven to grab a Bud when no one bothered to answer for 13 years.

Lumped into the Seattle grunge explosion thanks to their association with Sub Pop Records, the Whigs never did declare their allegiances too pronouncedly. But to lazily classify Greg Dulli and his cohorts as grunge would be about as haphazard and inaccurate as labeling Jaga Jazzist a jazz troupe. There are similarities of course, namely Dulli’s throaty yells that could have pushed Cobain against any wall, and the jagged, messy tube guitars that more often than not sounded like they were played by someone who was either strumming through a cement cast or after downing eight beers (bets on the latter).

More probably though, such an approach could have been due to Dulli’s rather extravagant musical views, which are repackaged into one succinct collection in Unbreakable (A Retrospective 1990-2006). With the rest of the 1990s Sub Pop stable aiming for bluesy psychedelia, The Afghan Whigs always appeared more interested in they southern soul shuffles. It made them that bit more difficult to box in during a time which, ironically, many diverse boxes found decent fits.

That doesn’t mean, however, that the Whigs did not retain some semblance to their constantly-evolving surroundings. The opener here ‘Retarded’ off their first LP Up In It has Dulli taking his time to strangle his way through a dirty rock riff. But Dulli does have panache for beauty too. ‘66′, from supposed-comeback record 1965, is absolutely magnificent even on repeat listens, with its sweet jangling guitar lines, tinkering pianos and Dulli’s subtle doses of pop soul. ‘Crazy’ moves in much the same fashion, built around a funky drum loop played by Steve Ferrone as Dulli sleazily glides into the song. And in the epically gorgeous ‘Faded’, which closes this set, he also seems to have panache for soulful balladry, without dipping into hypermart-friendly AOR territory.

Nevertheless, throw a pebble into a sea of music enthusiasts with Pitchfork on their bookmark, and you are still unlikely to strike an Afghan Whigs fan. Not that they are non-existent, but rare. Still, most people would at least be familiar with the name, either from Dulli’s stage-thrashing performance fronting the Backbeat band at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards or from his latest project The Twilight Singers. And what remains most evident, even from this concise retrospective, is that they were a brilliant band. Mildly misunderstood, and perhaps even slightly misplaced in rock history, but brilliant.

AFGHAN WHIGS - UNBREAKABLE (A RETROSPECTIVE 1990-2006)
(Rhino/Warner)

Track Listing

1. Retarded
2. Crazy
3. Turn on the Water
4. Debonair
5. I’m a Soldier
6. 66
7. Be Sweet
8. Come See About Me
9. Uptown Again
10. What Jail is Like
11. Magazine
12. I’m Her Slave
13. Going to Town
14. Gentleman
15. Let Me Lie To You
16. John the Baptist
17. Crime Scene Part One
18. Faded