The
Afghan Whigs: Unbreakable
(A Retrospective)
(Elektra/Rhino)
From the band’s inception in 1986 to its demise in 2001, The Afghan
Whigs were always underrated. Finding a modicum of success in the alterative
rock nation of the mid-’90s, the band was much more than your typical
long-haired middle-class boys with guitars. Starting with the punk-inflected
rock of Up In It, through the band’s cathartic high-point
Gentleman, and lesser-appreciated later albums Black Love
and 65, the band managed to perfectly blend furious howling rock
and roll with a soulful groove steeped in classic Motown and Memphis soul.
As a greatest hits collection, the 18 tracks here hit all the high points—the
furious explosion of “Retarded,” the smooth white-boy croon
of “Crazy,” the glorious epiphany of “Crime Scene Part
One,” the haunting cover of Holland/Dozier/Holland’s “Come
See About Me,” and the tension/release of “Gentleman,”
the song that was so emotionally difficult for Greg Dulli to perform that
he refused to play it live in years to come. The band recorded two new
songs for the collection—the sexy-cool minor key vocal and glorious
harmony chorus of “I’m a Soldier” and the slow and sultry
“Magazine”—and while these songs certainly extend the
band’s legacy, they ultimately suffer from a lack of context. Which
is perhaps Unbreakable’s only drawback. The Afghan Whigs
were always album artists, their songs excelling as part of their bigger
picture narratives. Unbreakable is a remarkable collection from
a stellar and under-appreciated band, but it is not enough. To get the
full scope of the band’s genius, one has to explore its catalog
as a whole.
By Frank Valish
7/2007