Grunge, which flourished in the early 1990s, was perhaps the last rock form to openly flirt with the seamy and drugs. The tragedy surrounding grunge icon Kurt Cobain is exemplary, but groups like Alice In Chains, Screaming Trees and The Afghan Whigs also made records full of junk stuff and other inconveniences. In the case of the latter band, this culminated in Gentlemen from 1993. Against a mix of
… solid rock and soul, singer Gregg Dulli doesn't make a killing hole from his heart while portraying himself as a run-down character with 'a dick for a brain'. Except for the cover I Keep Coming Back, all songs are by Dulli and he also signed for the production so in reality his brain will have functioned better. But in particular Dulli's supposed openness, not devoid of humor, makes Gentlemen a highlight of the oeuvre of the group that initially operated between 1986 and 2001. Gentlemen is an inspired rock album, even though that inspiration does not come from a fresh corner. (MR)more
