Liner Notes- 15. Sept. 2022
New Afghan Whigs, Ramsey Lewis, and more
Note: This year, I’ve taken on the challenge of listening to & reviewing 100 new (to me) records. This is the latest in the series.
Afghan Whigs- How Do You Burn?
Greg Dulli has seen some things.
Love, loss, stardom. Friends made along the way, and friends lost. Everything is ephemeral. So it stands to reason that How Do You Burn?, Afghan Whigs’ first record in 5 years—and the first since the death of guitarist Dave Rosser— doesn’t waste time getting down to business. The record opens with the dynamite “I’ll Make You See God,” a driving track with blast furnace intensity.
The shadow of that grief and the isolation of making a record during the pandemic color the record all the way through. The Whigs won’t ever be accused of making bubble-gum pop —and that’s part of their appeal- but the angst feels particularly acute on this release. Whigs tracks can always fit a bit like a fever dream, but never more so than on tracks like “Jyja,” where Dulli sings,
Look for the feminine, she is the medicine
I like to know where I'm going
Slip into the stream, you are the dream
I am the river that's flowing
Now we shall see, what it will be
And if the people are crying
Look for the evidence, forget the etiquette
I'm coming home
The track sweeps to a rousing anthemic conclusion, with him crying out Jyja! over and over.
In 30+ years, you make some friends along the way. And several appear here. Notably, the late Mark Lanegan who gave the record its name.
Marcy Mays is back too. Domino & Jimmy is a beautiful duet and picks up where “My Curse” from 1993’s Gentlemen left off. It’s raw, moving, and any other adjective you want to use to describe two people who know they’re bad for each other but can’t ever quite let go.
30 years on, there’s a lot of water under that bridge.
Dulli has always struck me as a bit mischievous. The kind of guy that’s a little bit sketchy. But hang around him long enough, and you’re bound to find adventure. Or absurdity. Or jail time.
I mean, does anyone else remember when he and Donal Logue hosted 120 minutes?
For that matter, does anyone remember when MTV would just give 2 hours of airtime to people who’d do things like reenact scenes from The Godfather before teasing upcoming videos from “The Radiohead & The Pavement?”
Not in 2022.
And not on a 2022 Afghan Whigs record, either. How Do You Burn feels much more introspective—like what you might see once the party stops, the mask drops, and he’s alone with a stream of his own thoughts. Gone are the white suit of Gentlemen, impish grin and sneer. In their place are themes of revelation and redemption.
30 years is a long time for anything. Congregation felt like the Dulli and the band making a statement to the world. How Do You Burn? feels like they’ve made peace with their place in it.
That’s not to say that they’ve mellowed; they haven’t. These ten tracks are a ride. The fury sounds more confident than performative and better than ever.
Top Tracks: I’ll Make You See God, JyJa, A Line Of Shots, Domino and Jimmy.
Below the jump for paid subscribers:
More reviews
A Ramsey Lewis record you should hear
The upcoming reissue of The Police’s best album (this is a hill I will die on, btw)
A little bit of Bowie
All of that & more. Check it out!
Other Reviews
Lifeguard- Crowd Can Talk (2022)
In high school, I was in a band for about three days. Listening to what my peers were putting out showed me my talents lay elsewhere. Fast forward to today, and it’s a little disconcerting to realize people my age now have kids putting out music. Lifeguard are a Chicago-based trio, and Crowd Can Talk is their latest EP. It’s a blistering ride that brings to mind early Fugazi and others from the Dischord finishing school.
If only I’d have had a fraction of this talent.
(Re)Discovery
Trashcan Sinatras- I’ve Seen Everything (1993)
In high school, my small circle of music geeks, “record people,” had an affinity for bands just outside the frame. Bands that made you work a little harder to find them but made the reward for following the map just a little sweeter.
Bands like Trashcan Sinatras.
I’ve Seen Everything is the band’s sophomore record and is what Pitchfork described as “not the sound of lightning in a bottle but rather the wild, thrashing energy of a band trying to catch it.” It’s chock- full of the jangly pop, hooks, and earworms you’d expect from the era. “Hayfever” is my favorite track on the record, and I’d be surprised if the video was played more than twice on MTV. It’s incredible, and it’s just the 2nd of 14, so keep going.
The reward is worth it.
Ramsey Lewis- Sun Goddess
Not a review per se, but rather simply me exhorting you to “check this out!"
We lost Lewis earlier this week. If you’re unfamiliar with him, 1974’s Sun Goddess is a great on-ramp to his work. Several members of Earth Wind & Fire play on the record. Give it a spin; it’ll make your day a little brighter.
What I’ve heard
My usual recap of albums listened to in full over the past week. Doesn’t count playlists, songs in the car, etc. Some are repeats, lots are by Wire, and none ever seem to fall into any pattern.
A shorter list this week, mainly down to my son’s sports seasons hitting critical mass. Most of my time was spent either at a soccer field or on my way to/from one.
Amusement Parks On Fire-S/T
Envelope Generator-Songs I Hate
Guy-S/T
Jawbreaker-Unfun
Ben Lee-Awake Is the New Sleep
New Order- Movement
New Order-Substance
Nirvana-Nevermind
The Police-Ghost In The Machine
R.E.M.-Life’s Rich Pageant
Seaweed-Spanaway
Al Stewart- The Year of the Cat
They Might Be Giants- Lincoln
Urge Overkill-Americruiser
Yo La Tengo- Prisoners of Love: A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs: 1985–2003
What’ve you been listening to? Any good finds this week?
B-Sides
The Police are issuing a limited edition picture disc of Ghost in the Machine.
To be released on November 4 and now available on pre-order, this special reissue features three additional tracks not included on the original album – “I Burn For You” – the single mix of the track from the “Brimstone and Treacle” album – “Once Upon A Daydream” and “Shambelle.”
To add to the unique nature of this release, and reflecting the personality of the band, four songs (“Spirits In The Material World,“ “Rehumanize Yourself,“ “One World (Not Three)“ and “Hungry For You“) feature Stewart Copeland counting in the tracks – distinctive audio from the recording studio that was not included on the 1981 release.
I’d love to tell you that I had a totally calm, cool, professional reaction to seeing this announcement. We both know I’d be lying.
NIN did a 2-night stand at Red Rocks (photos & set list)
While the first of the two Red Rocks gigs spotlighted NIN’s 1999 album The Fragile, the second show put the focus on The Downward Spiral, with six tunes from the 1994 masterpiece making their way into the 23-song setlist.
A deep dive on Blondie from the world of Terry Gross & Ira Glass.
So for Blondie's next effort, producer Mike Chapman worked the band hard, squeezing hits from its eclectic influences as he had done for others such as Sweet and Suzi Quatro. As they were wrapping up their recording sessions, Stein and Harry shared a song with a funky groove that they had started sketching as early as 1974 — sometimes called "Once I Had a Love" and other times simply "The Disco Song."
A good tweet:
As always, thanks for being here,
Kevin—
Ahhh Yo La Tengo!!! RIP Ramsey Lewis.