100 PLANET ROCK
The Afghan Whigs frontman ventures
solo into the heart of darkness.
ASS MUSIC. That’s the memorable genre title Greg
Dulli coined to describe the sound of The Afghan
Whigs’ 1965 DOEXPGH¿QHGVSHFL¿FDOO\ DV³SDUW\
PXVLF\RXFDQGDQFHRUIXFNWR ́ 5HFRUGHGODUJHO\
in New Orleans, the Ohio band’s sixth studio set
HPEUDFHGWKHOLELGLQRXVWKURERI7KH%LJ(DV\¶V
DIWHUĥKRXUVQLJKWOLIHVHUYLQJXSDQLQWR[LFDWLQJFRFNĥ
WDLORIVRXO5 %DQGMD]]ĥLQIXVHGURFNFRQFHLYHGDV
WKHVRXQGWUDFNWRPHVV\ KDOIĥUHPHPEHUHGQLJKWVLQ
WKH)UHQFK4XDUWHUZKHUHWKHFRQVXPSWLRQRI 0 ' 0 $μMD]]VDOW¶UDLOV
IUHHĥSRXUHG+XUULFDQHVDQGWRRPDQ\ERXUERQVKRWVVHUYHVDVD
SUHFXUVRUWRVKDPHOHVVÀLUWLQJIUHQ]LHGWRLOHWFXELFOHKRRNĥXSVDQG
VZHDW\FRXSOLQJVRQKRWHOURRPÀRRUV:H¶YHDOOEHHQWKHUH
'HVSLWHLWVWLWOHRandom DesireWKH¿UVWVRORDOEXPUHOHDVHGXQGHU
'XOOL¶VRZQQDPHLVDVVXUHGO\QRWμDVVPXVLF¶5DWKHULW¶VDFRPHGRZQ
DOEXPWKHVRXQGRIELWWHUĥVZHHWV\PSKRQLHVLQYDGLQJ\RXUVHURWRQLQĥ
GHSOHWHGEUDLQRQWKHPRUQLQJDIWHUWKHQLJKWEHIRUH ZKHQVXQOLJKW
VWUHDPVXQIRUJLYLQJWKURXJKKDOIĥFORVHGZLQGRZEOLQGV \RXUPRXWK
WDVWHVOLNHFDWOLWWHUDQGODVWQLJKW¶VVRXOPDWHKDVVOLSSHGTXLHWO\RXWRI
“
Neither love nor morality
is straightforward here...
”
WKHURRPZLWKRXWDZRUGRIIDUHZHOO6DGO\ ZH¶YHDOO
been there too, Greg Dulli more than most.
)RURYHU \HDUV 'XOOLKDVEHHQDOWHUQDWLYH
URFN¶VJRĥWRDXWHXUIRUWDOHVRIVLQVFDQGDOGDPQDĥ
WLRQDQGUHGHPSWLRQQDUUDWLQJXQÀLQFKLQJDFFRXQWV
RIOLYHVPLVVSHQWRQWKHPDUJLQVGD\VVNXONLQJLQ
VKDGRZVDQGQLJKWVPHOWLQJLQWREOXUUHGREOLYLRQ$V
ZLWK1LFN&DYH7RP:DLWVDQGKLVJRRGIULHQG
IUHTXHQWFROODERUDWRUDQGIRUPHUÀDWĥPDWH0DUN
Lanegan, Dulli is no stranger to demons, an artist
IRUHYHUDWKRPHWRGDUNQHVVDQGGHVSDLU:LWK7KH
Afghan Whigs, The Twilight Singers and The Gutter
7 ZLQVWKHVLQJHUKDVVRXJKWWRVSLQWDOHVRIWHPSWDWLRQWUDQVJUHVVLRQ
REVHVVLRQDQGOXVWQHYHUVK\LQJDZD\IURPVSRWOLJKWLQJKLVRZQÀDZV
DQGIDLOLQJVDVDQDOOĥWRRĥKXPDQEHLQJ'HVSLWHEHDULQJKLVQDPHDORQJ
RQWKHFRYHURandom DesireLVQ¶W'XOOL¶VPRVWDXWRELRJUDSKLFDOFROOHFĥ
WLRQRIVRQJVĦIRUWKDWRUUDWKHUIRUDKLVWRULFDOYHUVLRQRIWKDWRQH
VKRXOGVHHNRXWWKH:KLJV¶VHDULQJO\VHOIĥDQDO\WLFDOGentlemen, from
ĦEXWLW¶VDVHWLPEXHGZLWKKDUGĥHDUQHGZLVGRPHPSDWK\DQG
XQGHUVWDQGLQJDWHDUĥVWDLQHGVXUYLYRU¶VPDQXDORIVRUWVIURPDQ
DUWLVWZKRIUHHO\DGPLWVWRKDYLQJEHHQ ³WUXO\ORVW ́DQGUHVLJQHGWR
REOLWHUDWLRQLQGD\VJRQHE\
Life isn’t easy:
Greg Dulli.
BY PAUL BRANNIGAN
GREG DULLI
Random Desire
ROYAL CREAM/BMG
++++