ARTIST: The Afghan Whigs
TITLE: Congregation
YEAR RELEASED: 1992
CHART ACTION: None
SINGLES: Turn on the Water, Conjure Me, Miles Iz Ded
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: I’m Her Slave
LINEUP: John Curley, Greg Dulli, Steve Earle, Rick McCollum
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: The Afghan Whigs announce their full presence with authority with a great album that sets their course for the rest of the 90’s.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: They were on Sub Pop, but they weren’t from the Northwest, nor were they grunge. The Afghan Whigs decadent and hedonistic elegance is in full form here.
There’s a combo of alternative rock, soul and other elements in the music, as McCollum’s guitar reigns over the songs. But the star is Dulli – his vocals, mannerisms and lyrics are intriguing, compelling and at times revulsive. It’s all about Dulli on the prowl, as a hunter and as the hunted.
The album kind of loses a bit of steam during the back half. The slow burns get wearisome after a while, but it ends on a quite high note with “Miles Iz Ded”, a song tacked on at the end of the album from a different session.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: Sub Pop was almost bankrupt and this album was on hold until they could pay the studio (actually Dulli had to find a job to pay the studio then Sub Pop paid him back) and manufacture and release the album. Then Nevermind hit and Sub Pop became flush with royalties
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: No
GRADE: A-: Most of is nice and sleazy.