Former Afghan Whigs leader has a new sound—and a new outlook.
kiregbuili
Reinvents Himself
rThe Twilight Singers
Twilight as played by the Twilight Singers
(Columbia)
By Johnny Walker (Black)
hen he rang the bell with 1993’s classic
Gentlemen, black-clad Greg Dulli of
Ohio’s Afghan Whigs created a "Leonard
Cohen on testosterone" persona. He was
the streetwise tough guy tormented by both
the opposite sex and
by the sensitive artiste
within. This stance
worked exquisitely for
a few years, but after
the searing post
Centlemen effort Black
Dulli found his
romantic persona
him alive, turn
ig him to heroin and assorted other
ainkillers for comfort.
Finally stabilized by a Zoloft regimen,
:he singer-songwriter responded by rein
venting himself on the Whigs’s 1998’s funk
soul departure 1965, eschewing the tor
tured artist character for a more loose-fit
ting soul-man guise. The critics raved, but,
predictably the fans frowned. Many
demanded the old, depressed Dulli back.
The disgruntled faction of Whigites
just might be placated by Dulli’s latest
effort, Twilight as Played by the Twilight
Singers. Essentially a collaboration with
sometime Whig key
boardist and Howlin’ *
Maggie frontman
Harold "Happy" r
Chichester, The Twilight
Singers are half in love
with an easeful death,
and at home in the
encroaching darkness
the Whigs against.
The Heisman watch
Steamtunnels Profiles the Heisman Trophy Contenders.
LaDainian Tomlinson
TCU
Position: RB
Class: Senior
Height: 511"
Weight: 217
Hometown: Waco, TX
AP Photo/Bili Janscha
LaDainian Tomlinson might be the most
explosive running back in college football
today. Tomlinson owns the NCAA Division-1
single game rushing record, which he set
on November 20, 1999 against UTEP,
when he ran for 406 yards on 43 carries.
“LT” was a first-team All-America selection
by Athlon, Playboy, Football News, The
Sporting News, Texas Football, Blue Ribbon,
Street and Smith, and Preview Sports.
Tomlinson has led the Horned Frogs to two
consecutive bowl victories, and they show
no signs of letting up this season. They are
currently ranked tenth in the nation and
are undefeated. -ABaldwin
1999 stats
• Rushed for 1850 yards on 268 carries
• Averaged 6.9 yards per carry
• 18 TDs
last Chance! Cast your Helsman
Vote at steamtunnels.net
Here, the usual dramatic emotional
catharsis found in the best Whigs songs is
replaced by a nighttime electro-glide: silky
R&B beats tinged with contemporary drum
‘n’ bass and trip-hop touches. Even more of
a departure from the Whigs sound is
"That’s Just How That Bird Sings," which
finds Chichester, Dulli and Shawn Smith
emoting prettily like a streetwise version of
Crosby, Stills and Nash over a gently
strummed acoustic guitar. The three also
team up again on "Clyde," a slinky, sinister
number driven by a loping funk beat.
Fans of Dulli’s more Cohen-like, tortured
poet side will find plenty to mull over here.
"King Only” finds him admitting that "I fell
far enough to touch the hand of Lucifer,"
while in "Last Temptation" he admonishes a
lover, "Every time I think of you I get the
same old sinking feeling."
On Twilight as Played by the Twilight
Singers, Dulli achieves artistic growth
through a reconciliation of opposites, yoking*
dark and light, good and evil, God and Satan
together in an effort to heal his fractured <
psyche. It all comes together on the
anthemic closer "Twilight," where Dulli lyri
cally traverses the details of a dead love
affair. Instead of ending in the usual fit of
rage, he simply chants, "everything’s gonna
be alright." And, for the duration of this
impressive album, everything certainly is. •
For more about Greg Dulli, the Afghan
Whigs and Twilight Singers, go to
Steamtunnels.net and search using key
words “Greg Dulli.”