Customer Reviews

Greg Dulli's Amber Headlights

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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...then you'll love this. It's not as rocking as Gentlemen but more ballsy than any Twilight Singers stuff. It's pretty obvious that none of it was meant for release - at least, it wasn't taken seriously - and yet it's good to hear this stuff years after Dulli has stopped sounding this way. As always, if you're going to do something morally wrong in a relationship, Dulli has the soundtrack covered.

Recorded after the demise of the Afghan Whigs this project was shelved after the death of Greg Dulli's close friend Ted Demme. Dulli instead shifted gears and released three Twilight Singers discs, Twilight as sung by ... , Blackberry Belle and the covers disc She loves you. Amber headlights incorporates many of the elements and musicians of the Twilight Singers but also rocks harder at times and recalls the Whigs on several songs. Highly recommended; essential for anyone who misses the Whigs or is entranced by the Twilight Singers.

I was waiting for this cd for a very long time, i mean i love all Greg's album, they are intense, passionate, but Amber Headlights is giving me back the soul of the Afghan Whigs, somenthing i missed a lot for a long time . I love his voice, the way he sing, the way he loves his music. You can t explain the beauty of this cd, there are great rock-blues-love songs:the first time i heard "So Thight" it makes me jump up and down my room (i haven t done it for long time since Black Love "Going to town"), then Cigarettes (what a great song, this time i only remember i was singing the chorus with "Gentleman" in my hand), then "Domani" that in italian means tomorrow, kind of Greg's jazz slow song in which his voice is so low that you can t even try to sing like that.Then song after song i realized is the best cd i ever bought after so many years. If you don t know anything about Afghan Whigs and Greg Dulli then it is time to start to listen one of the best alternative artist of our time.

Fits somewhere between Gentlemen and Black Love in style. Fairly stripped typical Afghans style production and a must for anyone interested in Greg Dulli and Twilight Singers. Had a lot of trouble getting this in the UK. Interesting to see how some of the tracks morphed into Blackberry Belle era Twilight tunes. If only this guy would come over her more often.

The album that Dulli put off after the death of his friend Ted Demme. For Dulli fans, however, it is no tragedy that Headlights was canned and Dulli refocused his energies on Blackberry Belle one of the strongest albums of 2003. Still Amber Headlights, though unfinished, and intrinsically weaker than Belle has plenty of charms of its own. "So Tight" is a raw rocker, nothing special, not bad, and gives way to "Black Swan," which sounds like the Afghan Whigs, and would have fit well, is perhaps an outtake, from Black Love, and contains lines like "come on baby, save me" which remind the listener that Dulli's lyrics are not always out of the top drawer. But, as with most of Dulli's work, the writing, whether loaded or limp, is of secondary importance to the roar and the swagger, and "Black Swan" rocks pretty hard. "Get the Wheel" slows things down, with a simple piano line and Dulli croaking "I'm wide awake/ somebody just put a gun in my face" and it ends all too soon. "Cigarettes," ("Cigarettes are gonna kill me/ I gotta get a lot before I hit the door") the fullest, most realized song on the record, is the highlight, and bits of the song were recycled on Blackberry Belle. On the heels of a lot of harder material, "Domani" is comparatively chill, with almost a Dire Straits style guitar part lingering in the background, but the song swells into a rocker as well, and by this point the mood of the record is fairly well established. The straigtforward "Golden Boy" is actually my favorite song from the record, and though at first blush there is nothing particulary striking about it, it is this track that keeps drawing me back to check this album out again and again. Today, I was actually impressed more than formerly with the record as a whole; I like it, though it still does not hold a candle to the album that replaced it, and it reminds us that anything from Dulli is no less than a blessing for which we should be thankful.

If you are a fan of the Afghan Whigs this cd is a must have. It is a lot more rock than I would expect from Mr. Dulli, but that isn't a bad thing. Songs Cigarettes and Domani stand out and are surrounded by great tracks through out the album. No one fuses rock and R&B quite like Greg Dulli, and if the new Twilight Singers album is reminicent of these recordings we are in for in for a treat.

Quite simply, Dulli is the man! One of the most prolific and enigmatic singer/songwriters of the 90's, 2000's and still chartering new and exciting musical waters in this new decade. His many unique collaborative projects along with his creative fusion of soul and r&b into alternative indie rock are a testament to his sheer artistic genius! Great solo album.

Track Listing:
1. So Tight
2. Cigarettes
3. Domani
4. Early Today (and Later That Night)
5. Golden Boy
6. Black Swan
7. Pussywillow
8. Wicked
9. Get the Wheel