Customer Reviews

Summer's Kiss: A Tribute to the Afghan Whigs

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

All of the songs on this CD are great--the Whigs had some of the best songs ever. However, the cover done by Mark Lanegan really stands out as the best of a great lot--his rendition seems to cut through to the true meaning of the song. Might have something to do with his long time partnership with Greg Dulli, or maybe because virtually anything he does is truly superb and heartfelt.

Lee Heidel's Summerskiss.com has long been friend to the Afghan Whigs fan. A compendium of all things Greg Dulli (plus his extended musical family) this treasure's now birthed the indie imprint Summerskiss Records which has, in turn, breathed life into an ambitious tribute to those suave Cincinnati swagger barons the Afghan Whigs. A couple of years in the making, it turns out the hateful wait has been more than worth it. If Sam Holden's winking cover nod to their classic album, Gentlemen, doesn't make you smile you'll surely find a grin in the spin of this love letter to the most underrated band of our time. Up In It, Congregation, Gentlemen, Black Love, 1965 - they're all represented here. Selections from each are interpreted by an eclectic and talented lot. Some names will be familiar, such as Mark Lanegan, whose smoky turn on "Tonight" will bewitch you. Others may be new to you. Sweden's Sounds Like Violence is a revelation. "Sammy" is an open hand smeared with a ragged, dirty smily face right upside your head. Twice. Put on your dancing shoes for Jeff Klein's My Jerusalem, Gin Riots and Mighty Fine. Susan Marshall's got somethin' to whisper in your ear, Matthew Ryan's gonna break your heart, Joseph Arthur will catch you and lift you. Zykos will exhort you, don't forget the alcohol. And don't forget Wussy, The Domani International, Sonny Oaks and Chess Club. Press "repeat all" and fall into this one, 'cause summer's kiss ain't over, baby, it's right here and it is joy, pure joy. Do you know the words? Sing along with me ...

This is easily the best cover cd I have ever heard. All of the groups chosen are not only excellent vocalists, but chose songs suited to their respective styles. The versions of the songs are very recognizable, but not so close to the originals that they are simply clones. This is one of the few cds that I enjoy listening to straight-through, rather than just as components in an MP3 mix.