Like no record before or since , Gentlemen is fraught with the psychological warfare, bedroom drama, Catholic guilt, reprehensible deception, and shame that coincide with relationships gone seriously wrong. Its seemingly thick skin is rife with argument, infection, claustrophobia, temptation, accusation, illness, addiction, blood, scourge, and spite. And then there's the music. Singer Greg Dulli's liquor-cabinet confessions are chased with some of the blackest-sounding rock ever committed to tape by a white band. Hopped-up on primal energy, the mesmerizing R&B, funk, slide-blues, garage, and chamber-pop strains are tied to a come-hither soulfulness perfumed with hyssop and stained with nicotine. To this day, Gentlemen remains as cursed as its controversial narrator, an album out of time even in its time. Released in October 1993, when grunge ruled the world, it sold far less than works by most "alternative" bands of the day. Despite glowing reviews and feverish tour support, Gentlemen faded from view--and yet it remains dearly beloved to almost everyone who's heard it. Drawing on new, in-depth interviews with all of the band members, Bob Gendron dissects the record's charisma, arrangements and lyrics. He also delves into the memories, histories, experiences and influences of the Afghan Whigs, most notably those driving Dulli, a polarizing frontman whose fierce pretentiousness, GQ appearance and gloves-off boisterousness concealed deep-rooted mental depression and chemical dependency. “What works so well is how Gendron transcends Gentlemen and the era from which it was birthed to tell us the whole story. The focus is squarely on Gentlemen...The book may bank on alternative nostalgia to sell itself, but it never sells that nostalgia in its pages, choosing to give fresh stories to old fans and new converts alike. Gentlemen the book is a companion for Gentlemen the album.” ― The Tiny Mix Tapes “From explaining how the eerie hum which opens the first track was achieved by dangling a microphone out of a car window while driving over a bridge in the band's hometown of Cincinnati, to the story of how the evocative cover was inspired and photographed, Gedron covers in unpretentious detail the recording, production, arrangement and lyrics of this album by nineties alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs. He uses interviews with all the band members to examine the musicians' influences, personal drama, and lifestyle, and to provide a window into the creative process of a group of musicians at the top of their game. This pocket-sized volume makes a nice afternoon read for the music fan for whom liner notes are simply not enough.” ― Book News, February 2009 Bob Gendron is the Editor for  TONEAudio  magazine and a veteran music journalist. He's also a regular contributor to the  Chicago Tribune and DownBeat. He lives in his hometown of Chicago with his two beloved dogs, avidly supports the Blackhawks and White Sox, frequents too many concerts, and loves great beer and red meat.