Now Available: Afghan Whigs, Gentlemen at 21

We’ve been teasing it for awhile – most notably within our interview with Greg Dulli a few weeks ago – but at last it’s finally here: Gentlemen at 21, a reissue of the 1993 album which, in addition to taking the Afghan Whigs from the indie-rock ranks and giving them a chance to enjoy the major-label lifestyle, is also one of the strongest efforts in the band’s back catalog.

As you might expect, this reissue includes the original 11 tracks from Gentlemen, all newly remastered, but you also get a variety of rare B-sides, live performances, and – here’s the bit that’ll really excite the fans – the eight original demos for the album that were recorded at John Curley’s Ultrasuede studio in Cincinnati, Ohio (“If I Were Going,” “Gentlemen,” “Be Sweet,” “Debonair,” “When We Two Parted,” “Fountain and Fairfax,” “What Jail is Like,” and “My Curse”), as well as a pair of instrumental rough mixes that were done at Ardent Studios (“Now You Know” and “Brother Woodrow”).

As for the B-sides and live performances, you’ll likely recognize them as having come from the single for “Debonair” (“Little Girl Blue,” “Ready,” “Mr. Superlove” and “Dark End of the Street”) and the What is Jail Like EP (live versions of “What Jail Is Like,” “Now You Know,” and the medley of “My World Is Empty Without You” and “I Hear a Symphony” that were recorded at KTCL in Denver).

Oh, and if you’re a vinyl fan, you’ve got a slightly longer wait ahead of you, but go ahead and circle November 28 on your calendar: in addition to being Black Friday, it’s also Record Store Day, which is when we’ll be releasing a triple-LP deluxe edition of the set.

If you thought Gentlemen was a must-hear album before, then wait ‘til you hear Gentlemen at 21: it’s matured into a full-fledged classic.