The White Stripes | ||
| Allmusic Biography : With their unlikely but fascinating mix of arty concepts and raw sounds, the White Stripes were among the leaders of the early-2000s garage rock revival and helped define the sound of 21st century rock as the decade progressed. Jack and Meg Whites clever use of limitations -- from their lineup to their instrumentation to their red, white, and black color scheme -- maximized their creativity, allowing them to bring a surprising number of facets to their seemingly back-to-basics approach. Megs straight-ahead, minimalist drumming complemented Jacks freewheeling guitars and vocals perfectly, and their music touched on not only on obvious forebears such as the Gories and the Stooges, but also Son House and Blind Willie McTells mythic blues, Led Zeppelins riffs, the Gun Clubs unhinged punk, and the timeless storytelling of country and folk legends such as Loretta Lynn and Bob Dylan. The breadth of their sound and their fondness for mystique -- they said the Dutch design movement De Stijl was as an important an influence on them as any musician, and claimed to be siblings even though they were actually a married couple until 2000 -- gave the White Stripes more staying power than many of their contemporaries. As they grew from a pair of Detroit kids on their 1999 self-titled debut to international rock stars responsible for a trio of Grammy-winning albums (2003s Elephant, 2005s Get Behind Me Satan, and 2007s Icky Thump), they always remained true to their ideals. Born and raised in Detroit, Jack White -- then known as Jack Gillis -- began playing drums as a child and picked up guitar in high school. When he was a senior, he met Meg White at the restaurant where she worked, and the pair struck up a friendship. While running his upholstery business, Gillis also played drums for bands such as the country outfit Goober & the Peas, the Go, and the Hentchmen. He and White married in 1996, with Jack taking Megs surname. The couple became a band in 1997 when they jammed that Bastille Day with Jack on guitar and vocals and Meg on drums. Naming themselves after Megs love of peppermints, they made their live debut in August 1997 at the Gold Dollar bar, joining an underground garage rock scene that also included the Gories and the Dirtbombs. The band soon connected with Dave Buick, owner of the Detroit garage rock label Italy Records, who released the White Stripes first single "Lets Shake Hands" in February 1998 as a seven-inch with an initial run of 1,000 copies. That October, the single "Lafayette Blues" followed, and tours with Pavement and Sleater-Kinney helped the duo earn a national following. After signing to Sympathy for the Record Industry, the band released the single "The Big Three Killed My Baby" in March 1999. Recorded at Jim Diamonds Ghetto Recorders studio in Detroit and produced by Jack White, the White Stripes self-titled debut album appeared that June and was dedicated to blues icon Son House. The album made a fan of legendary BBC DJ John Peel, whose support helped the band gain fans in the U.K. The duo closed the year by releasing "Hand Springs," a split single with the Dirtbombs that came with the pinball fanzine Multiball. For their raw second album, 2000s De Stijl, the White Stripes recorded themselves on an 8-track in Jacks living room. Taking the albums name from the early 20th century Dutch aesthetic movement, the band dedicated De Stijl to the styles founder, designer Gerrit Rietveld, and Blind Willie McTell. Late that year, the White Stripes released Party of Special Things to Do, a Sub Pop single featuring three Captain Beefheart covers. It was with their next album, 2001s White Blood Cells, that the White Stripes established themselves as leaders of the garage rock revival. Recorded in Memphis with renowned producer Doug Easley, it marked the first time the band had worked in a 24-track studio (as well as their first album to be mastered in the studio), but it was recorded in just four days to avoid sounding too polished. Featuring the single "Fell in Love with a Girl" -- which boasted a clever, Lego-animated video by Michel Gondry that won the 2002 MTV Video Awards for Breakthrough Video, Best Special Effects, and Best Editing -- White Blood Cells was a critical and commercial smash. The album eventually went platinum, and the White Stripes appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and the MTV Movie Awards program; meanwhile, their music was profiled in Time, The New Yorker, and Entertainment Weekly. That year, Jack White also founded his own label, Third Man Records, whose name paid homage to the classic Orson Welles film as well as Whites upholstery business. To accommodate their swell in popularity, the White Stripes moved to a major label. After signing to V2, the label reissued White Blood Cells in January 2002, and the previous two records in June. To make their fourth album, the band decamped to London to work at engineer Liam Watsons Toe Rag Studios, choosing it for its wealth of vintage analog equipment. Recorded in less than two weeks, 2003s Elephant explored "the death of the sweetheart" and received unanimous critical acclaim and platinum sales in several countries upon its release. The album won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album, while its lead single, "Seven Nation Army," won the Grammy for Best Rock song (and later became an internationally popular jock jam at sporting events). Also in 2003, Jack White made his film debut in Anthony Minghellas Cold Mountain and performed five songs on its T-Bone Burnett-produced soundtrack. While many garage rock revivalists fell by the wayside as the 2000s continued, the White Stripes proved to be an enduring presence. On 2005s dizzyingly diverse Get Behind Me Satan -- which, in keeping with the bands feverish pace, they wrote and recorded in two weeks -- they experimented with disco-metal and marimba-driven pop. Like its predecessor, it won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album. During the Get Behind Me Satan tour, the Stripes covered Tegan and Saras "Walking with a Ghost" and released the song as a single at the end of 2005. That year, Jack White and his second wife, singer/model Karen Elson, moved to Nashville, Tennessee. After relocating, White formed the Raconteurs with Brendan Benson and the Greenhornes Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler, and spent much of 2006 touring in support of the groups debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers. Jack White continued to juggle his responsibilities as he performed with several bands, produced albums for other artists, and made forays into cinema. However, the White Stripes remained a vital commercial and critical presence. Early in 2007, the band moved to Warner Bros., which released their sixth and final album, Icky Thump, that June. Recorded at Nashvilles Blackbird Studio over the course of three weeks -- the longest sessions of the bands career -- the album also included the first-ever Stripes songs with bagpipes and mariachi horns. Upon its release, Icky Thump topped the U.K. Albums Chart; in the U.S., it entered the Billboard 200 at number two and was certified gold by July 2007. After finishing a cross-country tour of Canada, the band played a handful of U.S. shows before canceling all future tour dates that September due to Meg Whites anxiety issues. Early the following year, Icky Thump won the Best Alternative Album at the 2008 Grammy Awards, while the title track scored the award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. In February 2009, Jack and Meg reunited for their final live performance as the White Stripes on the last episode of Late Night with Conan OBrien. During this time, Jack White remained busy with several projects. These included the Raconteurs 2008 second album Consolers of the Lonely and establishing Third Man Records first physical location in Nashville, which included the labels offices, a record store, a performance area and screening room. At the sites launch in March 2009, White debuted another band, the Dead Weather. Featuring the Kills Alison Mosshart, Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Dean Fertita, and his Raconteurs bandmate Lawrence, the bands debut album Horehound appeared a few months later. That year, he appeared in the guitar-themed documentary It Might Get Loud, and produced Elsons album The Ghost Who Walks. Under Great White Northern Lights, a film documenting the bands 2007 Canadian tour, premiered at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival. The DVD of the film and a companion album of the same name were issued in 2010, while the duos first three albums were reissued on vinyl by Third Man Records that year. In February 2011, Jack and Meg White officially announced they would no longer record or perform as the White Stripes. The following year, Jack White began his solo career with his debut album Blunderbuss. In 2015, he brought Third Man Records back to where it all began, establishing a Detroit location that included a vinyl pressing plant as well as a record store and venue. During the 2010s, Third Man released reissues of the White Stripes albums and singles, as well as archival releases such as 2017s Complete John Peel Sessions. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 15 Title: The White Stripes Released: 1999-06-15 Tracks: 17 Duration: 43:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Jimmy the Exploder (02:29) 2 Stop Breaking Down (02:20) 3 The Big Three Killed My Baby (02:29) 4 Suzy Lee (03:21) 5 Sugar Never Tasted So Good (02:54) 6 Wasting My Time (02:13) 7 Cannon (02:30) 8 Astro (02:42) 9 Broken Bricks (01:51) 10 When I Hear My Name (01:54) 11 Do (03:05) 12 Screwdriver (03:14) 13 One More Cup of Coffee (03:13) 14 Little People (02:22) 15 Slicker Drips (01:30) 16 St. James Infirmary Blues (02:24) 17 I Fought Piranhas (03:09) |
| The White Stripes : Allmusic album Review : Minimal to the point of sounding monumental, this Detroit guitar-drums-voice duo makes the most of its aesthetic choices and the spaces between riffage and the big beat. In fact, the White Stripes sound like arena rock as hand-crafted in the attic. Singer/guitarist Jack Whites voice is a singular, evocative combination of punk, metal, blues, and backwoods while his guitar work is grand and banging with just enough lyrical touches of slide and subtle solo work to let you know he means to use the metal-blues riff collisions just so. Drummer Meg White balances out the fretwork and the fretting with methodical, spare, and booming cymbal, bass drum, and snare cracks. In a word, economy (and that goes for both of the players). The Whites choice of covers is inspired, too. J. Whites voice is equally suited to the task of tackling both the desperation of Robert Johnsons "Stop Breakin Down" and the loneliness of Bob Dylans "One More Cup of Coffee." Neither are equal to the originals, but they take a distinctive, haunting spin around the turntable nevertheless. All D.I.Y. punk-country-blues-metal singer/songwriting duos should sound this good. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 15 Title: De Stijl Released: 2000-06-20 Tracks: 13 Duration: 37:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You’re Pretty Good Looking (for a Girl) (01:49) 2 Hello Operator (02:36) 3 Little Bird (03:06) 4 Apple Blossom (02:13) 5 I’m Bound to Pack It Up (03:09) 6 Death Letter (04:29) 7 Sister, Do You Know My Name? (02:51) 8 Truth Doesn’t Make a Noise (03:14) 9 A Boy’s Best Friend (04:22) 10 Let’s Build a Home (01:58) 11 Jumble, Jumble (01:53) 12 Why Can’t You Be Nicer to Me? (03:22) 13 Your Southern Can Is Mine (02:29) |
| De Stijl : Allmusic album Review : Despite their reputation as garage rock revivalists, the White Stripes display an impressive range of styles on their second album, De Stijl, which is Dutch for "the style." Perhaps the albums diversity -- which incorporates elements of bubblegum, cabaret, blues, and classic rock -- shouldnt come as a surprise from a band that dedicates its album to bluesman Blind Willie McTell and Dutch artist Gerrit Rietveld. Nevertheless, its refreshing to hear the band go from the Tommy James-style pop of "Youre Pretty Good Looking" to the garagey stomp of "Hello Operator" in a one-two punch. Its even more impressive that the theatrical, piano-driven ballad "Apple Blossom" and a cover of Son Houses "Death Letter" go so well together on the same album. Jack Whites understated production work and versatile guitar playing and vocals also stand out on the languid, fuzzy "Sister, Do You Know My Name?" as well as insistent rockers like "Little Bird" and "Why Cant You Be Nicer to Me?" As distinctive as it is diverse, De Stijl blends the Stripes arty leanings with enough rock muscle to back up the bands ambitions. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 15 Title: White Blood Cells Released: 2001-07-03 Tracks: 16 Duration: 40:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (03:04) 2 Hotel Yorba (02:10) 3 I’m Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman (02:54) 4 Fell in Love With a Girl (01:50) 5 Expecting (02:03) 6 Little Room (00:50) 7 The Union Forever (03:26) 8 The Same Boy You’ve Always Known (03:09) 9 We’re Going to Be Friends (02:22) 10 Offend in Every Way (03:06) 11 I Think I Smell a Rat (02:04) 12 Aluminum (02:19) 13 I Can’t Wait (03:38) 14 Now Mary (01:47) 15 I Can Learn (03:31) 16 This Protector (02:12) |
| White Blood Cells : Allmusic album Review : Despite the seemingly instant attention surrounding them -- glowing write-ups in glossy magazines like Rolling Stone and Mojo, guest lists boasting names like Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson, and appearances on national TV -- the White Stripes have stayed true to the approach that brought them this success in the first place. White Blood Cells, Jack and Meg Whites third effort for Sympathy for the Record Industry, wraps their powerful, deceptively simple style around meditations on fame, love, and betrayal. As produced by Doug Easley, it sounds exactly how an underground sensations breakthrough album should: bigger and tighter than their earlier material, but not so polished that it will scare away longtime fans. Admittedly, White Blood Cells lacks some of the White Stripes blues influence and urgency, but it perfects the pop skills the duo honed on De Stijl and expands on them. The country-tinged "Hotel Yorba" and immediate, crazed garage pop of "Fell in Love With a Girl" define the albums immediacy, along with the folky, McCartney-esque "Were Going to Be Friends," a charming, school-days love song thats among Jack Whites finest work. However, Whites growth as a songwriter shines through on virtually every track, from the cocky opener "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" to vicious indictments like "The Union Forever" and "I Think I Smell a Rat." "Same Boy Youve Always Known" and "Offend in Every Way" are two more quintessential tracks, offering up more of the groups stomping riffs and rhythms and us-against-the-world attitude. Few garage rock groups would name one of their most driving numbers "Im Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman," and fewer still would pen lyrics like "Im so tired of acting tough/Im gonna do what I please/Lets get married," but its precisely this mix of strength and sweetness, among other contrasts, that makes the White Stripes so intriguing. Likewise, White Blood Cells ability to surprise old fans and win over new ones makes it the Stripes finest work to date. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 15 Title: Elephant Released: 2003-03-19 Tracks: 14 Duration: 49:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Seven Nation Army (03:51) 2 Black Math (03:03) 3 There’s No Home for You Here (03:44) 4 I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself (02:46) 5 In the Cold, Cold Night (02:58) 6 I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart (03:21) 7 You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket (03:40) 8 Ball and Biscuit (07:19) 9 The Hardest Button to Button (03:32) 10 Little Acorns (04:09) 11 Hypnotize (01:48) 12 The Air Near My Fingers (03:40) 13 Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine (03:17) 14 Well It’s True That We Love One Another (02:43) |
| Elephant : Allmusic album Review : White Blood Cells may have been a reaction to the amount of fame the White Stripes had received up to the point of its release, but, paradoxically, it made full-fledged rock stars out of Jack and Meg White and sold over half a million copies in the process. Despite the White Stripes ambivalence, fame nevertheless seems to suit them: They just become more accomplished as the attention paid to them increases. Elephant captures this contradiction within the Stripes and their music; its the first album theyve recorded for a major label, and it sounds even more pissed-off, paranoid, and stunning than its predecessor. Darker and more difficult than White Blood Cells, the album offers nothing as immediately crowd-pleasing or sweet as "Fell in Love With a Girl" or "Were Going to Be Friends," but its more consistent, exploring disillusionment and rejection with razor-sharp focus. Chip-on-the-shoulder anthems like the breathtaking opener, "Seven Nation Army," which is driven by Meg Whites explosively minimal drumming, and "The Hardest Button to Button," in which Jack White snarls "Now were a family!" -- one of the best oblique threats since Black Francis sneered "Its educational!" all those years ago -- deliver some of the fiercest blues-punk of the White Stripes career. "Theres No Home for You Here" sets a girls walking papers to a melody reminiscent of "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" (though the result is more sequel than rehash), driving the point home with a wall of layered, Queen-ly harmonies and piercing guitars, while the inspired version of "I Just Dont Know What to Do With Myself" goes from plaintive to angry in just over a minute, though the charging guitars at the end sound perversely triumphant. At its bruised heart, Elephant portrays love as a power struggle, with chivalry and innocence usually losing out to the power of seduction. "I Want to Be the Boy" tries, unsuccessfully, to charm a girls mother; "Youve Got Her in Your Pocket," a deceptively gentle ballad, reveals the darker side of the Stripes vulnerability, blurring the line between caring for someone and owning them with some fittingly fluid songwriting. The battle for control reaches a fever pitch on the "Fell in Love With a Girl"-esque "Hypnotize," which suggests some slightly underhanded ways of winning a girl over before settling for just holding her hand, and on the show-stopping "Ball and Biscuit," seven flat-out seductive minutes of preening, boasting, and amazing guitar prowess that ranks as one the bands most traditionally bluesy (not to mention sexy) songs. Interestingly, Megs star turn, "In the Cold, Cold Night," is the closest Elephant comes to a truce in this struggle, her kitten-ish voice balancing the songs slinky words and music. While the album is often dark, its never despairing; moments of wry humor pop up throughout, particularly toward the end. "Little Acorns" begins with a sound clip of Detroit newscaster Mort Crims Second Thoughts radio show, adding an authentic, if unusual, Motor City feel. It also suggests that Jack White is one of the few vocalists who could make a lyric like "Be like the squirrel" sound cool and even inspiring. Likewise, the showy "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine" -- on which White resembles a garage rock snake-oil salesman -- is probably the only song featuring the word "acetaminophen" in its chorus. "Its True That We Love One Another," which features vocals from Holly Golightly as well as Meg White, continues the Stripes tradition of closing their albums on a lighthearted note. Almost as much fun to analyze as it is to listen to, Elephant overflows with quality -- its full of tight songwriting, sharp, witty lyrics, and judiciously used basses and tumbling keyboard melodies that enhance the bands powerful simplicity (and the excellent "The Air Near My Fingers" features all of these). Crucially, the White Stripes know the difference between fame and success; while they may not be entirely comfortable with their fame, theyve succeeded at mixing blues, punk, and garage rock in an electrifying and unique way ever since they were strictly a Detroit phenomenon. On these terms, Elephant is a phenomenal success. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 15 Title: Get Behind Me Satan Released: 2005-06-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 44:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blue Orchid (02:38) 2 The Nurse (03:47) 3 My Doorbell (04:01) 4 Forever for Her (Is Over for Me) (03:15) 5 Little Ghost (02:18) 6 The Denial Twist (02:35) 7 White Moon (04:01) 8 Instinct Blues (04:16) 9 Passive Manipulation (00:35) 10 Take, Take, Take (04:22) 11 As Ugly as I Seem (04:10) 12 Red Rain (03:52) 13 I’m Lonely (but I Ain’t That Lonely Yet) (04:21) |
| Get Behind Me Satan : Allmusic album Review : According to Jack White, Get Behind Me Satan deals with "characters and the ideal of truth," but in truth, the album is just as much about what people expect from the White Stripes and what they themselves want to deliver. Advance publicity for the album stated that it was written on piano, marimba, and acoustic guitar, suggesting that it was going to be a quiet retreat to the bands little room after the big sound, and bigger success, of Elephant. Then "Blue Orchid," Get Behind Me Satans lead single, arrived. A devilish slice of disco-metal with heavily processed, nearly robotic riffs, the song was thrilling, but also oddly perfunctory; it felt almost like a caricature of their stripped-down but hard-hitting rock. As the opening track for Get Behind Me Satan, "Blue Orchid" is more than a little perverse, as though the White Stripes are giving their audience the required rock single before getting back to that little room, locking the door behind them, and doing whatever the hell they want. Even Jack Whites work on the Cold Mountain soundtrack and Loretta Lynns Van Lear Rose isnt adequate preparation for how far-flung this album is: Get Behind Me Satan is a weird, compelling collection that touches on several albums worth of sounds, and its first four songs are so different from most of the White Stripes previous music -- as well as from each other -- that, at first, theyre downright disorienting. As if the red herring that is "Blue Orchid" isnt enough warning that Get Behind Me Satan is designed to defy expectations, "The Nurse"s ironically perky marimbas and off-kilter stabs of drums and guitar -- not to mention lyrics like "the nurse should not be the one who puts salt in your wounds" -- make its domestic skulduggery one of the most perplexing and eerie songs the White Stripes have ever recorded (although Megs brief cameo, "Passive Manipulation," which boasts the refrain "you need to know the difference between a father and a lover," rivals it). "My Doorbell," on the other hand, is almost ridiculously immediate and catchy, and with its skipping beat and brightly bashed pianos, surprisingly funky. Meanwhile, "Forever for Her (Is Over for Me)" turns cleverly structured wordplay and those fluttering marimbas into a summery, affecting ballad. But despite Get Behind Me Satans hairpin turns, its inspired imagery and complicated feelings about love hold it together. Though "the ideal of truth" sounds cut-and-dried, the album is filled with ambiguities; even its title, which shortens the biblical phrase "get thee behind me Satan," has a murky meaning -- is it support, or deliverance, from Lucifer that the Stripes are asking for? There are pleading rockers, like the alternately begging and accusatory "Red Rain," and defiant ballads, like "Im Lonely (But Im Not That Lonely Yet)," which has a stubborn undercurrent despite its archetypal, tear-in-my-beer country melody. Even Get Behind Me Satans happiest-sounding song, the joyfully backwoods "Little Ghost," is haunted by loving someone who might not have been there in the first place. The ghostly presence of Rita Hayworth also plays a significant part on the album, on "White Moon" and the excellent "Take, Take, Take," a sharply drawn vignette about greed and celebrity: over the course of the song, the main character goes from just being happy to hanging out with his friends in a seedy bar to demanding a lock of hair from the screen siren. As eclectic as Get Behind Me Satan is, it isnt perfect: the energy dips a little in the middle, and its notable that "Instinct Blues," one of the more traditionally Stripes-sounding songs, is also one of the least engaging. Though Jack and Meg still find fresh, arty reinterpretations of their classic inspirations, this time the results are exciting in a different way than their usual fare; and while the album was made in just two weeks, it takes awhile to unravel and appreciate. Get Behind Me Satan may confuse and even push away some White Stripes fans, but the more the band pushes itself, the better. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 15 Title: Icky Thump Released: 2007-06-15 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Icky Thump (04:14) 2 You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You’re Told) (03:54) 3 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues (05:28) 4 Conquest (02:48) 5 Bone Broke (03:14) 6 Prickly Thorn, but Sweetly Worn (03:05) 7 St. Andrew (This Battle Is in the Air) (01:49) 8 Little Cream Soda (03:45) 9 Rag and Bone (03:48) 10 I’m Slowly Turning Into You (04:34) 11 A Martyr for My Love for You (04:19) 12 Catch Hell Blues (04:18) 13 Effect and Cause (03:00) 14 Baby Brother (02:10) |
| Icky Thump : Allmusic album Review : A lot changed in the White Stripes world between Get Behind Me Satan and Icky Thump: Meg White moved to L.A., while Jack White left Detroit for Nashville, married and had a daughter, and formed the Raconteurs, a side project that won so much praise that some fans worried that it meant the end of the Stripes. Those fears were as unfounded as the speculation that Whites new hometown meant that the band was going to "go country" (after all, Jack and Meg are wearing the costumes of Londons Pearly Kings and Queens, not Nudie suits, on Icky Thumps cover). Though it was recorded at Nashvilles state-of-the-art Blackbird Studio and covers everything from bagpipes to metal, Icky Thump is unmistakably a White Stripes album. The eclectic feel of Get Behind Me Satan remains, but is less obvious; interestingly, out of all the bands previous work, Icky Thumps brash and confessional songs most closely resemble De Stijl. "300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues" acoustic blues and carefully crafted wordplay hark back to "Sister, Do You Know My Name." Meanwhile, "Rag & Bone" is a cute, ragamuffin cousin of "Lets Build a Home" that casts Jack and Meg as enterprising garbage-pickers; the sly grin in Jacks voice as he says "well give it a...home" is palpable. And, while Get Behind Me Satan was heavy on pianos, Icky Thump is just plain heavy, dominated by primal, stomping rock that feels like its been caged for a very long time and is just now being released. Jack Whites guitars are back in a big way; "Catch Hell Blues" is a particularly fine showcase for his playing. Once again, though, the Stripes defy expectations, and their "return to rock" isnt necessarily a return to the kind of rock they mastered on Elephant. Aside from the searing "Bone Broke," which would fit on almost any White Stripes album (and in fact was partially written in 1998), on Icky Thump Jack and Meg push the boundaries of their louder side. Darker and slower than most Stripes singles, "Icky Thump" is their very own "Immigrant Song," with guitars that chug menacingly and lyrics that run the gamut from fever dream meditations on redhead senoritas to pointed political statements ("Why dont you kick yourself out/Youre an immigrant too"). "Little Cream Soda" is also outstanding, pairing ranting, spoken-word verses with grinding surf-metal guitars that make it one of the Stripes heaviest songs. However, the boldest excursion might be "Conquest," which turns Patti Pages 50s-era battle of the sexes into a garage rock bullfight, complete with dramatic mariachi brass, flamenco rhythms, backing vocals that would do Ennio Morricone proud, and dueling guitar and trumpet solos that capture the bands love of drama. As fantastic as Icky Thumps rockers are, its breathers are just as important. Though the Celtic detour that makes up Thumps heart feels out of place initially, "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" is indeed a sweet and genuine sounding homage to Scottish folk, bagpipes and all (and could also be a nod to the Rolling Stones flirtation with British folk in the mid-60s). And while its psychedelic counterpart "St. Andrews (This Battle Is in the Air)" doesnt work quite as well, it feels like the kind of quirky tangent that pops up on plenty of vintage albums as a palate cleanser. The Stripes poppy and vulnerable sides get slightly short shrift on Icky Thump. "You Dont Know What Love Is" is so hooky it could just as easily be a Raconteurs song, though it boasts a guitar solo that stings like lemon juice in a paper cut. "Im a Martyr for My Love for You" is the albums lone ballad, and while its melody is beautiful, it may be the albums weakest track. And though Icky Thumps track listing might be slightly front-loaded, the Stripes uphold their tradition of ending their albums on a playful note with the wonderful "Effect and Cause," which feels equally indebted to hillbilly wisdom and Mungo Jerrys sly jug-band shuffle. With its fuller sound and relaxed flights of fancy, Icky Thump is a mature, but far from stodgy, album -- and, as is usually the case, its just great fun to hear the band play. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 15 Title: Under Great White Northern Lights B-Shows Released: 2010 Tracks: 17 Duration: 59:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Intro Royal Black Watch (01:31) 2 Lets Shake Hands (01:47) 3 Baby Blue (03:07) 4 Lafayette Blues (02:21) 5 Hello Operator (02:31) 6 Stop Breaking Down (02:49) 7 Canadee 1-0 (05:30) 8 A Martyr for My Love for You (04:18) 9 Hotel Yorba (02:32) 1 I Fought Piranhas / Ghost on the Highway / For the Love of Ivy / Gimme Back My Wig (09:13) 2 Apple Blossom (02:42) 3 Ball and Biscuit (06:07) 4 Cannon (02:06) 5 John the Revelator (01:18) 6 Icky Thump (03:27) 7 Do (03:37) 8 Screwdriver (04:33) |
 | Album: 8 of 15 Title: Under Great White Northern Lights Released: 2010-03-15 Tracks: 16 Duration: 59:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let’s Shake Hands (03:11) 2 Black Math (03:06) 3 Little Ghost (02:23) 4 Blue Orchid (02:55) 5 The Union Forever (04:26) 6 Ball and Biscuit (03:07) 7 Icky Thump (04:12) 8 I’m Slowly Turning Into You (05:32) 9 Jolene (03:54) 10 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues (04:52) 11 We Are Going to Be Friends (02:24) 12 I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself (03:10) 13 Prickly Thorn, but Sweetly Worn (03:23) 14 Fell in Love With a Girl (02:26) 15 When I Hear My Name (02:40) 16 Seven Nation Army (07:29) |
| Under Great White Northern Lights : Allmusic album Review : Given the White Stripes’ reputation for powerful concerts, it’s a little surprising that they waited until more than a decade into their career to release a live album. However, Under Great White Northern Lights was worth the wait: While nothing can really replace seeing the band live, this set captures most of their riveting on-stage presence. The album was recorded during the Stripes’ 2007 Canadian tour, which was such a special experience for them that they chronicled it with a DVD as well. The band was touring in support of that year’s Icky Thump, and the Scottish and Celtic motifs that are woven throughout that album pop up here, too, from the bagpipes intro to a brisk version of “Little Ghost” that sounds almost like a reel. Like most White Stripes concerts, Under Great White Northern Lights features an evenhanded mix of early songs and newer ones -- Jack and Meg White go way back for incendiary takes on “Let’s Shake Hands” and “When I Hear My Name,” which sound right at home next to the lunging “Icky Thump” and “I’m Slowly Turning into You.” The album opens with four furious rockers that show just how primal the duo is live -- on “Black Math” and a breathless “Blue Orchid” they sound like they can barely keep up with the energy flowing through them -- but many of Under Great White Northern Lights’ brightest moments happen when they slow down. Jack and Meg settle into a groove on “300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues” that makes the song fresher than it was on Icky Thump, while a particularly stunning version of “The Union Forever,” with extra-desperate vocals from Jack surrounded by a swelling, horror-movie organ, just might be the album’s standout. The Stripes also include plenty of favorites, including “Jolene,” a bluesy “Fell in Love with a Girl,” a singalong “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself,” and a bruising “Seven Nation Army” as the finale, all of which capture the kind of show the band puts on for its fans. Since a big part of the Stripes’ live show also rests on their visuals, the Under Great White Northern Lights DVD gives the complete experience, but this album is satisfying enough to make it a must for most fans. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 15 Title: Live in Mississippi Released: 2011 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:26:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Stop Breaking Down (02:53) 2 Lets Build a Home (02:08) 3 When I Hear My Name (02:22) 4 Icky Thump (05:04) 5 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground/As Ugly as I Seem (04:12) 6 The Same Boy Youve Always Known (02:55) 7 Wasting My Time (02:42) 8 Phonograph Blues (00:58) 9 Cannon/John the Revelator (02:46) 10 Death Letter (06:40) 11 Astro (01:56) 12 Apple Blossom (02:29) 13 You Dont Know What Love Is (You Just Do as Youre Told) (04:13) 14 In the Cold, Cold Night (04:36) 1 I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mothers Heart (04:02) 2 Hotel Yorba (02:26) 3 A Martyr for My Love for You (05:04) 4 Ball and Biscuit (07:58) 5 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues (06:25) 6 Blue Orchid (02:40) 7 Im Slowly Turning Into You (05:33) 8 Boll Weevil (06:11) |
 | Album: 10 of 15 Title: Nine Miles From the White City Released: 2013 Tracks: 27 Duration: 1:27:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 When I Hear My Name (03:01) 2 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (03:02) 3 Love Sick (03:50) 4 Hotel Yorba (02:04) 5 Aluminum (01:03) 6 Cool Drink of Water Blues (02:13) 7 The Hardest Button to Button (04:05) 8 I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mothers Heart (03:37) 9 Stones in My Passway (02:41) 10 Stop Breakin Down (03:54) 11 Do (03:46) 12 In the Cold, Cold Night (03:53) 13 Seven Nation Army (03:58) 1 The Same Boy Youve Always Known (04:07) 2 Black Jack Davey (03:03) 3 We Are Going to Be Friends (02:52) 4 Offend in Every Way (02:16) 5 Little Cream Soda (04:01) 6 Cannon/Party of Special Things to Do (02:50) 7 Candy Cane Children (01:48) 8 The Air Near My Fingers (02:53) 9 This Protector (?) 10 Screwdriver (Tease) (02:32) 11 Ball and Biscuit (07:02) 12 Screwdriver (reprise) (05:18) 13 Lets Build a Home (02:04) 14 Goin Back to Memphis (05:40) |
 | Album: 11 of 15 Title: Live at the Glastonbury Festival Released: 2013 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:06:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (03:33) 2 Blue Orchid (02:45) 3 I Think I Smell a Rat / Passive Manipulation / Music Man (02:26) 4 Let’s Shake Hands (02:30) 5 The Nurse (04:23) 6 Hotel Yorba (02:10) 7 Jolene (03:32) 8 Ball and Biscuit (01:22) 9 My Doorbell (03:52) 10 Cannon / Broken Bricks / Cool Drink of Water / Ball and Biscuit (06:32) 11 Passive Manipulation / The Same Boy You’ve Always Known (04:02) 12 The Hardest Button to Button (02:45) 13 The Hardest Button to Button (02:45) 14 Little Ghost (02:52) 15 Death Letter (08:16) 16 I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself (03:23) 17 Screwdriver / Passive Manipulation (04:50) 18 Seven Nation Army (04:23) |
 | Album: 12 of 15 Title: Live Under the Lights of the Rising Sun Released: 2014-10 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:15:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Lets Shake Hands (02:02) 2 When I Hear My Name (01:51) 3 Jolene (03:30) 4 Lord, Send Me an Angel (03:37) 5 Youre Pretty Good Looking (01:44) 6 Hello Operator (02:19) 7 Death Letter (04:24) 8 Astro / I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield / Jack the Ripper (03:35) 9 Canon / John the Revelator (02:42) 10 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (02:52) 11 Apple Blossom (02:10) 12 I Just Dont Know What to Do With Myself (02:53) 13 Screwdriver (03:14) 1 Lets Shake Hands (01:58) 2 When I Hear My Name (01:54) 3 Youre Pretty Good Looking (01:48) 4 Hello Operator (02:28) 5 Jolene (03:18) 6 Apple Blossom (02:19) 7 Stop Breaking Down (04:05) 8 Death Letter (04:29) 9 Wasting My Time (02:20) 10 Broken Bricks (01:15) 11 Cannon (02:27) 12 Your Southern Can Is Mine (02:10) 13 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (02:54) 14 Im Bored (02:27) 15 Screwdriver (03:08) |
 | Album: 13 of 15 Title: Under Amazonian Lights Released: 2015-03 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:05:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Blue Orchid (02:55) 2 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (03:00) 3 Black Math (03:00) 4 Love Sick (04:27) 5 My Doorbell (03:51) 6 Passive Manipulation (00:49) 7 Hotel Yorba (02:00) 8 The Same Boy You’ve Always Known (electric) (02:57) 9 The Same Boy You’ve Always Known (acoustic) (03:10) 10 Little Ghost (02:40) 11 When I Hear My Name / I Asked for Water (02:39) 12 Fell in Love With a Girl (02:36) 1 The Nurse (04:24) 2 Little Bird (01:38) 3 Death Letter / Lord, I Just Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes (07:53) 4 St. James Infirmary Blues (01:27) 5 Passive Manipulation (00:48) 6 Screwdriver / Passive Manipulation (05:01) 7 I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself (01:01) 8 (I’ll Be with You in) Apple Blossom Time (02:32) 9 I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself (reprise) (02:46) 10 Seven Nation Army (04:22) |
 | Album: 14 of 15 Title: The Complete John Peel Sessions Released: 2016-04-16 Tracks: 29 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Let’s Shake Hands (?) 2 When I Hear My Name (?) 3 Jolene (?) 4 Death Letter (?) 5 Cannon (?) 6 Astro / Jack the Ripper (?) 7 Hotel Yorba (?) 8 I’m Finding It Hard to Be a Gentleman (?) 9 Screwdriver (?) 10 We’re Going to Be Friends (?) 11 You’re Pretty Good Looking (?) 12 Boll Weevil (?) 13 Hello Operator (?) 14 Baby Blue (?) 1 Lord, Send Me an Angel (?) 2 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (?) 3 I Think I Smell a Rat (?) 4 Let’s Build a Home / Goin’ Back to Memphis (?) 5 Little Room (?) 6 The Union Forever (?) 7 The Same Boy You’ve Always Known (?) 8 Look Me Over Closely (?) 9 Looking at You (?) 10 St. James Infirmary Blues (?) 11 Apple Blossom (?) 12 Do (?) 13 Rated X (?) 14 Jumble Jumble (?) 15 Little People (?) |
 | Album: 15 of 15 Title: Icky Thump X Released: 2017-09 Tracks: 34 Duration: 2:06:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You’re Told) (03:40) 2 A Martyr for My Love for You (05:11) 3 Rag and Bone (07:00) 4 Catch Hell Blues (04:12) 5 Little Cream Soda (03:40) 6 Prickly Thorn, but Sweetly Worn (02:10) 7 Monkeys Have It Easy (01:34) 8 Bone Broke (03:52) 9 Icky Thump (05:27) 10 Catch Hell Blues (reprise) (04:11) 11 Conquest (02:48) 12 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues (05:15) 1 Tennessee Border (02:11) 2 Baby Brother (02:28) 3 You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You’re Told) (Frat Rock version) (03:48) 4 A Martyr for My Love for You (acoustic version) (04:23) 5 It’s My Fault for Being Famous (02:56) 6 Cash Grab Complications on the Matter (03:38) 7 Honey, We Can’t Afford to Look This Cheap (03:56) 8 Conquest (acoustic mariachi version) (02:45) 9 Conquista (Spanish language version) (02:48) 1 Icky Thump (04:00) 2 You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You’re Told) (03:54) 3 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues (05:28) 4 Conquest (02:48) 5 Bone Broke (03:14) 6 Prickly Thorn, but Sweetly Worn (03:05) 7 St. Andrew (This Battle Is in the Air) (01:49) 1 Little Cream Soda (03:45) 2 Rag and Bone (03:48) 3 I’m Slowly Turning Into You (04:34) 4 A Martyr for My Love for You (04:19) 5 Catch Hell Blues (04:18) 6 Effect and Cause (03:00) |