Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Keeping on the White Stripes theme I’ve had going since I started this site, I thought I would take a stab at my first formal record review. I’m quite good at being opinionated. At least I think I am.
The White Stripes newest album, Elephant, is a force to be reckoned with! The Future of Rock! This boy/girl combo delivers raw, bluesy, garage, pop, rock, grunge from beginning to end. This reviewer has thrown out every cd he owns, and replaced them all with Elephant. I can see now that music did not exist until Jack and Meg.
OK, OK, OK, enough bull-shoot. Let’s get serious. This is not the end all be all of music. It is a very strong album.
Track one: Seven Nation Army. It is a made for radio romp. Groovy bass sounds (actually its Jack’s guitar with an octave pedal) and pop-y drum riffs from Meg. It is super catchy and a great song. This song is the first single, and everyone loves it. The Octave pedal idea is a good one. It creates a unique “sonic landscape” to use a pretentious term. It’s not only a catchy riff; it’s got that extra “something” to the sound. Instead of a normal bass sounding: bom, bom, bom, bom, baa, baa. It has that, Sly Stone, Thank You (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf): Byyom, Doyyom, Byyom, Byyoom, Byyaam, Byyoooooo.
Track two: Black Math. Nothing special. A song for the White stripes purist. It sounds like a Stripes song. It feels like it’s about to break out into “Fell In Love with a Girl.” But then that Bridge kicks in!! I’m won over now! Then a guitar Solo!! Not something you usually hear on a White Stripes album. But wait, who is playing the rhythm guitar part when Jack is soloing?
Track three: There’s No Hope for You Here. Another strong song. Soft verses, loud chorus. There are MANY Jack Whites singing backup to Jack White.
Track four: I Just Don’t Know What to do With Myself. Wow! Catchy! A cover song with that White Stripes stink all over it.
Track five: In the Cold Cold Night. Yes!! Meg sings!! I love when Meg sings!! She sang “Rated X” when I saw her live at Radio City Music Hall.
Track six: I Want to Be the Boy. Pretty song. This Album is settled down a bit.
Track seven: You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket. Very pretty song. Soft and low. A Ballad-esqe tune with just Jack and his Acoustic.
Track eight: Ball and Biscuit. Whoa. Things shift here. After three slower tunes comes this long, grinding blues. One of the best on this album full of good ones.
Track nine: The Hardest Button to Button. Not a horrible song, but not a very great one.
Track ten: Little Acorns. What the?? “Be like the Squirrel” Did I hear that right. Again, not a horrible song, but one of the weaker ones. This is what happens when Jack tries emo. “Hey, don't write yourself off yet, It's only in your head, You feel left out or looked down….” Wait, that’s a different song, but the same idea. The more I think about this, the more I think this song sucks huge. The riffs are good. I like the little sermon before the song. According to Jack, in MOJO magazine, this is a Detroit TV reporter, and his little story was on a tape that he got for free. Jack sticks it in his four track and records a piano riff on one of the tracks. When he listens back to his piano, this reporter is telling the squirrel story on the other track. Cool story. Weak song (Unless you like “jimmy eats world).
Track 11: Hypnotize. Sucky song. Weak song. I don’t care for this one at all. I’m a fan of the White Stripes. This song is not very good, but at least it’s short.
Track 12: The Air Near My Fingers. According to that MOJO article, this is Jack’s least favorite song. I like it. It’s one of my favorites. Things were getting crazy there with the last few songs, but this one reminds me of why I like these guys.
Track 13: Girl You Have no Faith in Medicine. This is good songwriting. Very clever metaphor. Catchy. Sounds like the White Stripes are supposed to.
Track 14: It’s True That We Love One Another. Fun. Nice ending to the album. All the chicks dig this tune.
See. A Great album. First few songs hook you in. They sound different enough to show they’ve been growing as musicians, but they also sound like the White Stripes we expect. Then a few slower numbers to mix it up. Then a seven minute blues jam to keep us interested.
Then Three kinda crappy songs that we put up with, but they work here because we need to recover from “Ball and Biscuit.”
Then they finish up with a few more, solid White Stripes songs, and a cute little ditty to show us that they are a fun gang.
The White Stripes newest album, Elephant, is a force to be reckoned with! The Future of Rock! This boy/girl combo delivers raw, bluesy, garage, pop, rock, grunge from beginning to end. This reviewer has thrown out every cd he owns, and replaced them all with Elephant. I can see now that music did not exist until Jack and Meg.
OK, OK, OK, enough bull-shoot. Let’s get serious. This is not the end all be all of music. It is a very strong album.
Track one: Seven Nation Army. It is a made for radio romp. Groovy bass sounds (actually its Jack’s guitar with an octave pedal) and pop-y drum riffs from Meg. It is super catchy and a great song. This song is the first single, and everyone loves it. The Octave pedal idea is a good one. It creates a unique “sonic landscape” to use a pretentious term. It’s not only a catchy riff; it’s got that extra “something” to the sound. Instead of a normal bass sounding: bom, bom, bom, bom, baa, baa. It has that, Sly Stone, Thank You (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf): Byyom, Doyyom, Byyom, Byyoom, Byyaam, Byyoooooo.
Track two: Black Math. Nothing special. A song for the White stripes purist. It sounds like a Stripes song. It feels like it’s about to break out into “Fell In Love with a Girl.” But then that Bridge kicks in!! I’m won over now! Then a guitar Solo!! Not something you usually hear on a White Stripes album. But wait, who is playing the rhythm guitar part when Jack is soloing?
Track three: There’s No Hope for You Here. Another strong song. Soft verses, loud chorus. There are MANY Jack Whites singing backup to Jack White.
Track four: I Just Don’t Know What to do With Myself. Wow! Catchy! A cover song with that White Stripes stink all over it.
Track five: In the Cold Cold Night. Yes!! Meg sings!! I love when Meg sings!! She sang “Rated X” when I saw her live at Radio City Music Hall.
Track six: I Want to Be the Boy. Pretty song. This Album is settled down a bit.
Track seven: You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket. Very pretty song. Soft and low. A Ballad-esqe tune with just Jack and his Acoustic.
Track eight: Ball and Biscuit. Whoa. Things shift here. After three slower tunes comes this long, grinding blues. One of the best on this album full of good ones.
Track nine: The Hardest Button to Button. Not a horrible song, but not a very great one.
Track ten: Little Acorns. What the?? “Be like the Squirrel” Did I hear that right. Again, not a horrible song, but one of the weaker ones. This is what happens when Jack tries emo. “Hey, don't write yourself off yet, It's only in your head, You feel left out or looked down….” Wait, that’s a different song, but the same idea. The more I think about this, the more I think this song sucks huge. The riffs are good. I like the little sermon before the song. According to Jack, in MOJO magazine, this is a Detroit TV reporter, and his little story was on a tape that he got for free. Jack sticks it in his four track and records a piano riff on one of the tracks. When he listens back to his piano, this reporter is telling the squirrel story on the other track. Cool story. Weak song (Unless you like “jimmy eats world).
Track 11: Hypnotize. Sucky song. Weak song. I don’t care for this one at all. I’m a fan of the White Stripes. This song is not very good, but at least it’s short.
Track 12: The Air Near My Fingers. According to that MOJO article, this is Jack’s least favorite song. I like it. It’s one of my favorites. Things were getting crazy there with the last few songs, but this one reminds me of why I like these guys.
Track 13: Girl You Have no Faith in Medicine. This is good songwriting. Very clever metaphor. Catchy. Sounds like the White Stripes are supposed to.
Track 14: It’s True That We Love One Another. Fun. Nice ending to the album. All the chicks dig this tune.
See. A Great album. First few songs hook you in. They sound different enough to show they’ve been growing as musicians, but they also sound like the White Stripes we expect. Then a few slower numbers to mix it up. Then a seven minute blues jam to keep us interested.
Then Three kinda crappy songs that we put up with, but they work here because we need to recover from “Ball and Biscuit.”
Then they finish up with a few more, solid White Stripes songs, and a cute little ditty to show us that they are a fun gang.
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