Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Getting behind The White Stripes....
Went to the music store yesterday. I don't allow myself to buy mass quantities of CDs anymore, so there were at least a dozen discs tempting me all at once. I visited three listen stations, which gave me even more temptation. Finally, I caved a little and grabbed "Get Behind Me Satan" by The White Stripes, which was on sale for $4 off.
I must admit the only White Stripes songs I was familiar with prior to this CD were the two I downloaded from iTunes: "Fell in Love with a Girl" and "Seven Nation Army", although I've heard from several people that both CDs containing those songs are excellent. There is nothing on "Get Behind Me" that sounds like either of the downloaded songs. This makes me wonder: is Jack White a man or a chameleon?
The CD contains some startling sounds. On "Blue Orchid", Jack sings in falsetto, which made me giggle for a moment, but the more of the song you hear, the better the falsetto sounds. This gets even better with repeat listenings.
"The Nurse" starts with what sounds like a xylophone, and you think this will be a lighthearted song. But the lyrics are dark and augmented by Meg's explosive drumbeats and odd bursts of Jack's guitar and piano.
"My Doorbell" has been playing on my local radio station, and it was what made me check out the rest of the album. It is the most infectious song on the album, and it gets stuck in your head after you've heard it just once. Jack's staccato piano playing on this one fits Meg's drumming perfectly, and the lyrics are somewhat liquid and flowing in the gaps. Makes you wanna march around the room and sing along.
More lyric-driven is "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)". I like the emotion in Jack's voice in this one. It's like a slightly jagged ballad.
"Little Ghost" is quite jarring at first because it's very nearly a country song with its harmonies and traditional guitar sound. But the lyrics are really sweet and clever, and it warrants more than one listen.
"The Denial Twist" reminds me of another artist, but I can't quite pinpoint whom. This one leaves me impressed that two people can create so much sound together.
"White Moon" features Jack's song-writing talent. His singing is by turns plaintive and vindictive, and so is the music. It, like a few of the other songs, ends abruptly, like someone changing their mind.
"Instinct Blues" was to me reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, both in the singing style and the heavy metal blues guitar complete with feedback. Is there anything Jack White can't do?
"Passive Manipulation" is a brief ditty sung by Meg. The lyrics make you think.
"Take, Take, Take" is about a fan, a male fan of a woman. It takes a few listens before you get where it's going.
There is one true ballad on the CD. "As Ugly As I Seem" is no ordinary love song, though. While the tune is sweet, the lyrics are bitter.
It's hard to know what to make of "Red Rain". Country guitar and bells, of all things (actually, it sounds like a toy piano), collide with hard rock. Repeat listenings don't make this one any less murky.
The last cut on the disc is "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)". Deceptively simple with just Jack and a piano. But the lyrics are pure country with a bit of a twist.
I think I'm gonna put "Elephant" and "White Blood Cells" on my Christmas list.
I must admit the only White Stripes songs I was familiar with prior to this CD were the two I downloaded from iTunes: "Fell in Love with a Girl" and "Seven Nation Army", although I've heard from several people that both CDs containing those songs are excellent. There is nothing on "Get Behind Me" that sounds like either of the downloaded songs. This makes me wonder: is Jack White a man or a chameleon?
The CD contains some startling sounds. On "Blue Orchid", Jack sings in falsetto, which made me giggle for a moment, but the more of the song you hear, the better the falsetto sounds. This gets even better with repeat listenings.
"The Nurse" starts with what sounds like a xylophone, and you think this will be a lighthearted song. But the lyrics are dark and augmented by Meg's explosive drumbeats and odd bursts of Jack's guitar and piano.
"My Doorbell" has been playing on my local radio station, and it was what made me check out the rest of the album. It is the most infectious song on the album, and it gets stuck in your head after you've heard it just once. Jack's staccato piano playing on this one fits Meg's drumming perfectly, and the lyrics are somewhat liquid and flowing in the gaps. Makes you wanna march around the room and sing along.
More lyric-driven is "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)". I like the emotion in Jack's voice in this one. It's like a slightly jagged ballad.
"Little Ghost" is quite jarring at first because it's very nearly a country song with its harmonies and traditional guitar sound. But the lyrics are really sweet and clever, and it warrants more than one listen.
"The Denial Twist" reminds me of another artist, but I can't quite pinpoint whom. This one leaves me impressed that two people can create so much sound together.
"White Moon" features Jack's song-writing talent. His singing is by turns plaintive and vindictive, and so is the music. It, like a few of the other songs, ends abruptly, like someone changing their mind.
"Instinct Blues" was to me reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, both in the singing style and the heavy metal blues guitar complete with feedback. Is there anything Jack White can't do?
"Passive Manipulation" is a brief ditty sung by Meg. The lyrics make you think.
"Take, Take, Take" is about a fan, a male fan of a woman. It takes a few listens before you get where it's going.
There is one true ballad on the CD. "As Ugly As I Seem" is no ordinary love song, though. While the tune is sweet, the lyrics are bitter.
It's hard to know what to make of "Red Rain". Country guitar and bells, of all things (actually, it sounds like a toy piano), collide with hard rock. Repeat listenings don't make this one any less murky.
The last cut on the disc is "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)". Deceptively simple with just Jack and a piano. But the lyrics are pure country with a bit of a twist.
I think I'm gonna put "Elephant" and "White Blood Cells" on my Christmas list.
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