Up until a few years ago, the White Stripes really bugged me. I had never really listened to the band before but Jack White was certainly annoying. He seemed to be an arty-farty freak who was self-conscious and full of himself and I thought the cameo he had in Cold Mountain was ridiculous.
At any rate, when the band released Get Behind Me Satan I decided to buy it since it was on sale at Best Buy. I ended up really liking the record. I subsequently bought their entire back catalog, blew out some speakers at the WorldMarket in Woodbury, MN listening to "The Nurse" before we opened, and even had a dream about the band. Previously, this was an U2-only level of band obsessiveness. I don't remember much of the dream, but an event that sticks out in my mind is when I tried to kiss Meg. I slowly leaned in and right before I gave Meg a smooch, her upper-lip grew hair on it and I realized I was about to kiss Jack instead. This part of the dream could also be classified as a nightmare. I may be running the risk of being too intimately personal on the 'ol blog, but if nothing else it gives you a glimpse into the fragile state of my psyche at the time (it had been a rough couple've years).
At any rate, when the band released Get Behind Me Satan I decided to buy it since it was on sale at Best Buy. I ended up really liking the record. I subsequently bought their entire back catalog, blew out some speakers at the WorldMarket in Woodbury, MN listening to "The Nurse" before we opened, and even had a dream about the band. Previously, this was an U2-only level of band obsessiveness. I don't remember much of the dream, but an event that sticks out in my mind is when I tried to kiss Meg. I slowly leaned in and right before I gave Meg a smooch, her upper-lip grew hair on it and I realized I was about to kiss Jack instead. This part of the dream could also be classified as a nightmare. I may be running the risk of being too intimately personal on the 'ol blog, but if nothing else it gives you a glimpse into the fragile state of my psyche at the time (it had been a rough couple've years).
A few weeks ago the band released a new album Icky Thump. I won't give a full review of the record, but a few highlights include the title track, "Rag and Bone," and the weird and wild "St. Andrew (This Battle is in the Air)." This track continues the vague spirituality that has always been present in the White Stripes repertoire, from their covers of old blues spirituals to thanking several Saints in the liner notes of Get Behind Me and the Apostles in the notes of Icky Thump.
I have found the live performances of the White Stripes to be a pretty incredible burst of energy and chemistry between the manic over-the-top energy of Jack and Meg's innocent and primal work on the skins. Yee-haw.
7 comments:
You are far more mature than I, J.B. I just find him annoying. Ever since I thought he played Bug in Uncle Buck he has just, well, bugged me. And I thought his blue-grass renditions promoting Cold Mountain were embarrassing. But I'm musically naive, so what do I know? After all, he's the 17th greatest guitarist of all time (and is light-years beyond Larry Jr. and Adam Clayton on the mini-keyboard).
Look at you Mr. non-musical-Arcade-Fire enjoying-immature-Jack White-hater.I think Mr. White is weird and it's okay if you think he's annoying.
That's quite the dream, Jonathan. I will admit that you got me hooked on the White Stripes when we worked together, and I thank you for that.
Katie, you're on blogger and I didn't even know it. Consider yourself linked, if not worse.
Wow, "if not worse"? Big talk coming from somebody who has not returned any kind of correspondence of late. Nah, just had to jibe you a bit with that. I'm very passive at blogging, I go in spurts, but thanks for linking me, anyway! If I ever customize anything on my blog, I'll link you back!
J.B., My White Stripes experience was a little bit like yours. I thought it was too pretentious and, as you said, 'arty-farty', but I have really begun to like them as well - especially since 'Get Behind Me Satan'. For me, listening to their CD was the way to begin to like them. Previously I just listened to their live shows online.
Cool Tom, it seems that 'Get Behind Me' is a bit of a gateway album.
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