Reviews (page 5 of 15)
Good memories of this album. Still holds up.
Okay, hear me out. This popped up today and I was like "YEEESSSSS". Seven Nation Army is definitely a MF CLASSIC and I love the song. Black Math not so much what I like, very loud and I can´t feel the groove. There´s No Home For You - WHY didn´t I know this song before?! Awesome, love the guitars and of course Jack White´s singing fits so perfectly. I really like the lyrics, too. Perfect break-up song, I dunno. I Just Don´t Know What To Do With Myself - also a classic. I totally remember the music video within the first two SECONDS of the song. I remember some chick dancing super sexy - oh it´s Mrs. Moss. Fine. I feel this songs has really strong Rolling Stones vibes. In The Cold, Cold Night - Love the bass, love the singing. Shit. I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother´s Heart - Glorified version of Stacey´s Mom? Oh Jeez, what. I GIGGLED. You´ve Got Her In Your Pocket - Sounds a little like a B-Side Song. Not really my thing. Ball and Biscuit - LOVE the guitar and the drums. Does anyone strip to this? If yes, congrats. Great song, good beat. The Hardest Button to Button - Like the guitars and the beat, but still don´t feel the song. Oh wait, not true. 2 minutes in and it´s good. Little Acorns - completely catches you off guard. Ooooohhh, piano. Like the story, like the actual lyrics. "Grab all your problems and rip them apart" spoke to me, dunno why. Hypnotize - like it. Not much to say here. Short n´ sweet. The Air Near My Fingers - really like it. Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine - I really am enjoying this song, once again. It´s fun and typical White Stripes rock. But also: random. Acetaminophen so Tylenol. Makes me laugh Well It´s True That We Love One Another - I still remember the rumors about them being lovers. So this made me laugh. Resume: Really, really, really good. You always forget about music you listened to almost 20 years ago.
10/10, loved this album for years.
Masterpiece Meg White you are a master. Good for you for taking care of yourself. This album contains some of my favourite musical moments; -Seven Nation Army opening -the sustained feedback on There’s No Home For You Here -The solos on Ball and Biscuit -I got a backyard with nothing in it, except a stick, a dog and a box with something in it. We are poorer for not having the White Stripes in our lives anymore. The bands that followed in their wake never really reached their heights. Jack Whites fine on his own, but there’s something about the raw, deliberate energy the Stripes had. I listened to this album twice today. Does not seem like it’s going to be 20 years old next year; most stuff on alternative radio hasn’t evolved since what these two put out. Incredible lineup of music videos that went with this album too. Seven Nation Army is still incredible to look at.
I really really loved this album in high school. “Ball and Biscuit” is still one of my favorite White Stripes songs — Jack White’s soloing on there made me want to play guitar. This certainly isn’t my favorite Stripes record because there’s a couple songs on here I didn’t like much (they all happen to be smack dab in the middle). What I like about them, and what most people seemed to like, is their marriage of blues and garage rock with a naughties rock production style. The aesthetics of the White Stripes and the silly story surrounding their relationship (siblings or couple?) add to their charm and mythos. Though not my favorite Stripes record, I’m inclined to give this a 5 because of the nostalgia and in case I don’t ever see another Stripes record here again (I don’t want to skew my summary up! I love the White Stripes). 5 5 5!
Listened to this after dusty, and woo boy
oh nice, Seven Nation Army: The Album but seriously, it sucks how overshadowed this album is, like yeah SNA is a great track but so is nearly the whole tracklist this is a 10/10 for me can’t decide what my favorite song is, so many to choose
Genius album by a genius (and Meg), never going to be any less than 5 🌟!
Here's what I love about Seven Nation Army, the first track - it is so simple (one guitar and drums) but sounds like so much more. The opening chords sound like bass but it's just Jack White playing the top couple strings. And then he switches into chords and his signature high-pitched guitar sounds for the choruses. I just love his creativity and high-tempo energy, and Meg White pounds the skins pretty good too. The album might be 5-star if they could keep it up the whole way through. There are some snoozers (tracks 5 and 14 when Meg White sings and tracks 6 & 7 although I started to dig their softness on multiple listens). But pretty much the rest of the songs are rockers. That includes the well knowns like There's No Room for You Here, I Just Don't Know What to do With Myself, Ball and Biscuit, The Hardest Button to Button and the lesser knowns like Black Math, Little Acorns (after the intro), Hypnotize, The Air Near My Fingers, and Girl You Have No Faith in Medicine (the first and last of which are freakin' awesome). It's a definite 4.5 star album since I named 10 out of 14 songs as rocking. I think I'll ignore the so-so songs and round up for the fun and awesomeness that the rest of the album provides.
This came out the year I lived in Providence. I think the first time I heard it I was going to a Stop and Shop grocery store when I heard "Seven Nation Army" come on over the PA system. The line about Wichita really made me perk up my ears and feel homesick after having lived in Kansas for so long. The pitched down guitar basslines really stuck out from their previous records. Seems like they got a little slicker on this record, and started throwing on more bells and whistles - much to my delight. Had a friend Brian who was living up in Detroit and helping Jack White's brother build a geodesic dome around this time. Brian made sure I became a White Stripes/Jack White believer for life. This album became a big part of the soundtrack to my life. A beautiful time when something so idiosyncratic and, how should I say... analog, could be massively mainstreamly successful. Good times.
Dat 'Seven Nation Army' zelfs niet het beste nummer is van dit album zegt genoeg. Topplaat
It's one of the best rock albums of all time.
This record is almost 20 yrs old, a 00's classic. Jack White is a tremendous musician and I think this is his best work. Favorite tracks: Black Math, I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself, Ball And Biscuit, The Air Near My Fingers
A journey of an album, what a banger!
Super special album. Saw then at Ally Pally shortly after this album was released. Great gig...
A masterpiece
“Seven Nation Army” is one of the greatest rock songs of all time. What an opener! And amazingly, the rest of the album lives up to it. “There’s No Home for You Here” is another great song. I think it’s a good example of how they draw influence from a lot of different musical styles but blend them into something unique. Like, there’s no doubt who you’re listening to with that song. It’s so White Stripes. Their version of “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” is stunning. It starts with a slinky, sexy energy and explodes into grungy hard rock. “Ball and Biscuit” is an epic one too. Scorching hard blues. 🔥 And “The Hardest Button to Button” follows it? Wild. The back half of this album is stacked with head banging hard rock. I want to list other album highlights but I feel like I’ll just end up typing out the whole track list. Great album.
Clearly one of the strongest rock albums of our generation.
Champion album, masterpiece of rock. Mix is perfect for the style, too.
Great and different at the time.
There's more than meets the eye in every aspect of this album - the cover art, the drumming, the writing, the pedal stomping riffs. It's all deceptively complex, thought provoking and face melting
the year is 2001 and a wee 16 year old not-nigel is crushed up against the stage at manc academy 2 for the white stripes. this blew my tiny little mind and as such has them firmly close to my heart. Thanks to that gig i am massively skewed towards De Stijl and White Blood Cells, those two albums are stone cold 5 star albums. Elephant to me is the first of the second, more popular, phase of the white stripes. i still listen to the first two albums regularly, but i rarely got in to any of the later stuff. so listening to this almost feels like listening to an album i haven't listened to before. what its lost in rawness and originality it has gained in the quality of the hooklines and his playing is stronger. it doesn't get near the first two albums but if i didn't know about those albums then i'd probably be raving about this one. shame football has absolutely shat all over seven nation army. i wonder if the pet shop boys feel the same about go west?
This album rules
Gotta loveSeven Nation Army.
Easy 5.
So many great songs, it's certainly what brought my attention to the band.
Gritty rock and roll. Worth another listen.
A long time ago, this was one of my favorite albums, and listening to it after some years brings me some very good memories. However, now I can note that this album does not deserve 5 stars because it's a little bit dated... Who cares...this is a 5 ;-P
Honestly, its pretty effing great
Kicking myself for never giving the White Strips a chance. This album is awesome, a great mix of highs and lows. Opens with a banger in 7 Nation, has some songs that made me soon (I want to be the boy…) I just genuinely loved this album and will be adding it to the rotation.
One lunch in early high school Joel Meersman was humming the riff to Seven Nation Army and tapping on the table and I had to know what it was. The rest as they say..is history
Some people don't like Jack White, and those people are wrong. Some people don't like Meg White, and those people are *extremely* wrong. This isn't the White Stripes' best album, but it is probably their most famous and enduring if only for Seven Nation Army. Its power is undeniable, and just about every track is great. I am not a huge fan of Little Acorns. The run of You've Got Her in Your Pocket through Ball and Biscuit to The Hardest Button to Button is one of the strongest hat tricks the White "siblings" ever composed.
Such a great record. Thumping bass drum backing up brilliant guitar.
Blusey, crunchy, dirty, and fantastic. One of my favorite albums from the early 2000s.
Yes mama
Solid, classic.
Jack and Meg had intended to name their band after the candy they loved, The Peppermints, but instead took their last name White and playfully added Stripes as a nod to their favorite treat. Peppermints are beloved by children, bringing sweet joy, which is who/what, I believe, they yearn to be/have, or have been. Alas, the songs on 'Elephant' tell a different story, experiences as children and young adults (their own, perhaps?) that are anything but joyful. The heartache and longing for affection and attention (including self-love and respect) is just palpable on this LP. ‘The Hardest Button to Button,’ offers a heartrending lyric with which any child from a broken home will immediately identify: ‘I had a backyard with nothing in it except a stick and a dog and a box with something in it.’ Few words spoken, much said. The moods The White Stripes capture, both lyrically and in their playing are an integral component to their appeal, and they set them well. Jack White does have a way with lyrics- striking images, unusual cadences (‘There’s No Home for You Here,’ ‘The Air Near My Fingers’)- creativity just pouring from his written word… and then exploding out of his amp. You’ll be hard pressed to find any more authentic 12 bar blues solo (especially from a young white dude) on ‘Ball and Biscuit,’ or the searing guitar solos he plays on ‘Black Math,’ or ‘Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine.’ While there are no computers used on Elephant, nor any instruments made beyond the early 1960s, the guitar solo on ‘There’s No Home for You Here’ sure sounds computerized. I can't bring to mind a more quirky (in a good way) guitarist then Jack White, in both tone and fingering. And the variety of music on 'Elephant' is pretty terrific too: everything from quick, loud, trashy punk (‘Hypnotize’) to tender acoustic finger picking ala the Laurel Canyon scene, circa 1960s (‘You’ve Got Her in Your Pocket.’) Piano, both acoustic and electric, rounds a few numbers out; and, even an intentionally hokey, but playfully good-natured country/folk number to close the album. The White Stripes make a big sound for only two persons, especially given one of the two is drummer Meg White, all of 5’6”, and mesmerizing in an unexplained way, as if she’s studying, almost willing the beat. She might not be a big powerful gent, like John Bonham, but she can pound the skins and crash the cymbals with the best of the boys; then, just as quickly quiet down to tap the same with great finesse. Yes, another great feature of The White Strips is their use of dynamics. Both her and Jack’s playing on 'Elephant' is nothing if not passionate, and where some bands just ‘phone it in’ the Whites prefer a megaphone! But they also bring to 'Elephant' a sophisticated understanding of dynamics, an almost Taoist philosophy to song arrangement: ‘Thirty spokes share the hub of a wheel; yet it is its center that makes it useful. You can mold clay into a vessel: yet, it is its emptiness that makes it useful. Cut door and windows from the walls of a house; but the ultimate use of the house will depend on that part where nothing exists. Therefore, something is shaped into what is: but its usefulness comes from what is not.’- Tao Te Ching: Chapter 11. The boom of The White Stripes is absolutely dependent upon their effective use of silence. A good example of this may be found on their cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s (yep!) ‘I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself,’ when Jack and Meg utterly cease to play just seconds before Jack then sings acapella, ‘Like a summer...’ and then just a hair past, ‘rose,’ a tremendous surge of pure garage band distorted guitar and thunderous drums and cymbals to accompany the next lyrics. The knowledge and ability to insert just little bits like this turn an otherwise good arrangement into a great one. The listener will find plenty of that stuff throughout 'Elephant.' And while Jack’s voice is somewhat of an acquired taste, not unlike escargot, once you get used to its unusual flavor I think you’ll find it deliciously irresistible. And given that escargot is loaded with garlic butter, an after dinner White Striped peppermint seems quite appropriate.
Increible
It is time for another revival of stripped down garage rock
A very excellent album. This is a very nostalgic album for me. I specifically remember singing Seven Nation Army on the way back from scouts in my friend's dad's land rover. Also I reckon it was the first song I learnt on bass... The whole album is great, such an excellent sound. I love Ball and a Biscuit, that guitar is PENG!
The White Stripes have always had a unique sound. This album showcases that sound and adapts it to several different formats.
Starts with Seven Nation Army and finishes with a duet with Holly Golightly, fantastic album
Loved this album all the way through. Great songs, lyrics and riffs
one of the best alums of the 2000s decade. 7 nation army is a rock classic. plenty of genuinely great rock songs with some fun and humour thrown in too.
Modern rock masterpiece.
Absolutely brilliant album. Brings back lots of memories of Fopp days. Much stronger album tracks than I remembered.
This is so in my wheelhouse. Punky garage rock at its finest. Loved Little Acorn.
Excelente
There were a few songs that didn't do anything for me, but I thought I'd like this album pretty well and I did. I've always liked Seven Nation Army- I even backed it up to start it again so I could listen to it louder. I also liked Black Math, the understated In the Cold, Cold Night, You've Got Her in Your Pocket, The Hardest Button to Button, and the inspirational message leading into Little Acorns- I haven't gone over the lyrics to that one yet. 4.5.
I have cold feet. Because this album rocked my socks off. Every. Single. Sports. Stadium. Plays. Seven. Nation. Army. And to start an album with such a strong thumping bass crescendo is just unfair to all the other songs on the album. The whole thing is sooo... original.
Nugget after nugget of deliciousness. It's varied and raw, with lots of great surprises. Stellar album... even with the squirrel story.
Stunning
Hardest Button to Button, I Don’t Know What to Do With Myself, Little Acorns, Black Math, the list goes on and on. Ball and Biscuit is a classic blues rave-up, Seven Nation Army is a sports stadium staple. The White Stripes at their world conquering rock n roll height. Blistering, thumping, a little sensitive, and a lot weird.
Probably a 4.5 for me but on the higher side. I have lots of love for the White Stripes
Ja, dit is toch wel een klassieker. Goede variatie in de nummers, lekker
A childhood favorite
Should get more from them, great album!
This album is on my list to buy now 😄
Loved this way more then I thought I would.
I was familiar with Jack White and the White Stripes, but had never engaged in listening to them. This is great stuff!
Enough to heal pent up energy, great to listen loud. That slightly unpolished sound that makes it so good
Welcome blast from the past! Gonna rate it a 5 because of the limited nuance 5 star rating system lol Black Math, Ball and Biscuit and The Hardest Button to Button are some of my faves
Easy 5 stars My dad got me this on the weekend it came out - he happened to be in the UK and thought I'd like it. I think that these days, this is basically my foundational definition of 'what an album ought to be'. As far as I'm concerned, all other music is basically Elephant, with added bells and whistles. There's just so much charisma! It's like Jack and Meg can make a song out of anything. If they had a guitar with one string and a single broken drum, they could make a banging rock and roll track and fill in any gaps with sheer force of personality. His later work, after he left the white stripes, was never as good, and the problem was always something to do with overindulgence. Even the later albums, with their overdubs and weird organs, lack the energy of this one. It's perfect - the height of their career, the high watermark of rock music in the 2000s. Best songs - the air near my fingers, the hardest button to button, ball and biscuit (which is maybe the greatest guitar track of all time) I get nervous when she comes around, when she comes around, when she comes around I get nervous when she comes around, when she comes around, when she comes around
After the difficult of rating Shaka Zulu, the random generator has thrown me a bone with the easiest 5* I've given so far. The album kicks off with seven nation army, and it doesn't even peak there - probably the highlight for me is ball and biscuit, but the entire album up to that point and beyond absolutely shreds. It's also surprisingly deep in parts - when I picked this up as a teenager Jack and Meg were still pretending to be siblings, so teenage me missed a lot of the nuances of the fact this is an album made by a recently divorced couple, which really does add a whole new meaning to some of the songs.
Jack really shreds on this and Meg is severely underrated. Fantastic.
Love this album. Loaned it from the library in high school to burn it for my personal collection. Seven Nation Army was one of my favorite songs. Really like Hardest Button to Button.
All killer, no filler.
Yeah it's great. Loved it when it came out and love it now.
ah meh det är så braaaa
Some of the best of the white stripes
Classic white stripes
Loved this, never really got into the White Stripes, but this surprised me. Will listen to more on theirs!!!
fucking amazing
Great album, every song is good. I should listen to it more often
I love the White Stripes
Classic?/10 Seven nation army may be an overplayed anthem of every jockball game but the song still slaps and the album that follows is consistently great.
A stone-cold classic. No more words needed.
You cant really go round with anything that starts with Seven Nation Army and covers I just dont know what to do with myself....
Great album, Jack hits that guitar with all sorts of sounds
I was worried that this might just be "other songs released with seven nation army", but actually enjoyed the rest much more than the overplayed first track.
traços brancos
not really a bad song on this one, five stars!
Classic
Let’s have a ball and biscuit and give this album 5 stars
We’re the red and blue army…
Such a great start to an album!
one of my favorites ever
one of the most iconic guitar riffs of all time, on one of the most revolutionary rock albums of the early 2000s 😘#period #y2k
Where do you begin? An album that to this day still is absolutely fantastic. The white stripes have consistently put out amazing albums and finally got the recognition they deserved with Elephant. Ball and a biscuit *chef kiss*
Seven Nation Army was the biggest rock song of my youth and it still rips! There's no skips, and the pacing is fantastic. Meg killing it on In The Cold, Cold Night is an added bonus. 5 stars!
Refined yet raw. It's amazing how powerful and driving it is almost 20 years later.
If there's one thing that I learned by listening to this album it's that half-assing it works well for Jack and Meg. Highlights include Ball and a Biscuit, No Home for you Here, Black Math and Little Acorns. I feel like at a show when I listen to this. So good. So much more to say, but taking a page from their book and half-assing this review.
Already know it! Spectacular album. Full of rocky and chill Songs! And of course it starts off with Seven Nation Army, what a banger! :D
Love it!
One of the best rock albums of the last 20 years. Every riff feels new, original, and powerful. The songwriting is hooky and memorable. I can’t speak highly enough about the album.
Loved it. Very good driving album. Blues, screeching guitars.
One of the greats. No bs rock and roll.
I mean, with the album kicking off with the bassline from "Seven Nation Army," what more could you want? And a clear indication that what would follow would be masterful. An amazing blend of blues and garage rock, by the best 2-person rock group since Local H (and then the Black Keys would come along a few years later!). I could go on and on about every track on this album - its one of the absolute best. Easy 5 stars, no reservations.
Know this one reasonably well - peak grad school.
MASTERPIECE ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Great album with a few top tracks
Peak Stripes
Gehört unter die Top 10
This album slaps, so so good!
First track an absolute classic banger. Few tracks in and it feels like a 4, I know a few of the tracks already and rate them. Gettin towards the end and I've added loads of tracks to my playlist, I'm torn whether it's a 4 or a 5 just cos I've enjoyed it so much. Prob a 5.
So many amazing songs. One of the best albums of all time.
Obviously the best and most known White Stripes album. This deserves an instant 5, as the impact it had on my musical life is immense.
Peut être le plus grand album des années 2000 Ball and Biscuit, seven nation army, hardest button to button, black math, i just don't know what to do with myself, girl you have no faith in medicine, there's no home for you here, Little acorns Jack White est un des plus grands artistes de tous les temps
As amazing, fresh and fun as the first time I listened to it 👌🙌
The only complaint I have about this album is that the White Stripes aren’t still around. Brilliant dirty blues rock n roll - too many great songs to list and barely a foot wrong throughout
Saved Prior: Seven Nation Army Not Saved Tier: 14. You've Got Her In Your Pocket 13. Little Acorns Cutting Edge: 12. Ball and Biscuit Saved: 11. Well It's True That We Love One Another (don't know why there's a minute of silence at the end of this one, would've been higher) 10. Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine 9. There's No Home For You Here 8. In The Cold, Cold Night 7. I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart 6. Black Math 5. The Hardest Button To Button 4. Hypnotize (if only it was longer!) 3. The Air Near My Fingers 2. Seven Nation Army 1. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself Overall Notes: I had prior exposure to Seven Nation Army and Hardest Button To Button, so I was expecting this to be an out and out rocker. Was a lot more nuanced and personal than that, and it was better for it. Didn't absolutely adore any of the songs, but this was an incredible album regardless. A low-end five, but 11/14 saved songs speaks for itself.
Nostalgic Garage/Retro Rock from the turn of the century.
Cracker
Such a great album that brings backs a lot of mems. There was a good couple of years when these guys were my favourite band and it’s nice to re-listen to it with fresh ears. Still sounds fresh. The sound they created was massively unique. Some classic White Stripe tracks on here. Love it.
Love Jack. Great way to kick off. One of my favorite albums.
Has aged like a fine wine. Still amazes me the breadth of noise and creativity that Jack and Meg produced. Top of my list of "bands that should reform" alongside Pulp and Pavement
Excelente, totalmente de mi gusto
Not listened to this for years. Still sounds brilliant and fresh.
I loved it
¡Un álbum buenísimo!
Uno de los grandes clasicos.
obsessed with White Stripes when this came out.
a masterpiece on how to turn silly songs into classics
Muito mais que um vício Muito mais que amor Não é o puto do grêmio É o Rolo Compressor
Very White Stripes.
Used to listen to this a lot! Highlights include ‘I just don’t know what to do with myself’, ‘you’ve got her in you pocket’, ‘the hardest button to button’ and of course the epic ‘7 nation army’. Cracker!
Excellent, brash, swaggering, bluesy garage rock. So many great tracks, but have to go with "Seven Nation Army" as a fave!
Never expected to like 80 percent of this album
A record for which I am very familiar given the number of singles released. I had never listened to it completely or in running order. Somehow it all works magnificently. Meg's drumming actually accents the sound on this record giving it just enough garage with the simple pounding beat. Like a clock.
Almost missed today. This album is awesome. Got lots of Jack White on my phone. I hope Meg is well. There are at least 2 covers covers for the album. 1 with a black dress and one white with flipped image.
Great album
Most songs worth listening to. Gets repetitive in the middle but finished strong!
Always a classic. Fantastic all the way through
10/10
I love this garage rock masterpiece
Hard riffs, stripped back blues. Simple drums that complement the brilliant songwriting. Another classic. Jack white is a legend
Jack takes the blues to another place. I love everything he does
FANTASTIC. LOVE THE WHITE STRIPES
Great album with a few exceptional songs.
Never listened to one of their album, no regrets, was really good. I'll dig deeper in it
This album was foundational for me in high school. It's nice to know it still holds up as a fantastic visceral listen from start to finish.
5/5
Great blues hard rock album, gotta love seven nation army and hardest button to button
The Sound of garage rock This is how to write ‘stripped back’ rock songs Guitars and drums are rarely flashy but work for the song 100% ‘Deep cuts’ are probably even better than the hits Guitar tones manage to sound classic yet heavy as hell and somehow up to date Ball and Biscuit is a rock classic One of the 2000s best rock albums
I mean it's The White Stripes. Of course you love them.
Excellent album!
It's that album. I Just Don't Know What To Do By Myself is a belter.
Notable Textzeile: Take all your problems and rip 'em apart Carry them off in a shopping cart Another thing you should've known from the start The problems in hand are lighter than at heart Der kurze Moment, als ich mich gefreut habe, das eine Melodie einer doch zu der Zeit noch nicht weithin bekannten Band im Stadion gesungen wurde... Was würde ich dafür geben, es wäre nicht geschehen. Wie viele weitere Alben dieser Art hätte es dann noch geben können? Es gelingt hier zumindest noch einmal, dieses Gefühl, dass jede*r diese Musik hätte erfinden können, aber nur die beiden den Vibe haben sie zu machen. Das ist insgesamt ein großes Album und ein Abgesang zugleich.
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
Great guitar riffs. Very raw but still really catchy. Good album.
It’s a really good album, much like the White Stripes other albums. 8/10.
RATING: 8/10 HIGHLIGHT: The Hardest Button to Button LOWLIGHT: I Want to be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart
Great album, really enjoyed listening to it again as I haven’t for many years. A couple of classic songs in Seven Nation Army and Ball And Biscuit. Only one really weak song in Black Math. Recommended for those who like punchy guitars
Come onnnn another belter, I knoe this album does via off abit boring but come on. So iconic
Very unique album, there's nothing like the white stripes what a duo with a powerful sound!
Fav song: Seven Nation Army
Generally speaking, I'm not a huge fan of the White Stripes... but this album is a banger.
Would be 5 except there are a few fiiller tracks
Great group
Love me some white stripes, this album is heavy rotation for me. Nothing groundbreaking but it rips plain and simple.
A great collection of songs. Their stubborn refusal to use bass guitars (doubly ironic since this album gives us one of the all time great bass lines) and commitment to honoring the mediocrity of the lo-fi movement are the only things keeping it from being a perfect album. 4 stars.
These motherfuckers...4.5
não acredito que não tinha ouvido esse antes!!! passada com essa lore deles fingirem serem irmãos
ahhh sim a banda do ex casal que fingia serem irmãos... engraçado que eu tinha ouvido esse dias antes de ter sido sorteado e, além da title track que dispensa comentários pelo hit comercial que foi, acho bem merecido o reconhecimento que ele recebeu, mesmo sendo bem mais recente que os outros da lista
elephant in the room or maybe just the one with all the good songs still so good 💥seven nation army 💥black math 💥ball and biscuit 💥hardest button to button 💥hypnotize 💥girl you have no faith in medicine
I like Meg White
4/5
Enjoyed most of the tracks. Actually listened to it twice. This isn’t in my normal listening library but maybe it should be.
Common Jack White W. It is simple but simplicity is the point. This was very close to a 5.
I liked this a lot less than I thought I would going in being a fan of Seven Nation Army. The songs that I like I really liked, but the songs of “let me talk and then play some guitar and then talk some more” really dropped the overall enjoyment of the album. A solid 3.5, but will round up for Seven Nation Army.
Great album, has all the WS sounds with lean songwriting. This was the record for them, and also one that broke them
It’s fun that they have a noticeable style. The biggest hit is in here and it’s fun in general. 8/10
I'm actually surprised I've never listened to this one all the way through, but this was my first time. I knew the big hits on the album, but there are some other really good ones on here that I had never heard before. I always feel like the White Stripes are at their best when Jack is highlighted on the electric guitar and Meg is going all out on the drums. Just good rock music that always sounds a bit raw, which I love. There were a couple of fillers on here that I think didn't need to be on the record, but overall this is a good one. Kind of appropriate to pop up today as I get ready to take a little break from this while I'm traveling, including a stop in Detroit. Maybe I'll catch Jack at a Detroit Tigers game!
peak garage rock. I love how Meg hit the drum, simple but effective when mix with Jack virtuoso guitar
What a good song to start off an album. I find it so hard to figure out what genre the White Stripes are. It’s alt-rock, blues, and all of it is so simple. Just a drum kit, a guitar, maybe a piano thrown in sometimes. It still manages to absolutely rock your socks off. They do a lot to fill in the sound, but it still has a stripped down feel that really adds to it. Jack White’s guitar playing shines throughout. It’s a great album and shows how they managed to make it all the way to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Great album. Simply and beautiful.
Typ alla låtar är bättre än seven nation..
Better than Coldplay
🐘🔴⚪️⚫️🥁
Number: 228 Familiarity: Aware (2) Rating: 4 Before: ======= The White Stripes again. I had their album "Get Behind Me Satan" as my 155th album and yesterday I had Spiritualized's "Lazer Guided Melodies exactly 55 albums after their best album, "Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space". So, what can we infer? Nothing I expect. Anyways, I'm not that much a fan of The White Stripes as they are bit mainstream for my taste. Let's give this one a shot. During: ======= OK, the opener "Seven Nation Army" definately sounds familiar. It's decent, I'll give it a 4. Now, back to the weather. Thank God, I think we're done with the 100 F days. As of a few days ago, the forecast for today was going to be +100 F but today it's only 96 F and there are no 100 F's in the foreseeable future. Thank you Jesus. After : ======= I liked the music a lot. It's not all that innovative or interesting, but it is just really good. Not 5 territory but I'd rate it a high 4.
YES.. One of my personal favorite bands/influential bands. Some of their truly best songs show up on this although other deepcuts I will say I'm not as crazy about. I'll always champion the perfect firs 3 record run these guys had but this catapulted them in the best / worst kind of way to rock standard stardom.
Ironically I don't think it has some of their best! But I was also distracted while listening.
One of my favorites
Essential
This was my first impression of The White Stripes! I knew a couple of their hits, but this is the first time I've deliberately listened to one of their albums - I'm very impressed! It's primarily a high-energy Garage Rock album with hits like 'Seven Nation Army' and 'Ball And Biscuit', but there are softer moments. The 2 least liked songs are generally 'You've Got Her In Your Pocket' and 'Well It's True That We Love One Another', but I loved both of them! 'You've Got Her In Your Pocket' is actually in my top 5 from the album! I'll definitely be giving some more of their music (As well as some of Jack's solo music!) a listen in the future as this was a really enjoyable and catchy album!
Yeah, this is alright. I don’t love it, but some decent tracks and it’s pretty listenable. A 3.5 start album but I’m feeling generous. (4)
*2003 *Several hits: Seven Nation Army, I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself, and Hardest Button to Button. *I like The White Stripes and this is a strong album, but it's a little tricky to stay in the right mood for an hour. There aren't quite enough soft moments for me - it's mostly pretty manic. Although it is a great workout album and each song individually is still pretty awesome. RATING - 7.5/10
I love the blue influence and the change of energy throughout the album.
Solid album, I've never loved the White Stripes outside of a couple songs though. I think their sound is too bare-bones that it doesn't do it for me? Either way, an enjoyable listen but not amazing.
The white stripes being the white stripes. Great
There’s a good 4-5 songs you can skip here. But 9-10 bangers 4 stars seems fair.
The last song does not suit the rest of the album. Besides that I was impressed by the record (and the fact that I never heard of The White Stripes before). 4/5
I think what the White Stripes really mastered on this album was a mix of simplicity and variety. The band has a very stripped back approach that works wonders for them, making sure nothing distracts from their talent and visceral emotion. The contrast between Jack's showy guitar work and Meg's no-frills drumming keeps the songs feeling fresh and exciting without losing their rawness. About this half of the tracklist sticks to their traditional mix of heavy garage and blues rock, and the other half finds them wading out into more diverse sounds. I personally prefer their bluesier tracks, but the variety helps keep the album from feeling too one note. Jack is also a very talented songwriter, mining the relationship woes that blues is built on and combining them with more contemporary 21st century anxieties about changing times and social status. That mixture between old and new is basically the appeal of the band as a whole, and none of their other albums quite exemplify that mixture like this one.
Listened Aug 12, 2026
A great listen all round
As always, a really great fun listen. But as always, their albums never hold my attention the same way that ‘great’ albums do. I don’t really know why.
Revisited having listened before. Seven Nation Army has become so ubiquitous but the rest of the album is strong. Never been a huge fan but got to admire the vision and how they stuck to that throughout.
So odd it's fantastic.
The superior White Stripes album
++*: Ball and Biscuit ++: Seven Nation Army, Black Math, There's No Home for You Here, In the Cold, Cold Night, Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine, It's True That We Love One Another +: You've Got Her in Your Pocket, The Air Near My Fingers +-: I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother's Heart, The Hardest Button to Button -: I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself, Little Acorns, Hypnotize 7,9/10
Great album with so many top tracks. Seven Nation Army deserves to be as popular as it is. I’m still not sure whether the two White Stripes members are siblings or married
Awesome
Very good. Some surprising moments that made complete sense, which is one of my favorite things. This one stands high above similar albums from the era.
Solid album today. Some bangers on here, and some fairly weak stuff too. Overall a great listen, some fantastic rocky and blues stuff.
good
its okay
It sounds like a band that’s been on the road for two years straight. There’s something about the song structure, and the way songs just explode. It’s designed to be played at a massive outdoor festival or arena.
The early 00s rock revival is easy to mock in retrospect, but the leading lights rose to the top and it produced two or three truly great bands, The White Stripes being one. As much as a 'saviours of guitar rock' tag can be a curse for a band, it is remarkable to look back and see when a band was able to put something out that felt really new and thrilling, even moreso when it wears it's influences so openly. The White Stripes were not the only Motor City band that played stripped back, amped up blues pop rock, but they did it with the most verve, nerve and brilliance.
Good album. Glad it came up
White Stripes has gained my respect after I learned that they did Seven Nation Army. Still not a fan of them in general but I respect them more now
Really refreshing to listen to. Amazing to hear the concept of "less is more" be applied in such an effective manner, as the album didn't feel or sound overly engineered or written. The entire album gives a wonderful sense of feeling and sounding organic. My immediate first thoughts were "this feels very home grown", which adds to the authenticity of The White Stripes as artists and elevates their level of creativity. Ball and Biscuit was my favourite track of the bunch. With that said, the journey after Seven Nations Army was eye opening and continuously grabbed my attention. I would recommend this album. Solid 4/5 8/10
Alright. I guess I never really understood what The White Stripes were all about before starting the project. Now, after listening to two of their albums, I realize that they are actually pretty amazing. This album starts off with Seven Nations Army, which is certainly the most famous White Stripes song. That’s about the extent of my knowledge of them before a few weeks ago. Elephant is a very well known, for good reason. It’s better than pretty much all of the rock coming out in that era. I’m really interested in listening to the rest of their albums.
I hate that I can't hate this album. I was expecting to only like Seven Nation's Army, but this album has a pretty great energy. A bit too long and some songs are a miss, but it surprisingly rocks. Favorite Songs: Seven Nation's Army, I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself, Little Acorns
Better than I expected
still rocks, a couple i didn't enjoy as much
Seven Nation Army is everywhere. You know that riff whether you want to or not. Elephant has the hits — the riff, The Hardest Button to Button, the gnarly fuzz of two people making more noise than two people should. Jack White treats a guitar like it owes him something. Meg White holds the whole thing together by not overcomplicating it. But the one that actually landed was Little Acorns. It opens with a motivational radio speech about a squirrel — if a squirrel stores its food one nut at a time, you can tackle your problems one at a time too. Then it explodes into fuzz. It's absurd and sincere at the same time. And right now, in my current situation, the squirrel logic hit. 3.5/5 — the hits earn their place, the squirrel earned more.
So simple, so effective. Jack White's guitar style is legendary. Meg White's drumming is boldly simple, yet exactly what the songs need. The first four tracks are so good, and the quality stays decent throughout, with standouts like "Ball and Biscuit" and "The Air Near My Fingers". If I could, I would delete a handful of songs from this 50 minute album and make a 5/5 40 minute album from it. But as it is, it's still a consistent album that I would recommend to every fan of guitar based music. 4/5 - excellent
Great album. Great sound.
There’s something oddly catchy about Elephant, even though, on paper, it probably shouldn’t be. The White Stripes strip everything down to the essentials—electric guitar, drums, and Jack White’s unmistakable vocals—resulting in an album that’s simple, raw, bluesy rock and roll, but also repetitive. In fact, many of the songs blur together enough that it should wear on me, but somehow it has the opposite effect while I’m listening. That said, I don’t find myself coming back to it very often. The repetitiveness that doesn’t bother me in the moment is also what keeps me from revisiting the album more frequently. I also think the album would have benefited from a leaner running time. At just over 50 minutes, it overstays its welcome, whereas trimming it down to around 35 minutes would have made for a tighter, more impactful listen. It’ll never reach the elusive 5-out-of-5 mark because of that sameness, but it’s an easy 4 out of 5. More importantly, whenever I do put it on, it’s just as enjoyable today as it was the first time I heard it over 20 years ago.
Im my memory this is the last good WS album. I think it's the last one where they remain truly distinctive and unburdened. Obviously Seven Nation Army has been massively overplayed, but it is still decent. Most of the rest of the album is far more interesting - highlights include Ball & Biscuit, I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart, Girls You Have No Faith in Medicine, and It's True That We Love One Another.
Really enjoyed this album, obviously a bit carried by Seven Nation Army, but that is such a high bar so maybe unfair to compare to. Top Songs: Seven Nation Army, Black Math, In The Cold, Cold Night, Ball and Biscuit, Little Acorns, The Air Near M Fingers
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Good stripped down energetic music!!
That dang whiny guitar.
Between a 3 and a 4 for me. I think the music was good, but I don't think I would reach for this album over other 4s. I'll give it a high 3 which also doesn't feel right considering the number of shite albums I've said were "decent" and gave a 3. Ehhh, I guess it's a 4 then.
Great album! Love the White Stripes!
Bra! Inte mycket mer att säga. Det svänger hela albumet igenom. Seven Nation Army är ju numera ett ganska tröttsamt anthem för typ allt men ingen kan ju förneka att riffet är trallvänligt. Min favorit är nog ändå I just don't know what to do with myself. Sjukt bra!
I like Ball and Biscuit a lot but at 7 minutes it overstays its welcome
One White Stripes album is all you need on this list.
White stripes best, an ode to rock
A really solid album that was unique when it was released. It still holds up since it was released. Quality listen.
'03
great one! definitely gonna be on my playlists
Light 4. I rly wanted to not like this because I think of it as an album for people who “miss *real* music” 🙄. But unfortunately I found this pretty fun.
Great, not my typical vibe but like.... It's the white stripes
I especially liked Seven Nation Army, and the last couple of tracks.
이건 인정이지...
Seven Nation Army has become such a meme for me between basketball games and college pregaming that I was unsure how the rest of this album would hold up. It’s still awesome!! Their sound is so raw, analog and youthful. Such a warm, refreshing, face-melting blast of air after getting AC/DC the other day — simple rock but with someone who sings like a normal person. And Meg’s drumming kicks ass. Jack sings so earnestly that it makes me a little sheepish to blast this whole album on speakers, but overall this gets a firm stamp of approval from me.
The Good: We’re going on a safari! The Bad: Ain’t that kind of elephant… The Ugly: A zebra with an elephant’s “trunk”… That was terrible… the above… Album wise. What a way to start an album with a modern day classic… 7 Nations Army duh duhm duhm… I have to say, I never was too impressed by Jack W, but since this list I’ve changed my opinion. He is a great musician, and this band ain’t bad either… but three albums on this list? I guess that is my biggest gripe about The White Stripes: I won’t actively click play on one of their albums, yet, if one of their songs happens to be on a playlist I’d happily pay attention. Anyway, got to give this 4*
I've never listened to The White Stripes, except for the popular stuff. This was noisy, but completely fine.
Musically incredible. The lyrics are all nonsense, so I try not to pay attention and treat it like another instrument.
Kõva 00ndate alternatiivrokk. Hea album ja tolle ajastu kitarristidel on siit palju õppida. Kõik lood pole bängerid, aga kõik lood on head. 3.9/5
3.5-4/5 Dachte dass nach Seven Nation Army der Rest vom Album bestimmt nicht mehr mithalten kann, aber war eig ziemlich cool und abwechslungsreich
128. Elephant - The White Stripes (2003) 6.30.26 Variety: 4 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 2 = 4.0 "I had opinions that didn't matter/ I had a brain that felt like pancake batter" I bought this album when it came out because I had already bought and liked White Blood Cells, and based on the singles I heard, this was more of the same. In my memory the best tracks from both kind of swim together as one great album as I ended up culling what I didn't like from both and keeping the best stuff in a playlist. The next one - Get Behind Me Satan - failed to capture me, but just to be sure, I went back and listened to the first two and found them lacking that certain something as well. And then I just stopped following them, and that lack of interest carried over into Jack White's solo stuff as well. Only just recently did I finally hear Blunderbuss as it was on the list, and it was ... ok. I gave it a 3 I think. Nothing special but fine enough. So I go into this one a tiny bit trepidatious because I have not listened to the whole thing in easily more than a decade, so not sure how it will hold up. There are obvious highpoints of course, given the impossibility of not hearing a certain track several times a year, from radio, tv, movies, sporting events ( less likely for me) or your kid's garage band practice sessions ( very likely for me). THE TRACKS "Seven Nation Army" - "Massive" describes not only the sound and effect of this one, but the cultural footprint as well. It does not take much imagination to feel the bleachers shaking under my feet right now as it thunders through my headphones and hits with all the power and genius of simplicity as it did the first time I ever heard it. White himself probably would never rank himself that highly in any sort of list of technical guitarists, but his ability to add voice, intention, and flavor to the deceptively simple, highly melodic lines he plays puts him in a special class of players who know exactly how to do what they CAN do to get the exact desired effect. In that respect he's up there with a Keith Richards at least. A seven-note riff that will long outlive any of us. The stripped down sound is still alive and well here, but White I think is too much of a perfectionist to let it sound in any way amateurish. Even the drums and guitar only gimmick is well supplemented by pedal effects and studio sweetening, and all to good effect. This sounds alive and dramatic and nowhere near approaching the kind of ugly dashed together sound that a lot of the other garage acts from the period seemed to cherish so much. Eyes on the prize, and calculated as all get out. And let's not dismiss Meg White's contribution here either. I've seen a lot of takedowns of her as being not very good, and I would say the proof's in the pudding, my friend. She does what she does well, and it's that MASSIVE and iconic groove. Minimalist? Sure. But I'd argue the same can be said of Jack White for the most part. There are plenty of amazing prog drummers from obscure bands you've never heard of that would wipe the floor with 90% of legendary rock drummers from well known bands if it came down to some sort of technical competition. That's not the point though, and these two knew that. To go back to the Rolling Stones - I'll take Charlie Watts any day of the week over Neal Peart ( who I also like just fine). You don't need to be flashy to get the job done. Anyway - I'd argue this is not even overplayed. It's played exactly enough given how awesome it is. "Black Math" - This one comes swinging at you with an energy that rivals "Fell in Love With a Girl" form the last album, but this is no repeat. The heavy fuzz breakdown / bridge section nestled in between a chorus-less song structure adds a bit of a metallic edge before we're thrown back into the crunchy whirlpool. This all works for me. From the not too specific lyrics about learning.... something, to the goatish vocal affect Jack adds at the end. I remember at the time finding the whole vibe of this band to be a pretty refreshing, unembarrassedly performative take on the whole rock genre, especially compared to a lot of the "aren't I so cool" 90s bands who wanted to appear as anti-try hards despite the obvious effort they were putting into their act. The White Stripes were a manufactured product and their goal was to sell you some catchy melodies and hooks. A band of gimmicks and a throwback to when bands were free to do silly shit like dress like pirates or monks. This whole vibes can be felt here. There's a looseness and fuzz and everything you expect from a garage band but you can feel the craft and the precision. "There's No Home for You Here" - A great example of how the band can still say in the same mode while easily travelling up and down that mode so easily. Quiet and subdued, but overbaked lyrics in the verse are contrasted with the bigness of the instruments over top of some easy harmonies and some scratchy noodling. White's lyrics at the best of times could hardly be called deep or even narrative, and operate on a kind of placeholder logic that works just enough to not draw attention. They're complete sentences, but they don't carry any real weight or hang together as anything other than maybe a kind of sophomoric philosophic statement or metaphor. That said, he let this one overcook a bit too long, and it ends up feeling like 3 or 4 ok ideas all at odds with each other, and resulting in a filling, but rather bland stew. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" - And we're back on track immediately, as we get a Burt Bacharach penned very pretty downtempo sad sack break up song. We get the charmingly baroque bit of choppy strumming over the verses that contrasts very nicely with a chorus that pulls up the garage door and briefly allows a blast of sunlight back into the whole affair. I went back and listened to the Dusty Springfield version, which made me even more impressed with White's arrangement. His chorus is somehow even brighter and more epic than the lushly arranged 60s version. A vast improvement. "In the Cold, Cold Night" - Meg takes lead on the vocals here in a sultry, and simple number that wants to recall the Peggy Lee version of "Fever". It doesn't swing anywhere near as much as that, and avoids being a complete pastiche, but it does retain some the hushed, and breathless seductive quality of that. Great stuff, and a nice bit of variety. "I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother's Heart" - About as complicated a narrative as we get form White, it works ok enough, but drags a bit and suffers from a lack of dynamics. The wavy, bluesy guitar licks and piano are a nice touch though. "You've Got Her in Your Pocket" - Another very pretty one that gives Jack an excuse to stretch his folky side. His well known love of The Beatles I think can be heard here in regards to some of their softer acoustic stuff, most notably "Hide Your Love Away" which the key melody here echoes part of pretty closely. Compare White's "Where there's no way out now" line with Lennon's "Feeling two foot small". Again, this doesn't sink to the level of pastiche, and it works very well as a contrast to the brasher, mammoth sounds found elsewhere on this album. The playing itself is more reminiscent of Page's acoustic stuff on some of the softer Led Zeppelin tracks. "Ball and Biscuit" - To keep the comparison's coming, we get a salty bit delta-adjacent of 12-bar blues that ends up sounding more than a little like a cover of some lost George Thorogood song than it does John Lee Hooker or the like, but guessing the latter was possibly more on White's mind here. The fuzzed out scratchy, messy guitar solo as well as White's casual delivery works well to keep the whole piece sounding fresh and not like a poor attempt at a copy. This works really well for me, but I'm glad its a one off as I'm not sure he could pull off a whole lot more of the same. "The Hardest Button to Button" - The other big hit from this, if memory serves as it had a very memorable video. It starts sinister and driving and stays on that path with a couple of detours into some dark, faintly humorous detours involving some amateur family voo-doo which in, a less shaggily structured narrative, might put one in mind of a wry Edward Gorey tale or at the very least an Addam's Family single panel gag strip. The very basic, yet catchy as fuck groove works exceedingly well here though despite the loose approach to the lyrics, and we're left with a nice bit of brooding. It would e very easy to imagine this, filled out with more instrumentation, and done in the style of some underserved 80s UK post-punk band. Maybe one of those "in the style of" Youtubers could do it. Wire maybe. ( The Golden Filter have a great electro-pop version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaoVOWgDsDo ) "Little Acorns" - A swing and a miss! And what a miss. At least the spoken word sample anyway. I'll do my best to ignore that, but it's a pretty glaring misstep. The song proper works well though as a more ragged and blustery version of what we've seen already. For a supposed garage rock band, this is as garage as they've sounded so far, and I'm digging it. Points off for the too goody by half intro though. Bad Jack. No more of that please. "Hypnotize" - The tambourine on this adds SO much. Just a little touch like that can add so much seasoning when used just right, and going back to what I said earlier, White is terrific at figuring out those little solutions. Even the basic as it can get riffs on this one work incredibly well. "The Air Near My Fingers" - As awful as I am with titles, I had forgotten about this catchy little number, buried all the way near the end. We get what I think is maybe an electric organ adding something extra to the pot here which sounds more than a little circusy, but in a good way. "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine" - The propulsive, fuzzed out blues rock theatrics don't really add much to the proceedings, and feel a little more generic than I'd like. This feels more like a desperate, flailing race towards the finish line than the well-considered, precisely paced stuff we've mostly gotten so far. "It's True That We Love One Another" - An assist from Holly Golightly formerly of Thee Headcoatees, on a very fun and throwback folky acoustic number in the mold of those Johnny and June Carter Cash like "Cause I Love You" ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU1X6B2PdHU ). The playful bickering and vaudevillian vibes are charming as fuck. They stuck the landing. HIGHLIGHTS - "Seven Nation Army" - "Black Math" - "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" - "In the Cold, Cold Night" - "You've Got Her in Your Pocket" - "Ball and Biscuit" - "The Hardest Button to Button" - "Hypnotize" - "The Air Near My Fingers" - "It's True That We Love One Another" MIDLIGHTS - "There's No Home for You Here" - "I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother's Heart" - "Little Acorns" - "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS As solid as I remember it being, with a few inessential, but not awful leftovers. This one, along with a probably similar number of highlights from White Blood Cells form the spine of my appreciation of this band, and I thought over all it held up incredibly well. It's just hard to push it any higher up in the ratings than the more than solid 4 that it is. I predict I'll maybe have a bit more praise to heap on White Blood Cells when it arrives, ad significantly less so for Get Behind Me Satan. Though who knows. As good as it is, I'd knock it hardest for the lack of any real emotional depth. Aside from the opener, nothing on here really moves me ( even that mainly excites the old lizard brain more than anything), and as great a performer as he is, I never quite believe White when he does extend his voice into any kind of emotional extremes. It's a great act, but it's just that. The stitching is very fine, but you can still see it in the harsh light. For a genre that seems born of rebellious, in your face energy and appeal to the baser emotions, his stuff is pretty calculated and cerebrally assembled. As much as that guitar can burn it up, there's absolutely zero menace. The enthusiasm to provide a good time and the panache with which it is accomplished remain impressive, and I'm almost tempted to go back and revisit those earlier albums once again to see if there are any gems hidden away in that rawer, half formed version of the band. Almost. Maybe if I'm blown away at how unfounded my assessment of Get Behind Me Satan was. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Keep those highlights coming FURTHER LISTENING - White Blood Cells by The White Stripes - You Can't Buy a Gun When You're Crying by Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs - Brothers by The Black Keys - Life, Love and Leaving by the Detroit Cobras
I did like the songs since I could understand what they're saying. I love how straightforward the titles is and of course I love the beats and sounds of the instruments of their songs.
“Seven Nation Army” is arguably one of the best rock songs of the 2000s, if not the best, and Elephant really cements The White Stripes as a force to be reckoned with. Jack White is a complete talent, from his singing to his guitar work, making that thing screech, growl, and basically sound like it was pulled out of a haunted garage. But let’s not forget Meg White, whose drumming gives the album this booming, steady pulse that reminded me exactly why I loved this band back in the day. The album jumps through alternative rock, blues rock, and garage rock, all while sticking to that stripped-down White Stripes style. Some of the deeper tracks range from just okay to pretty great, but even when a song isn’t blowing me away, the sound is still so distinct and alive. Hopefully these two play together again someday, because the world could use another reminder of just how much noise two people can make.
fun!
A bit silly but it is Jack White larp fucking his sister after all
More enjoyable listen, while the singles I was deeply familiar with I hadn't really listened to this album. Little Acorns stood out as being an odd but interesting entry in the album in its a huge depature from what you'd just heard before ("Hardest Button to Button") I could see putting this on to a listen to in the future.
One of few of the 1001 albums that I heard before and I looked forward to revisit it in its entirety. Jack and Meg rock the socks off and I enjoy the insertion of the slower songs to cool things down a bit.
Incestuous
Didn’t know I just don’t know what to do with myself was on this album - it was fun!
First CD I bought so I'm emotionally biased but this is a great album, not their best but still very good. Seven Nation Army is an all timer but Button To Button is probably my fav on the album.
really cool sound to it, I love the rock and vocal yelling. It reminds me of almost like silent punk. Seven nation army being a banger along with ball and biscuit
I’m here for Jack White lol, who I am so glad went off to do his own thing. I prefer him solo over him and Meg on this album.
#385/1001. Anyone inventing a riff which gets banned in guitar stores around the world must be a genius. Also the music videos are genial, although Kate Moss sucks as a pole dancer, but that is not the band's fault.
It's a brilliant album but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It was released right around the time I was getting into music, so it would've been prime for my adolescent mind. But now it's just passed me by. Seven Nation Army fucking slaps though.
Interesting. Really boring musically, but has a really distinct feel to it. Sounds like they like to start their songs by singing the title of the song. 3.75, Ball and Biscuit.
i was planning to say this band was an one hit wonder but this album proved me wrong. it had some decent bangers that i wouldnt have heard in my life if it wasnt for this, so yeah....
Pretty solid album, I've heard the opening song many times in pop culture and pleased to say the ending song was just as captivating. The middle was fun, a few songs didn't hit for me. I felt at times the vocals were in the wrong place in accordance to the guitar but only on 1-2 songs. Overall good album that I'm surprised I never listened to before
super solid album. i think the middle drags a bit, but there are some serious standout tracks here. ball and biscuit, the hardest button to button, girl, you have no faith in medicine and of course, seven nation army. all killer tracks.
One of the greatest stadium pump-up jams opens this album on such a high key. The rest of the album isn’t nearly as iconic, but there are a handful of songs I have added to my library already from listening to this album growing up. Not quite five stars, but a solid four.
Good. Fucking. Album. I'm not big into The White Stripes, but this album rocks. Standout stadium songs and down to earth blues songs all in one. Totally deserves the hype.
I feel like this album shows the band in a much more technically proficient place, but it misses the passion that made White Blood Cells such a classic. In their efforts to expand their sound they lost the focus of their earlier stuff, and I think their ambition works against them here. Regardless of that, however, this is still a really impressive collection. There are some really strong songs in here, even ignoring the obvious Seven Nation Army sized elephant (see what I did there) in the room. Favorites: There’s No Home For You Here, Ball and Biscuit, The Air Near My Fingers
I actually really like The White Stripes. Before embarking on this list I would have thought this was an easy 5. I went in for the relisten expecting to find it wall-to-wall excellent. Maybe my tastes have changed? I don't know. Elephant is their best work for sure - bombastic, confident, and full of excellent licks. Meg's outstanding performance on drums remains iconic (with THAT mixing!), Jack White is one of the few guitarists allowed in the Bass hall of fame, and the smattering of popular singles continue to be amongst the best of alt-rock of any era. But the album itself is also half-stuffed with somewhat frustratingly mediocre filler. The country-leaning bits just never really fit, either cohesively or sonically. If the album was cut, or at least if the inbetweens had half of the punkish character of a Seven Nation Army or a Hardest Button to Button it would be an easy 5. But alas, Jack White's biggest albatross around his neck continues to be his inconsistent sound. Still an excellent album though, a high 4. Fav tracks: Seven Nation Army, The Hardest Button To Button, There's No Home For You Here, Little Acorn, Girl You Have No Faith In Me
I Just really hate little acorns
Hårdtslående garagerock fra øverste hylde. Albummet starter med “Seven Nations Army”, som er en af rockhistoriens mest kendte sange, med et af de mest ikoniske rifs nogensinde og indeholder også hittet “The Hardest Button To Botton” og den skramlende blues rock-sang “Ball and Biscuit”. Er man glad for garagerock og har interesse for rockens mange facetter er dette album uundgåeligt.
I really liked most of this album, especially the first two tracks. There's an excellent blistering guitar and solid rhythm section. The only downside was that I thought that some of the lyrics, which I assume were supposed to sound badass, instead were kind of goofy, like I wanted to pat him on the head like "yeah you're a big badass guy, aren't you!" But I have other records with goofy lyrics, so that's ok. 4
oH mY GoD iT's tHe WhItE sTrIpEs!!!!!
Pretty enjoyable album overall. Don’t really have a crazy amount to say about it but definitely had a good time listening to it.
The White Stripes have always had a lot of talent in their songwriting, and each song from this album illustrates their ability to create a lot of simple, yet broadly enjoyable songs. However, this album also showcases the lack of complexity in their music, as every song is predicated on the most basic rhythms and hooks, and only the guitar ever steps out into anything remotely sophisticated. This shortcoming aside, there's a lot of well-executed genre blending and variety in the album, and each song is at least of undeniable quality. Ball and Biscuit was a notable track, featuring some technical blues guitar licks and a slightly sophisticated beat, with enough length to develop the elements of the song that made it interesting.
This is the one White Stripes album I think I can give as high as a 3.5 on, as it feels their most substantial, not just because of "Seven Nation Army," but mostly because it is their heaviest and riffiest, which I think just ends up being their best material. There are still some songs on it I don't like, and I still don't generally like their gimmick or general sound, but I'm will to give this one 4 stars on this scale due to what I think was the zenith of The White Stripes's approach.
Tiene 2 temas muy reconocibles y muchos que no los reconocí. Es de un género musical que no escucho pero si me gustó el álbum entero.
Good cold cold night is a highlight
I can't decide if I love or hate this album. Bangers and duds
I listened to it while working out, but it really goes down in energy after the first track. Of course it's a classic thought, and Seven Nation Army by itself would probably get 4 stars. If there were a few more tracks like that, it would have been an easy 5/5
I’ve always loved The White Stripes. I know, own, and like the songs Seven Nation Army, In the Cold, Cold Night, It’s True The We Love One Another, and their cover of I Just Don’t Know What to do With Myself. I also knew the song The Hardest Button to Button.
A great album that shows a mix of electric and acoustic styles for a great record overall. Seven Nation Army is obviously one of the greatest iconic album openers ever made, but the rest of the album is in no way outshone by it. A very solid album and one I’d definitely come back to.
4.5
This album is pretty good in my book. It starts off with the electrifying listen of Seven Nation Army, and after that, mellows out, bringing a sense of calmness and emotion to the project. My favorite song is "You've Got Her in Your Pocket."
some bangers in this one
I recently bought a guitar and one of the first riffs I learnt was Seven Nation Army, of course! Very enjoyable racket!
Haven’t listened to this in ages and it’s a great album. Such a sure footed sophomore effort. Really love the cover of “I just don’t know what to do with myself” and other deeper cuts like “ball and a biscuit” are so good.
This is an interesting album, you can hear the punk rock heritage and multiple different influences in Jack’s vocals and the music. Some harder Beatles tracks come to mind in addition to Dead Kennedies. Interesting amalgamation. And them the indie rock sound which became dominant after this
Probably The White Stripes's best album
Enjoyed this a lot when it was released.
Some lovely garage blues rock here, and on paper I should love this album, but for some reason it just falls short of a 5 for me. Ball and Biscuit is absolutely brilliant, and I love the organ on The Air Near My Fingers. However, there are two or three tracks which are just okay, and a couple I actively dislike (In The Cold, Cold Night & the final track).
I really like this and it rocks hard. I saw them the year this came out, at Coachella. But I never listened to this record before. Some of these they played, so I remembered them from the show. It stops short of 5 stars for me just bc it doesn't particularly move me, but I like it. The live experience was great. They definitely made a joyous noise unto the heavens. Truly a shame that Meg did not come to the HoF induction, would have been great to see them play again.
Heard Many Times; 3.5; I really enjoy this album, and after listening to an earlier White Stripes album earlier in this project, I can certainly see that this is their better effort. The songs just sound more filled out, have catchier hooks throughout. The fat, crunchy guitar sound is distinctive, and I feel like it's mixed much better with other instrumentation on this album. Hard to not stomp when you hear a lot of these riffs. Favorite Track: The Hardest Button to Button
It's a consistently strong album with a number of highlights. Lacks replay ability though.
I like this album, I liked it 20 years ago. Some banging tunes and good memories. Not going to get full marks though, I must be hard to please.
A hell of a thing. Everyone knows 7 Nation Army, but it was the intro to the next track, Black Math, that grabbed me by the throat. Solid, back to basics, rock and roll that's good for the ears and the soul.
Really really good album. I never loved their sound but you can’t help but admit that it’s a vibe here. Ball and Biscuit is an amazing song
Sparker fortsatt bra fra.
7 nation army is iconic
Best White Stripes album for sure, nothing bur bangers, Jack White writes great riffs and Meg is really what separates The White Stripes from most modern blues rock
Really good songs medium energy will re listen
Such great drumming
I've liked the Album so far!!! The slow songs are low key my favorites.
Good album but I think White Blood Cells is better
Decent rock album