Reviews (page 13 of 14)
I liked how short and concise the album was, I must say that. The drumming was fun. Jack's screaming and lyrics were impeccably absurd. I really liked We Are Gonna Be Friends
Meh.
Dirty garage retro blues from Jack (and Meg) White. This was the 3rd album but the one that made them big on the indie scene. Still sounds really fresh. The sparse arrangement highlights the brilliant guitar from JW.
Top 10 essentials of the 2000s First heard of White Stripes from the Fell In Love With a Girl video. While I think I do like Elephant a bit better than this, this one is incredible for the energy and arrangements. I watched a couple of videos breaking down Meg Whites drumming style and had a greater appreciation for her contributions to White Stripes sound. And I think it’s why I just haven’t connected with any other of Jack Whites projects.
прослушано
Meh, only a few good songs, lot of annoying ones, need to try and listen to the last half again
Some good songs but not sure I like the singers voice
When The White Stripes were at their apex, I couldn't see their appeal. I thought their "retro-rock" was a regression, nothing more. Seeing them live made me understand a little better what they were all about. Now, decades later, I *do* get how important they were. Rock kept moving forward, no matter what. It's just that looking into the past is *also* actually important if you want to move forward. This band represents the best of that transition the early aughts needed to go through. Some of the acts representing that transition were not as skilled as the White Stripes were when it came to leave an imprint in listeners' minds, that's all. Those lesser bands are the ones that just signified a fad, nothing more. In comparison, Jack and Meg White had a distinct sound, as well as timeless songs. You just can't beat that. That's why they deserve their place in this list... Number of albums left to review: 709 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 146 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 70 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 81
Tekið upp á 7 dögum og það heyrist. Flott stöff inn á milli samt.
I feel as though I'm betraying myself a little bit, but I'm actually struggling between a 4 and a 5 star on this one. Obviously those are both good scores, but I figured going in this would be an easy 5 star. However, once actually listening I do have some faults, such as despite most of the songs being relatively short, it does go on a little long, making the "oomph" of the music lose it's touch near the end, and some songs just aren't very notable and blend together. I think I'm going to have to go with the idea this is a very high 4 star, but not quite that 5 star material. Perhaps one of the other White Stripes albums on here.
Seminal rock from an accomplished atist
I've heard this one two times before, and I'm not the biggest fan I gotta say. Elephant was the only White Stripes album I could really get behind
A very good White Stripes record. For whatever reason, it doesn't speak to me as essential after all these years.
Eh
This album came onto the scene to assert that rock and roll is not completely dead, which of course it is not. It is not my favorite album of theirs, but it is pretty fun. I am not sure that we'll all be listening to it still in 40 years, though. Fun but ultimately not a stand out for me in terms of musical skill, songwriting, or composition.
Perfect album
I like Jack White's voice (there's something Paul McCartney-esque about it) and it works well with the "simple" rock feel of this album
I learned "We're going to be friends" is a white stripes song. Other than that it was standard White Stripes. Not bad but not amazing.
Elephant is a better album. This album has a more grunge sound to it that I’m not as fond of. But I still like what The White Stripes did.
I like the songs I like on here, the rest were okay, Jack White is not a strong singer, but very unique and cool songs.
A very enjoyable listen. Hard to pick a favourite but Dead Leave and the Dirty Ground really sets the mood. The other songs that caught my attention are just the more well known ones like Hotel Yorba, and I Think I Smell A Rat but the album probably needs a few more listens.
A straight up 5, no doubt - three of the first four tracks are absolute bangers, and more than 75% of the remainder album had me going "oh yeah, I love this one too". Fave track - "Fell In Love With A Girl" and "Hotel Yorba"
I found the album more varied than I expected. Hard to believe the album it's over 20 years old. The songs are short, punchy and to the point. They work well and I don't think any of them overstayed their welcome. I imagine "We're Going To Be Friends" would have been tiresome if it went on and on, but it did not, so there you go. I think I liked this even more than the other album "Elephant." Good stuff.
While I don't own any White Stripes albums, my initial reaction was this could be good because I know this was the album when the White Stripes took off. But then I looked at the track listing and I didn't recognize too many titles. That made me have second thoughts. Still once I started listening I was surprised at how many songs I recognized beyond the big singles (I'm Finding it Harder to be a Gentleman, Offend in Every Way, I Can't Wait), which says something about its popularity or broader ability to catch on at least. Ultimately though, there's a lot more I didn't recognize. It's a long album at 16 songs and worse, there's some clunkers or odd ducks. The White's were still figuring it out on this album and it shows; Jack always has some weird lyrics (and Meg should never be allowed to sing) but it's the musical compositions that are not quite polished on a bunch of tracks. Still a big fan of Jack White's sound and garage rock overall (these guys paved the way for a lot of 2-piece outfits that can really jam) but it's probably around a 3.5, and I rounded up on the last album I rated of theirs so I'm rounding down on this one.
The White Stripes third album is a strong guitar driven release that shows that sometimes the simple ways are best. Pretty much driven by Jack’s guitar / vocal combination and Meg’s drums every song on here is direct and to the point with nothing clocking in over 3 minutes and 40 seconds. I’m not even a huge garage rock fan but still really dug this album. Favorite tracks: “Hotel Zorba”, “The Union Forever”, “We’re Going to Be Friends”, “I Can’t Wait” and “I Think I Smell a Rat.”
I like the White Stripes and I like pretty much every track on this album, but after a while the garage riffs and drums get a little repetitive. Don't get me wrong, the album is a rocker, is highly creative, and deserves the accolades, I just can't give it a 5 because of the repetitiveness, even if it's good repetitiveness. It could also be that Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground starts with a ton of feedback, which I can't stand. Sets the wrong mood for me personally. These kids and their loud rock and roll!! [shakes fist at ceiling]. That said, lots of good stuff on this album. Favorite tracks: Hotel Yorba, I'm Finding it Harder to be a Gentleman, Fell In Love With a Girl (absolutely impossible to understand without the lyrics, but super-cool song), We're Going to Be Friends (I like the mood of this song), Offend in Every Way, Now Mary.
p878. 2001. 5 stars Gorgeous, stripped down guitar rock with quality tunes. There is a direct line from this back to 50s Sun Records Elvis. What's not to like?
Love the raw sounds and the punk vibe. Awesome to hear this one so many years later knowing Jack White's projects have taken him all over the place physically and musically since it's release.
The White Stripes is one of my favorite bands that I forget to listen to for months...However, I am surprisingly amazed by some songs when I return to them. I know that sometimes their rawness is not so well digested by our ears, but I can't dislike them.
Never listened. Some cool moments but other guitar parts get tiring and the lyrics aren't great. 2.5 stars.
An excellent adventure in core rock music. Something that this world clearly doesn't have enough of! I like the minimalist presentation (though it's no minimalist when it comes to sound levels), creating good music out of rock's core constituents. P.S. Elephant is even better.
Short sharp songs...this album always makes me happy. I would say the best White Stripes album.
I like the sound and music of the white stripes in general, but I struggle a bit with this album. Has 1 or 2 great songs. One of those albums where you notice it becomes really nice when the album has ended and spotify started with recommendations based on this album.
5/10
Banger! Peak early aughts indie rock
Great songwriting, but I never cared much for Jack White's vocals.
Je mets 4 parce que Elephant existe
mieux dans mes souvenirs : (
I was surprised that I could even listen to this whole album on Election Day but I got through it. It wasn’t quite as good as elephant but it was still a nice listen from start to finish. Fell in love with a girl and I think we’re gonna be friends are standouts even though that second one is waaaay overplayed in indie movies
-Big fat guitar chugging along in "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" -"Hotel Yorba" is a very upbeat fun tune. Love the lyrical rhythm with the bug guitar and cymbals in the chorus -Very gritty version of "Fell In Love With a Girl" -"I Think I Smell a Rat" is a short, quick catchy tune with some cool distorted guitar -Lots of cool guitar riffs throughout the album -Cool dirty sound to the album
Early White Stripes is so good. Nothing clocks in longer than like 3:30. Crazy this is over 20 years old now.
Good enough
Red, white and blues.
why do platelets never get any love
Ok but definetely heard better white stripes music
just sommone albumi josta en oikeen tykkää... 2000-luku alkupuoli rock hei lets rock guys! we are going to rock the house tonight yell ROCK when i yell LETS you yell ROCK! ei käy.. ei käy mulle. bändin vokalisti on malliesimerkki lauluäänestä joka minulle kuulostaa aivan vitun paskalta,, eli ei hyvä ääni mutta ei hyvä paska ääni vaan paska paska ääni. albumin keskiosassa instrumentaatio alkaa olla vähän parempaa, löytyy tasapaino, ssielu, mieli mutta laulun lyllerrykset pilaa senkin...... ja loppuosa on aikalalilla yhtä paskaa.... ajattelin ensin että kaksi tähteä, mutta ei, ei, nämä ovat 1001 albumia jotka on pakko kuunnella, ja jos kultti ei ole täällä tarkoittaa se, että nämä albumit kuuluu olla kaikki parempia,,,, SAATANA!! tänään en armoa anna...
There were several tracks from White Blood Cells that I've heard before, but I don't think I've heard this album all the way through before. My all-time favorite track from the White Stripes is on this album ("We're Going to Be Friends"), even though the track is not typical from the band. "Hotel Yorba", "Fell in Love with a Girl", "Little Room", and "I Can't Wait" are tracks that I would easily play again. I like the White Stripes, but I think that the noisy, crashing energy that is the White Stripes is what makes me consume their music in smaller doses.
classic, many bangers
Sounded like a lot of the same to me...
As interesting as it was boring. As fun as it was dull. An album of -mostly- milquetoast background radio rock interspersed with some solid ideas, passages, and progressions- which sadly came too few and far between to end up feeling all too positively about the project. The production is punchy and guitar-forward but I don't feel Jack White does all too much with his instrument to really make use of that spotlight. The stop-and-go riff of Expecting, the staccato stabs of I Think I Smell a Rat, and the arrhythmic flow of Aluminum are some nice, intriguing, bold highlights on that front. But most of the time, what drives each song instrumentally is a painfully ho-hum thrown together little riff. I'm not saying I could write so much better, but did the world really need another song that sounds like The Same Boy You've Always Known? Because I swear I've heard it a thousand times from a thousand others, and it's not the only track here that made me think as such. It's safe, and serviceable, but ultimately so very trite. Jack's voice is the real distinguishing piece of this puzzle and I'm left just as mixed on him there as with his strumming. This boy is frustratingly allergic to even using his chest voice, and seems too often unconfident in his preferred head voice too. His faltering, uncertain affect left an undesirable taste in my mouth right out the gate in Dead Leaves and Dirty Ground, and that set me on a path to never quite find it quirky enough to enjoy. Maybe with a bit more oomph, it'd be different. He hits that sweet spot on Fell in Love With a Girl, good rhythm on that one too, and the intense bits in The Union Forever hit my ears nicely. When he's going hard and showing off a little vocal fry, it's memorable. But until then I more often just find it shrill, and weak sounding. I'm not really feeling this but can't say it's bad, per se. It's something you put on a bar playlist and talk over in a crowded room full of college kids, not something you listen to end to end. 4/10 by my taste. One more thing; what the fuck is Hotel Yorba even doing here? What a mistake of a track.
Very solid throughout, but nothing blew me away.
Love the white stripes sound, could listen to it all day
Always been a fan of the old White Stripes songs but never really got to this album specifically. It captures the sound nicely but I feel like they fledged the concept out a bit better/further on the next albums
Brilliantly original and distinctive.
Mid
Mostly distorted guitar and drums but some clean tones in there too. I think I had heard most of these songs before with knowing they were all from this one album. I really enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t say it’s one of the best ever
Great album, classic White Stripes.
Today was the first time I realised I've only really listened to Elephant. Thos was alright, but not quite as good.
Very good album. Favourite track are 'Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground', 'Hotel Yorba'. 4,5/5
This wasn't a bad album, but it's the worst album I've heard by the White Stripes. Every song was listenable, but only a few I really liked.
Great album, but deducting one star because it’s the second time an album of theirs has been shown.
I like the stripped down and southern feel of it, very to the point. Not something I'd relisten to but has made me interested in the white stripes
Great rock album!
Decent album. All good tracks and very versatile
That sure was White Blood Cells by The White Stripes. I'll just stick to "Seven Nation Army", thanks.
3.5
Will always remember this as my first favorite album. Excellent! A classic that I always love revisiting!
Uvijek su mi bili okej, tako su i ostali. 3.5/5
I liked this album quite a bit when it first came out. I really liked the "garage rock revival". I don't listen to the band too often these days but I generally like their songs when I hear them out in the wild. So I thought that hearing this album in full for the first time I probably a decade or so might be a treat but it was more or less a mixed bag. The opening 2 tracks are pretty great, especially "Dead Leaves..." Fell In Love With A Girl was the song that got me into the band, but doesn't do much for me in 2022. There's some good songs sprinkled throughout but some of the songs are just kind of...there. I was really hoping to like this more than I did. Not a bad listen overall, but I'd prefer to just listen to a handful of tracks and skip listening to it in its entirety going forward.
Front to back, this album hits in all the right ways. You can see why The White Stripes are held in such high regard.
Unbelievable.
Having seldom given the White Stripes the time of day proper before, I found myself rocking and enjoying this almost instantly, despite largely thinking of them as a band of a few hits and otherwise standard okay okay alt rock band. I was surprised how much blues and noise influence was present and cleverly executed throughout the album, all tasty and catchy.
It is good/fine, but just not super compelling to me. Drums sound pretty similar each song
ok. so. no. i think about 2.5 of their songs were alright and tolerable but the rest were bad, really bad.
There is so much I could write in detail while actually analyzing my feelings and thoughts and strangely enough - emotions - about each song, each chord change, the arrangements and each note of this record. Instead I'll keep it simple: I unequivocally and wholeheartedly hate everything about this album. 2/10 1 star.
Not really my cup of tea but it was OK
This album made me realize elephant isn’t a 4. That albums is so fucking good. This a lil folkier is cool
Nice, this is far-and-away my favorite White Strips album. I've listened to it recently and it definitely holds up, though my opinion on Jack White has soured in recent years. Update: This was good still. The last few songs kind of drag, they don't seem to have the development that the first 13 or so have, but it's not a huge issue. "I Think I Smell A Rat" is still one of my favorite WS songs, and of course "The Union Forever" jams. I have a soft spot for "Little Room" in how simple and childish it is.
nice nothing too cool
J'ai vraiment souvent écouté cet album dans les années 2005ish... Pour moi, s'écoute toujours aussi bien. Ç'a toujours été ma préférence, les trucs rythmés et "sales"
Þessi varð eiginlega instant klassík á sínum tíma. Svo hrátt, mikill bílskúr í þessu.
A true classic and a great debut
I genuinely think I’ve listened to “Fell In Love With a Girl” more times in my life than any other song in existence. The rest of the album is just as up to snuff, a genuine rock masterpiece.
Didn't do much for me. Some very energetic moments but overall felt very much the same
I thought they only did Seven Nation Army but they are a very talented duo! I’ve been in a bit of an album slump and I was starting to despair. This album brought me out of the depths. It was a red light at the end of the tunnel. In your face and doesn’t apologize for rocking. The very definition of a power couple, made bittersweet knowing that their marriage didn’t last, but maybe that adds to the beauty of what they created while together. I didn’t know they still made rock music like this. Would’ve been 5 stars but the singer’s scratchy voice started to get on my nerves a bit towards the end. Bonus piano duet at the very end perfectly wraps up the synergy that produced this great album. Favorites: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Expecting, the Union Forever, I Think I Smell A Rat, Aluminum, I Can Learn
I don’t get them.
3.5
“Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” “I’m Finding it Harder to Be a Gentleman” and “Fell in Love With a Girl” are classics. “Little Room” is such a great quick one. The a way Meg White smashes the cymbals relentlessly captures what’s so great about her as a drummer - simple, direct, hard hits. She keeps time with an attitude. “We’re Going to Be Friends” is a wonderful little ditty. Jack White is such a gifted songwriter - he can write big rock anthems, blues songs and pleasant melodies like this. And all of them will get stuck in your head for years. There are a lot of songs packed into 40 minutes here so we also get some oddball numbers like “I Think I Smell a Rat” and experimental stuff like “Aluminum.” Eclectic album that rocks hard!
"Fell In Love With A Girl" is my favorite White Stripes song, and is one of my favorite rock songs. So much crazy energy and excitement on top of a flat out simple and incredible song with just the melody and harmony. I love "Hotel Yorba" as a second track. Acoustic guitar driven but still full of movement and upbeat kick drum pedaling that doesn't stray too far from their sound while also giving some contrast. "We're Going To Be Friends" (which I've been misremembering as "I Can Tell That We Are Gonna Be Friends") is amazing. Love this album cover too. What are the people in black doing? This was their last record that was independently released- is there something here with the record industry?
Pantalan.
thick sound for a 2 piece, interesting take on stripped back rock n roll
geagrqerg
Who hasn’t heard of The White Stripes? Even if you can’t name them directly, you have 100% heard their music. What’s fascinating though, is that this album predates a lot of the big radio hits that stick in the zeitgeist like Seven Nation Army. But digging down a bit more, I love hearing the core blues and folk influence that Jack White carries with him; the acoustic track We’re Going to Be Friends or even the lighter mood of I’m Finding It Harder To Be a Gentleman stand out from the headbangers they’re known for. Top song pick upon first full listen is We’re Going to Be Friends. I heard it for the first time live recently and it’s just stuck with me. It’s a lovely acoustic ballad that leaves you longing for the innocent days of school.
It’s solid the end of the album gets a bit samey though 4/5.
Already listened to this a while ago, years ago. I believe I borrowed the CD from Lucan Library and the only song I remember from it is "We're Going to Be Friends". A lot of it is a bit too heavy and aggressive for my usual tastes, but Jack White's voices is raw in a nice way. I like The Union Forever! And Offend in Every Way. Had to skip through Aluminum, too much...noise.
I can hear a lot of the songs in later albums foreshadowed in this one.
Obviously everyone knows The White Stripes because of Seven Nation Army, and I'd heard some of their other stuff like I Fell in Love With a Girl. However, this album was not what I was expecting. The mix of genres or just feels was reminiscent of why I fell in love with another band, Gorillaz. I also had no idea that We're Gonna Be Friends was by them, so that was quite a surprise.
2001 va protagonitzar el penúltim resorgiment del rock. I sobretot va ser de la mà de 'Is This It' i d'aquest 'White Blood Cells'. En el cas de The White Stripes, el disc és més un manual d'estil que una obra mestra del génere. Blues rock descarnat, sense cap tipus de floritura; però també és el lloc on trobar algunes de les seves millors cançons: 'We're Going to Be Friends', 'I Think I Smell a Rat', 'Hotel Yorba'... tot i que seria en el seu següent 'Elephant' quan sublimarien el seu so de forma definitiva
Sounds good but not really the kind of music I listen to regularly. If I never revisit it I wouldn’t lose sleep. -Listened 2x
"White Blood Cells" is the third album from the Detroit duo The White Stripes consisting of Jack and Meg White. This album was recorded in essentially four days with songs purposely unorganized and propelled them to commercial success. This is strip-down raw, garage rock using only guitars, drums and sometimes also a piano/organ. It was a change from their two previous albums which had more blues influences. 16 songs each clocking in between one to three minutes. This is a fantastic album sounding a lot like the MC5 and other 60's bands but definitely The White Stripes. The lyrics are about love, hope, betrayal and paranoia. The album title and cover parody mainstream popularity and the media by being attacked photographers (cover) symbolized by white blood cells in the title. The album starts with my two favorite White Stripes' songs. Guitar feedback leads off "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" which then continues with that raw guitar and Meg's drums. Excellent use of the loud-soft-loud dynamic. Great lyrics about the ending of a relationship. The fun continues with "Hotel Yorba" and acoustic guitar and rolling, rollicking beat. The title based an actual hotel a few block away from where Jack White grew up. A love song. A great raw (used a lot here) and 60's guitar starts and continues their biggest song "Fell in Love with a Girl." At 1:50, it ends before you knew what hit you. The second half continues the great songs. Really no bad songs here. "The Same Boy You've Always Know" begins with a slower pace. Great guitar melody. Another song about the ending of a relationship. "We're Going To Be Friends" is a slower song with an acoustic guitar. Almost ballad territory. A simple song about school and friends. Playful lyrics. Another personal favorite is "Aluminum" with distorted guitars, feedback and screaming. Just when you thought it's time for them to let up, it's not. "White Blood Cells" is high up on many of the best albums of the 2000's and rightfully so. This simmers from start to finish. I think it's probably their best but I like a few others quite a bit too. A very high recommendation.
I really liked this - a great variety of music and really energetic.
I love this album
I like garage indie rock
Solid.
favorite songs: Fell in love with a girl, expecting, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground least fav: we're going to be friends, hotel yorba, little room
I was somewhat surprised that it was rated one of the 1,001 albums I must hear before I die. I suspect I am some sort of musical philistine, because I could not for the life of me understand why it was unique or important. It had me questioning the merit of the selection committee for this project, though I know it is probably me who is the problem. Nevertheless, it was a heap of lightly smouldering trash.
"This album's only 40 minutes, thankfully" Feeling too tired to find this enjoyable today. Obviously We're Going To Be Friends is the best one.
Very noisy and clashy. Bit bangy. Not my fave to be honest.
This was a badly needed breath of fresh air when it came out and now I'm pretty tired of breathing it. So stripped down, it brought to mind Billy Bragg and Violent Femmes, at least to me, at least in 2001. Just the way that, without a ton of studio tricks, these songs were compelling. 'Hotel Yorba' is a sentimental favorite and I still like its optimistic view toward relationships. 'I Think I Smell a Rat' is abysmal and I don't want to hear it ever again. That's a big range. A lot of it sounds kind of samesy after a while and fades into the background.
I swear that I had been listening to this for an hour, but it turns out I was barely halfway through. There are some cool guitar tones and one or two catchy numbers, but overall White Blood Cells is a chore. Shit lyrics, draggy tempos, cartoon character voice - it's all here, folks. Wild to recall the White Stripes were once the future of rock. Anyway, right before this I listened to that Dennis Brown song, you know the one, it goes "Some like it hot / Some like it co-o-old" and that's ten times better than anything on White Blood Cells. Flashbacks to sitting on the bed of a university friend as he repeatedly tried to hack his way through the riff to 'I Think I Smell a Rat' and wanting to die.
I actually had a good time listening to this again, which I wasn't expecting after how put-off I was by that other White Strips one that was on the list. I think this album is the beginning and end of all I need from Jack White in my life. It's really enjoyable, melodic, and varied enough to hold my attention. His voice is his voice and I find it less irritating here than in other instances. Which speaking of... I just listened to the first thirty seconds of the first track on his brand new album and, swear to God, it made me think of a Korn song without the 7 string guitars. I don't know what's going on over there. But he's playing Asheville this week and I'm sure it's long since sold out. C'est la vie.
hm... i am not sure how i feel about this. i, adhd haver, do not have the attention span for this i am not going to lie. i feel understimulated. i don't really want to keep listening to this. 1st song is a bit repetitive song 2 cool guitar. u i don't think this album is for me i'm gonna go listen to green day now sorry
I didn't enjoy this one. I didn't even finish the entire album
Dead leaves and the dirty ground - think I might find the vocals grating Hotel yorba- jaunty, alright I'm finding it harder to be a gentleman - like instrumental but god he sounds like an ass here Fell in love with a girl - short and catchy👍 Expecting- another short, catchy Song 👍 Little Room - weird interlude The union forever- haven't watched citizen Kane but instrumental is cool👍 The same boy you've always known - meh We’re going to be friends- advert core Offend in every way-nice riff, meh otherwise I think I smell a rat - as above Aluminum-feel like it would be better without the ahs tbh I can't wait -another perfectly alright song. Now Mary- cute song with changes of pace👍 I can learn- could get into this song👍 This protector- weird song to end on,not my fave This album was just ok to me, didn’t inspire. Compared to what I think the general field will be this is a 2/5 for me
Very fun album, some great tunes on here
I really liked the First ones. Just a meh For The others
Erster song schonmal banger Paar geile songs Aber auch ein weirder
Yeah liked this. Good balance of heaviness to be enjoyable
Not a fan on this style.
The glorification of DIY gets pretty close to jumping the shark here. Sure, it's raw and rootsy, and there is undeniable quality ("The Same Boy" and "We're Going to Be Friends" and "Offend In Every Way"). But much of the rest is mostly brash and trite, with the simplicity getting real simplistic real quickly. One senses a blatant reaching for hipsterdom, a reach that exceeds the grasp; the “hey look at how much noise we can make” energy doesn’t make up for the rudimentary playing. The production is worth noting, its clarity specifically, which enhances some cuts but rather unsparingly reveals flaws and defects in others. This is certainly not in one's sweet spot, but even if it were, one guesses one would still find it less than fully convincing. It was overhyped at the time and today that remains the right judgment.
indie rock staple songs
First song was your typical blaring annoying sound. Then Hotel Yorba was a surprise, I liked that one. Nice beat, nice tune, nice lyrics. Then back to some more electron scrambling blaring guitar. And then some more. The Same Boy, interesting guitar intro and a nice melody. The comes I Can Tell We are Gonna Be Friends, ok, vaguely familiar. Must have been a hit, I can see why, it's a good song. I think I might add that to my playlist. OK, starting to like some of these songs. Not a fan of the blaring guitar though. 3
Jack White to the Rescue! I am a moderate White Stripes and Jack White's fan. I used to listen to the more famous songs and I was never interested in looking into their older stuff. But what a pleasure it was to listen to 'White Blood Cells'! It was like a more garage version of their pampered popular songs like 'Seven Nation Army' and 'The Hardest Button to Button', or 'Doorbell'. I feel like this album was meant to be a white canvas for Jack White's stream of consciousness. Many short songs, interlays, stories with couple notes here and there on the guitar, piano, or as sparse drum-work as possible. Somehow it all works and makes for a great album. Is it White's confidence? Or maybe his reputability? Or maybe just his honesty, dipped with a massive amount of talent? Whatever it was, I will come back to this album again and again. It's hard to pick up any song from this album to outline it with more details. I think this is a case of a sort of concept album without a concept, and the songs should be reconised as one. And if that is the case, then it was a really good song with variety of styles, chaotic, sweet, slow, but with Jack's name all over it.
Meh... overrated.
I never really got into The White Stripes but I did enjoy this album and will go back and listen to more of their stuff.
I can sense the artistic ideas that went into this and the range of emotions conveyed. But it didn't totally translate musically, it felt like 80% of the album was just chunky, distorted guitar and crash cymbals, and there's only so much you can do with that. Didn't hate it, but was underwhelmed.
A regret in my life is that I never saw The White Stripes live. I could have seen them a few times during their career but I never did. Obviously I can go see Jack White now but it isn't the same. Him and Meg were such a special union and it's a shame that Meg suffered so much from anxiety. The energy and music these two could make always impresses me and I'm always discovering something new I like about them even after 15 years. A fantastic album through and through.
Some fun tracks, but it didn't excite me that much
Best album from them imho.
Overrated 👍🏾
Teenage classic
A stellar example of what the white stripes are capable of. Although it isnt my favourite album from there discography, it is undoubtedly a genre defining album Best: dead leaves Worst: aluminium
fav tracks: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, I'm Finding It Harder To Be a Gentleman, The Union Forever, We're Going to Be Friends, Offend In Every Way, I Can't Wait 3/5
Classic!
Jack white’s tour de force. The album has all the sass and pizazz of the Detroit shows that he was brought up on. I will say however that in terms of lyrical content, there’s not a whole lot to offer. It’s clear that the chemistry between the two band members has soured quite a bit, and it’s hard to hear someone play songs about themselves. Overall, a great punch in the face or morning coffee kind of album!
We're Going To Be Friends was a nice throwback song. They've always impressed me with how much they can do with two instruments. 4/5 for the nostalgia vibes + I've never actually listened to this album all the way through until now
Great album. Had heard several songs before but the whole album was fantastic. Would listen again.
I like the guitar on the first song. I'm not as familiar with the white stripes other than their popular songs. I had no idea they were a duo. reading up on their history it's really interesting their dynamic and they way they presented themselves as a group. I do enjoy the guitar on this album in it's entirety. we are gonna be friends is the song for me from this album.
Solid Rock album all the way through. Great guitar, drums, and Jack White vocals
Alright
It’s so good
My favorite stripes album in college. On relisten it’s still pretty great. A bit long and there’s a couple tracks I don’t love but it’s a great rock album.
musically interesting
Look, I think Seven Nation Army is great but there was nothing on this album to get excited about. If some of those noises emanated from your teenage kid's bedroom, you wouldn't be rushing them off to sign a record deal, you'd be asking them to move out. "Little Room" was included just to try my patience.
I wasn't super into this other than the hits but I do appreciate the rawness of it. Jack White is a respectable guitar player - he's loud, simplistic, janky, and really gets the point across using tone, feel, and attitude without over-playing. Favorite song: Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground
Had a few great songs mixed in with a lot of stuff I could skip.
noise
Great album with many songs I like by the White Stripes
A little long and falls off at the end but solid album. Overall really enjoyed
I like some of it but the second half of the album sounds like unfinished demos or maybe garage rock isn't for me. Or maybe guitar and drums alone feels tired after 20 minutes. Favorite: We're Going to be Friends
Good but not their best
CD
Well, this feels like Jack White at the end of his incubation period to become the masterful songwriter and producer that he is today. The first 2/3rds of the album is perfect, 'Hotel Yorba', 'Fell in Love with a Girl', stand the test of time as being great great songs, while most of the rest of the songs are awesome. As an aside I find 'Little Room' a masterpiece of production and performance - and it feels like 'White Stripes in a bottle'. However, the last 1/3rd of the album starts sagging and feels unnecessary, the whole album would have benefitted from a little snip here and there. Otherwise good fun, a defining album of the era.
Big guitar riffs and fun lyrics, loved it
garage rock isn’t my thing i guess but the songs i like i really like. “fell in love with a girl” is amazing and im glad i was introduced to this
I only knew a few songs ago in and was a little disappointed by the rest.
Couple of stand out songs and a decent sound but nothing phenomenal
2.5 rounded up, felt too much like noise at points.
This was really good; some of their best stuff is on this album. Some of the songs sound a little the same, so probably a true 4.5, but I'm continuing to round up.
Okay, nothing stood out for me. Wouldn't listen again.
High highs but some filler towards the end. 8/10
Never listened to this all the way through before. It’s enjoyable, but it peaks a bit early before losing its way a little. The singles are all absolute bangers and no album can be (or should be) all peaks, but a few tunes feel a little too much like dreary filler when compared to the raw genius of the hits.
A really enjoyable album which captures the energy of The White Stripes, creating a lot of sound from little more than drums, guitar and effects pedal. The whole project is a blast and was made fast - recording took just a week. There's something raw in Jack White's compositions, as if the tracks are just bursting out of him and he has to get them captured or another song will just push the former out of the way to be lost forever. There's an indiscipline to it which is magical. Indeed, don’t over think it - White’s whole manifesto is captured in Little Room: ‘Well, you're in your little room And you're working on something good But if it's really good You're gonna need a bigger room And when you're in the bigger room You might not know what to do You might have to think of how you got started Sitting in your little room’ This shouldn't work - but it does.
Legal, mas não muito marcante. Não me pegou muito. Melhor música: I Can't wait
The musical equivalent of supermarket sushi.
Pretty decent. Not his best stuff.
Listened Before? Y Okay so.... it took me a while to appreciate this album. I actually quite enjoy it now. It's not too long, and it's pretty simple while maintaining a lot of complexity. Good stuff! Added to Library? Y Songs added to Playlist? We're Going To Be Friends, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Habrá quien les guste, incluso mucho, pero ese no soy yo. Me aburre. Reconozco sus melodías, su virtuosismo, pero no me llena. Dos estrellas y gracias.
4.5
Like the idea of the duo format, but then after a few songs the limitation of the same is showing. So Becoming a bit boring after a while
More twangy then I thought it would be, but Jack really carries it with his songwriting chops, unpolished voice, and energetic riffs
Good music, know most of the songs from listening when I was a kid.
jack white is cool
Fine, has good parts, still a lot of filler.
While I wasn't on the music scene in my toddler years, I can only imagine the jolt this sharp, directed LP delivered at the time. Clean-cut, searing guitar riffs pulling from both the blues and grunge over tight, effective drums - nothing more and nothing less. Compressing De Stijl's nascent lo-fi idealism into a guitar-driven gut punch, there's no instrumental or production ornamentation necessary here. Whether slow-burning or white-knuckling in their delivery, the Whites' were at their absolute prime and the result is one of the best rock albums of the century.
An absolute classic!
Perfect indie rock. Like a roadtrip of punchy, catchy songs. Love it.
i can tell that we are gonna be friends.
Can't believe how this album must have sounded before the Jack White copycats started up. Great raw sound, a classic for sure.
Solid album, like most of the white stripes work
I dig it. The White Stripes have effectively created a whole new genre of music with their frenetic musical style and sly lyrical tomfoolery. They are the perfect music for a time capsule - if you needed to encapsulate the early 2000’s in one singular sound The White Stripes would do it perfectly.
Rockin tunes
A couple rough ones on here (Aluminum??), but overall a solid album.
Garage-rock y yo creo que también grunge y algo punky... Me ha gustado.
Absolutely brilliant album
Good album, I enjoy the white stripes but only so much. I don't understand the hype around Jack White.
This album is fantastic
Hate his voice lol, kind of fun though?
I do, have and always will love this band. This album features some absolute bangers. IF you’ve never listened to it in full. It is high time you do! A masterwork of early 21st century rock. One that basically lifted garage rock to the forefront.
Good music, enjoyed a lot of the songs. Wish the vocals were stronger but it's still good.
Highlights: I'm Finding it Harder to Be a Gentleman, Now Mary. I thought I was pretty familiar with this one, loved the singles on it, but it's very nice to get reacquainted with it like an old friend.
This album has a great energy. The quality of the individual songs is a little uneven throughout, but it's still an incredibly fun listen that has aged well. Fave Songs: Fell in Love with a Girl, Hotel Yorba, I Can Learn, Expecting, I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman, Now Mary
He just got married (third time's the charm!), so I'm excited to hear this. It's fine. I enjoy his take on this stuff. Nell and I talked (and then Caleb and I talked about it again) about how music is cyclical. So Jack White has "discovered" this stuff and brings it to the radio today, cool. But the original stuff *is* better. Not as slick, harder to hear sometimes, but closer to the source and better. Also, the whole list is flawed. But it's a project.
This album made me rethink all my other ratings
The album starts and ends strong! There are some tracks in between I’ll probably never warm to, but overall I enjoyed the menacing guitars and Jack White’s honest voice.
this album is so good. i will keep listening to it forever and ever. the white stripes are so weird and so good.
Love most of Jack White's stuff though I hadn't actually heard this album before. Good but doesn't necessarily stand out from other White Stripes albums IMO
Não reconheci o hit, mas funcionou bem. Boa condução.
The White Stripes are the kind of band that a greatest hits would be more than enough for me. Some really great songs mixed with some rather dull ones.
I understand every bit of popularity of this duo, but it juste isn't for me. There was a few hits, but I found it mostly pretty dull.
I was a huge fan when I was younger, I get why. But I'm somewhere different in my life now.. ;)
A cool indie rock album from the beginning of 2000. However, Jack White's music always left me a little indifferent, I didn't manage to like it at its fair value yet. My two strong points of the album would be: the ultra simplistic and powerful drum of Meg White and the magnificent song "We're Going To Be Friends".
A lot of solid songs on this. Don't think I'd actually listened through this one all the way before. Used to be really into The White Stripes.
Hotel Yorba is immense. Otherwise, meh..
I liked a couple of songs but that was it.
I remember a lot of these tracks from the past. It’s noisy, it’s pretentious, and it’s so effing good. I think I like it now more than I did 20 years ago.
The music is very good, but the lyrics and the vocals don't match the energy.
Simple yet wonderful
Like nearly all record-collection rock, White Blood Cells is simultaneously corking fun and hugely frustrating. It also manages to demonstrate that most conspicuous of paradoxes: in its attempts to sound as authentic as possible, it serves principally to sound inauthentic. That opening may suggest that I view White Blood Cells and the White Stripes harshly. Please let me assure you that is not the case. The album is a 4-starrer and much of it is obviously great. The White Stripes were very much the diamonds of the garage rock revival, and their best songs (Fell in Love with a Girl, Seven Nation Army, yes, their most famous ones) were the best songs of that movement. Jack White has proven that he can consistently bash out a riff to rank alongside those of Tony Iommi or Angus Young. But I can't deny that I felt slightly weary listening to the album. Here's the issue, as I see it: the White Stripes don't so much declare their influences as advertise them. This is not bizarre in itself. These influences, a melding of Son House and Loretta Lynn and the Sonics and the Stooges, are extremely common; indeed, those represented genres each form a rich, deep seam of American music. Again, this is not an oddity. However, the White Stripes have clung to their predecessors so firmly that the listener wonders if the White Stripes could release a song that wasn't beholden to Muddy Waters or the 13th Floor Elevators. Isn't rock n roll meant to be about disrespecting your elders? There is an Italian concept called sprezzatura. Stemming from the late Renaissance work on civilised behaviour The Book of the Courtier, sprezzatura can be defined as studied carelessness, the projection of nonchalance in order to hide effort and make skilful acts appear easy (sprezzatura is most famously employed within fashion, where the wearer will make deliberate mistakes in their garb to show that they don't give a damn; Gianni Agnelli, the owner of Fiat, was perhaps the 20th century's greatest practitioner of sartorial sprezzatura, with the wearing of his watch over his shirt cuff becoming his signature flourish). That's what's missing from this album: insouciance. When the White Stripes bragged about recording the album in 4 days in order to sound unpolished, you couldn't help sense Jack White nerdily showing us his workings.
Very nice vibe
A fun listen. It’s been a while. I like it a lot more than I did at the time.
Most of this I quite liked. Especially Union Forever and We're Going to be friends but really disliked Aluminum.
This some really lovely stuff
Really good album, Jack White fucking rocks
I love the raw energy that the white stripes had on these first few albums.
3.7 - raw and less bluesy than most White Stripes I'd heard, but a nice listen nonetheless. Really enjoy the stripped down nature of "We're Going to Be Friends"
By co-incidence, we watched Napoleon Dynamite the day this album come up. One of my favourite films, and I never knew the title track was a White Stripes song. I had heard the hits from this album, but never listened to it the whole way through. I think the variety of sounds is surprising, given the set up of the band. Enjoyable.
Excellent
One of the albums that defibrillated guitar rock.
God damn this album’s sound is something else. And packed with great songs too.
BANGERS!
Classic. Helped revitalize the hard rock genre.
This album kinda slaps. Not much more to say besides that - all the songs just jam so hard and it works so well. It also has a good flow throughout the whole thing so it's not too exhausting to listen all the way through. 8/10
very cool
They say that Meg White began her musical career on a whim. I believe it! Jack White is a premier mind in funky, bluesy, edgy rock and roll. His sister is a amateur drummer. Unfortunately it hurts the bottom line. I could listen to Jack White strum a guitar all day, but Meg just doesn't offer anything.
good album, dont think it has much replay value, would give a 3.5 if possible
Ainda quero terminar de ouvir
An alright album one or two good songs and the rest average but overall a high 3 stars
Fucking hell, what an album this is. Still a regular listen. This album is fairly simplistic and by no means perfect but that is a huge part to why it is so special. if you were to re-record these songs played perfectly and extensively produced it would be a poor album. what we have here is jack white displaying the thing he has that is almost impossible to put a finger on without using the sould destroying phrase X factor.
The white stripes The brown stains The endless nightmare in my brain The red blood The green eyes The eerie mood that fills the skies The purple helmet The pink hole The crippling darkness of my soul The blue moon The yellow sun The inviting trigger of my gun The black night The grey skin The rotting body of my kin
Some of it is very, very good and some of it is a bit shit. So, are they brother and sister or husband and wife? Both?
Decent colour scheme but the husband and wife pretending to be brother and sister thing was all a bit weird wasn't it?
I never understood the hype of White Stripes. The album is not bad, but also not excellent. A decent album I would say.
simple musically; not a lot of instruments, background vocals, etc. music is creative
Very garage band! It's interesting how much Meg and Jack White could do between the two of them, vocals and instruments. Sometimes simple is fantastic, as in "Little Room" and "We're Going To Be Friends" but sometimes simple falls flat in others. Maybe it's showing me I'm not really a garage band genre person. I certainly respect it, because darn it all "Hotel Yorba" slaps! but on a whole, this album is just average.
I've always appreciated The White Stripes' role in the revival of the garage rock band sound. Back in the early 2000s, they felt unique in that I can't recall anyone else doing what they were doing, at this time, quite like the them. They treaded lightly in their roots -- the blues rock space -- on this album, but never at the expense of the garage rock sound they were migrating towards. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground is a great Zeppelin-esque opener, which I am sure was the intention. The vocals are even modeled after several Robert Plant-isms. Jack White's voice and singing style in general have always intrigued me and make the band's music more fun than it would be without him. That said, while I recognize that this is the album that shaped their familiar sound and rocketed them into the mainstream, and while a few of their most signature songs are on this album, it's not the strongest of their discography. Still a decent album, though!
Well, now I know that The White Stripes really are mostly just Seven Nation Army after all. And if anyone were in doubt that rock albums benefit from a bass guitar, here's an album to show them. I did enjoy The Same Boy You've Always Known and We're Going To Be Friends. But those are not enough to raise the score to 3 stars.
A classic that I always love revisiting
3/5
Wow, what an introduction to The White Stripes for me. Don't know how I never listened to them sooner, but it feels criminal. The album just made me smile like I haven't smiled at an album for a long time. It was a warm, comfy rock album, and every song managed to hit all the right notes with me. Super impressed and will be checking out more by The White Stripes.
It’s easy to forget sometimes that there’s only two people on this record
Fav:intro
Shrill and annoying. Got seven seven songs in and that was enough. Yargh. Didn't add.
02/21/2022 A couple good songs! Nothing close to an all-timer, though! Some of y'all are crazy with these 5-star ratings.
4.5/5. So many great songs. This was the album that made me - and I'm sure many other pay attention to the new an unique band. Yes, they had a couple albums before this one, but I never heard them and never heard of the White Stripes until this one came out. I loved it, the first time I heard it back then and it has only gotten better with age!
damn
00’ee garage rock, rå elguitar, Distortion, iderigt
This was fun.
This was a great album! I was very excited to listen through this one as I have never really given the White Stripes a chance in the past. I'm sure most people are aware of Jack White or their smash hit "Seven Nation Army", but I mostly think of one of my favorite movies, Napoleon Dynamite, whenever someone brings them up as their song "We're Going To Be Friends" is used during the opening credits. That song has always been a favorite of mine, and it just so happened to be on this particular album. Overall, I really enjoyed the high energy and quick pace of this record. I feel like it had less vocal effects and a cleaner production than other White Stripes material I have heard in the past which really benefitted every song on here. While not necessarily revolutionary, White Blood Cells ended up feeling timeless in that it definitely does not feel dated in 2022 as some other albums from this time period might. It is also an album that could have worked in the 1960's/1970's as well with its loud guitars and bombastic drums. My favorite aspect of this album ended up being its short track lengths as it kept me engaged throughout the entire listen. It was a breath of fresh air when going through this list as there are many albums that are not only needlessly long but also have songs that go on for 7+ minutes. In short, I had a lot of fun going through this one, and I can see myself listening to it again soon. 4/5.
Sounds like it used to for me. I didn't dig it then and I don't now. This album is not for me. The musicianship is solid, I just don't like it. It all feels meh
I love the variety of recorded sounds on this album. Everything sounds great, even though there's a ton of lo-fi quality types of recording technique. Highlights for me are the first half of the album; "Finding it Harder to be a Gentleman" has some great electric piano, "Fell in Love With a Girl" has a great guitar hook, and "Same Boy You've Always Known" has a really great classic rock sound. Songs like "Union Forever" are kind of clams in my mind; seems like pretentious psych-rock filler, but overall a pretty good album.
Already loved this album. 5/5 I don't know if I can be objective about it. 1. I love all the songs, even the "weird" ones. Little Room, Aluminum, Expecting (less weird, but still) are all great. 2. I think I prefer the back half of the album overall, but that's because those songs are underappreciated. Favorite Songs: Same Boy You've Always Known Offend in Every Way Now Mary This Protector Hotel Yorba Finding It Hard To Be a Gentleman
The definition of raw. Love the production on this, it's so god damn LOUD but in the best way. Also enjoy how off the performances are in some ways (guitar out of tune, Jack Whites off kilter vocals), it's rough at times but adds to the aesthetic. Really good. Meg's simplistic drumming has been a bit of a meme but it just works in the context.
I'm going to be frank- I hate Jack White's nasally voice. I don't love his composition or guitar skills much more, either. I can't even be very objective about this, but practically everything he touches just irritates the hell out of me, and I had no fun here. At least it's brief- 40 minutes in the CD era is basically EP material. I'll try to meet half way for those who see the appeal and give this an extra star, but it's an F for me, dog.
Pivotal for garage rock. Minimalist but also fun.
The White Stripes' roots clearly run back to 70s classic rock, especially on songs like 'Expecting', 'The Union Forever', and 'Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground' but the garage rock approach really helps set them apart and breathes new life into the tired classic rock formula. Love the droning, ominous organ chords on 'The Union Forever'. Stripped down garage rock isn't my biggest jam, but this album does it well. Big early psych rock vibes to the back half of the album, such as 'I Think I Smell a Rat' and 'Aluminum', which is rad as hell.
I fucking love The White Stripes. Jack White one helluva songwriter, and White Blood Cells boasts this skill in spades. I mean, this sucker has range. Minimalist tendencies are maximized, dialing blues rock down to its bones and dialing up the volume – what more do you need than some guitars, a simple beat, and some keys? (Nothing.) 4.5/5
I seriously must have been living deep underground or waltzing in a parallel universe at the time, because for some reason I completely missed The White Stripes and then Jack White until maybe about 3 years ago. I had heard the riff from Seven Nation Army before, but just thought it was some random hook or something. This is my first listen to this album. I've also heard some of their other stuff and his other work, too. I think this album is great and, as a beginner guitarist who still sounds like I'm playing with mittens on, I am blown away by what a guitar virtuoso Jack White is. I've watched portions of the documentary 'It Might Get Loud' in which Jack White is one of the three rock guitarists featured in it (the other two are Jimmy Page and The Edge), and I find him to be an interesting thinker, too. On this album, I enjoy the simple garage-rock sound, the catchy rhythms, and their sense of melody. There's a little bit of an edge to it all but not overdone. Definitely hear some punk influences in there in addition to blues, blues-rock, etc. (I have a soft spot for "We're Going To Be Friends" for a lot of reasons, including the opening title sequence in 'Napoleon Dynamite'.) I need to explore more of their work and Jack White's stuff.
It's cool to be rough around the edges and imperfect, so long as you do it with a bilge full of panache
Love the simplicity of this album. As teenagers my brother and I learned nearly every single song on this album since all you needed was guitar and drums.
I didn't know this rock band. They're doing pretty well.
Wow, I used to *really* like this one but upon relistening for the first time in a decade+, it's just okay. I still dig Hotel Yorba and Fell in Love with a Girl.
Not my favourite White Stripes but a solid collection of garage rock relationship tracks. Haven't listened in a while and exactly as good as I remembered in coming back
Love jack white
I liked it! Will for sure come back to this album some time. Liked the mix between short songs and the longer ones. Favourite songs: - Dead leaves and the dirty ground - Fell in love with a girl - We’re going to be friends
What a great album. The opening riff hooks you and not a single song lets go. Jack White at some of his creative best.
I really like white stripes' music. I especially appreciate that they were wholly unique in the genre. What I can't wrap my mind around is that Jack White keeps showing up on top guitarist of all time lists.
Great album! Grabs you from the very beginning and never lets go. Jack and Meg just keep hitting you over and over again with raspy vocals and killer drums and strings. Solid album.
Oh man. Some tracks are all time faves (Fell in Love with a Girl, We’re Gonna Be Friends), but a lot of cruft. And those first three tracks—all time whine in his voice. Oof. A rough two stars. (And I like Jack White!!!)
This automatically loses points because there's no bass. It's fine. It sounds like a bar band. I don't really get the hype that surrounded them. Listened through without prejudice and Hotel Yorba is still very annoying.
Best Song: Fell In Love With A Girl. This is how I wish all White Stripes songs sounded. Worst Song: This Protector. It just sounds amateurish? I understand their aesthetic is this kind of street performer vibe, but this really feels like a first or second rehearsal of a song, not a recorded track. Overall: Jack White's mewling cat vocals occasionally work here, but the general simplicity of all the songs makes it blend together very quickly. Each song feels like snippet of an idea that was considered for a moment before they cranked out the song and moved on to the next one. I do like the raw vibe though, and if they just played faster and with a little more life, I would actually like the album.
Fell in love with a girl Dead lives and the dirty ground Sympa mais pas le meilleur WS
Starting in the late 60s, music started to become more heavily polished with heavy production and state-of-the-art sounds. With the rise of heavier blues rock of Lynard Skynard-clones, punk killed this trend. It revived in the mid-80s and spiraled out of control, until grunge killed the trend again. A few years later, post-grunge and nu metal tried to revive this act but even more over-the-top that before. This album, alongside Is This It, started the garage rock revival movement of the early 2000s that unfortunately did not take over the mainstream industry, but there was a wave of relief among rock fans and critics. The White Stripes are by far the most influential and true-to-form of the bunch. This album is entirely raw, with studio imperfections littered everywhere and an amateur drummer who never does anything crazy. Jack White gives it all. His writing is strong. His riffs are melodic yet like no other, despite how simple they may be. Tracks are short to never tire you of a unique idea. Of course these songs are mostly rooted in blues, but they range in many styles, from the fast-paced punk of "Fell in Love with a Girl," the campfire folk of "We're Going to Be Friends," the square dance optimism of "Hotel Yorba," the gothic experimentalism of "The Union Forever," and not to mention songs like "I Think I Smell a Rat" or "Little Room" that I can't even fathom to describe. Perhaps this isn't Jack's most consistent effort, but it certainly extends the furthest and shows just what is capable with a talented musician and songwriter, and a whole lot of spirit. Glad this took off... I only wished it was able to fully do what punk and grunge had done before.
Really enjoyed this stripped back blues and rock album. Often the weak drums are just left off altogether and are not missed. Great singing, better than later years when they appear a bit more affected/pretentious. Not so many recognisable hits, but all strong songs.
Gave it two listens, much better on the latter one. Surprised how good it was despite it having two musicians. Gets a bit long by the end but still a good time. Fell In Love With A Girl and We're Going To Be Friends were the best of the singles and I Can't Wait was my favourite album cut.
Excellent album
Nice alt rock album by Detroiters. White stripes are a good duo of upbeat alt punk style music. Their songs are catchy and also filled with some good jamming instrumentals. 6.9/10
The White Stripes are one of the few bands from this late 90s/early 00s indie rock scene I can enjoy. This isn't as good as Elephant, it's really heavy on the DIY garage rock vibe and it can get kinda grating if i'm not in the mood for underproduced barebones jams, but it's still fun enough for an occasional listen. 3/5.
7/10
Saved Prior: Hotel Yorba, Fell In Love With a Girl, We're Going to Be Friends Off Rip: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, I'm Finding It Harder To Be a Gentleman, The Union Forever Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Back to basics baby. Saw Jack White live in a tiny concert hall (shoutout The Atlantis in DC) and yes he really is That Guy. Meg kills it on here too. I prefer the complexities of Elephant but this still goes down as a 3.5 rounded up.
Very comforting album - reminds of me being 15. This is the only White Stripes album I do not own and I wish I did.
Would have liked this when it was released but it feels like overrated noise. Occasionally there’s a good track but it feels disjointed.
Not an album I'd listened to many times before but actually really enjoyed it. Completely forgot a couple of the songs on it were White Stripes numbers. Still despite this it doesnt feel revolutionary
Fell In Love With a Girl is a rare song that I'd always listen to whenever it came on shuffle. It's a lovely booster shot of adrenaline to complement all moods. And also too short to bother skipping. Speaking of which, Little Room is ace too. Dunno if it's just the limitations of a 2-piece band but listening to this I noticed l that Jack White reuses a lot of stuff. Like, there are really specific guitar parts that appear again in later songs. Can't say it ruined my enjoyment though. Feels like there's some filler between the gems but it's good filler, you know?
Not a massive fan of the White Stripes but it's hard to deny that Hotel Yorda, Fell in Love with a Girl, and We're Going to be Friends aren't fantastic songs. Three songs don't make an album though. 2.5 stars rounded up
Decent early naughties rock album
Garage rock gold, not exactly my cup of tea. Nice hooks, great drumming, what more could one ask for?
But better than The Doors ☺️.
Oooooooooh I think I smellll a ratttttt 3/5
Great start, boring end
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Not a huge fan of jack but have a lot of respect for him. This is solid
The sound of the Kinks for the 2000’s.
2021.12.17
White Stripes. So massive, so popular and.................. I never understood it. Bores the pants off me
Not quite avant garde traditionalism, but elevated for sure by its commitment to playing fast and loose with its own fidelity to the blues. Barely any of the songs feel like they've been conceived as songs, but all lined up they definitely sounds like they've been conceived as an album. So okay, maybe avant garde traditionalism after all.
I don't really care for their music and I'm a rock guy. Idk, none of the songs are really catchy or stand out, despite their listens on Spotify. Can respect it though. 6/10.
Good
Iconic white stripes album. love many of the songs and the whole album is on theme.