White Blood Cells by The White Stripes

White Blood Cells

The White Stripes

3.65
Rating
28503
Votes
1
3%
2
9%
3
30%
4
38%
5
21%
Distribution

Reviews (page 8 of 13)

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

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

Decent colour scheme but the husband and wife pretending to be brother and sister thing was all a bit weird wasn't it?

Fav:intro

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Still a great listen, I remember why I listened to them so much back then

Fades a bit toward the end but deserves a 4

I don't have much experience with the White Stripes apart from learning to play Seven Nation Army on a shitty key board in Year 8 music lessons and pissing about. So this will be interesting. "Hotel Yorba" is obviously very fun and a bit of a tune and I love "We're going to be friends". Turns out there's more big bangerz they have which I didn't tie with the band or something. I don't love all of the tracks and after an entire album, this does get a bit much with the tone of the vocals and the punchy guitars. Not something I'd really want to listen to all the time but it does include some bangerz which are cool to listen to now and then.

Really enjoyed this. Not sure I've ever listened to a White Stripes album in completion! There were some classics in here, like "We are gonna be friends" (which reminds me of J-Cress) and others I didn't know that were punky and fun. Liked the one about a rat

first time really listening to the white stripes. More punk rock than I thought they would be. I like them. Definitely worth listening to a second time.

Garage-rock y yo creo que también grunge y algo punky... Me ha gustado.

Guays. Detroit garage rock de los 2000's

This album is another good one from the White Stripes. Features some classics like Dead Leaves, Fell in love with a Girl & We’re going to be friends

As you'd expect, there's loads of energy in this, vis a vis pounding drums, distorted guitar mayhem and in-yer-face vocals. But there are some more playful movements for contrast.

Rough rock, little bluesy. Had some songs I’ve heard before that I didn’t know were the white stripes.

It's like Van Halen in the opposite direction if U think about it

I have finally listened to this band

This isn't my favorite White Stripes album but I appreciate the intentionally spare style on display. I love Jack's youthful, crackly voice straining to hit the higher notes and Meg's steady volume on the drums. There's the perfect punk song Fell in Love With a Girl, the too short Little Room, the melancholy and melodic Same Boy You've Always Known, and Offend in Every Way somehow evoking gunslingers in the old west. A couple of the songs are relentless with the guitar, drums, and vocals all keeping the exact same rhythm pretty much the whole time (Expecting and Aluminum). My two favorites are This Protector (good lord, I am a sucker for a rock and roll piano) and the unexpected We're Going to Be Friends, which only a monster could dislike. ("Teacher thinks that I sound funny but she likes the way you sing.")

Stripped down, raw, unadulterated rock. These are simple, original songs played and sung passionately in a way that makes them timeless as if they could have been contemporary at the invention of blues. Favorite track: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

ну неплохо, думал хуже будет, не скучно, драйвово, дисторшненько в меру

Good beats

A great album, cantbuy believe I've never listened to this one. Pushing it in all directions. Great energy.

Love it! 4/5

Classic Jack White, can't go wrong. Not my favourite album overall though but some great songs.

Yesss. I'd known some of those songs already, and liked them, too. Not my vibe completely, but I like me some White Stripes now and again.

Classic?/10 40mins goes by fast.

Excellent from start to finish.

4.0 - I've always respected the complete White Stripes aesthetic backed by a unique sound that's modern, direct and stripped to its essence. Meg White thrashes with primitive simplicity and Jack White's voice and guitar duel with squeals, roars and bellows. There are counterpoints to the giddy chaos like "We're Going to Be Friends" that offer sweet levity. Of all their "great" albums, this one may be slightly weaker but there are enough bangers to propel the enterprise forward. In my opinion, their follow-up “Elephant" boosts them to higher highs.

Muy bueno, pero Fell in love with a girl supera por mucho al resto de las canciones del álbum

Loved this, haven't heard it all the way through for quite some time. Still good.

Get in! Love a bit of the White Stripes. Thumping drums, stonking gurt riffs and agro vocals with a touch of whimsy. Lovely.

Raucous. Enjoyed it more than I thought.

Discazo de rock, con intensidad, guitarrero, no excesivamente conocidos, pero con riffs agresivos y canciones bien elaboradas. Simples, pero directas. Buena voz igualmente

Fell in Love With A Girl is a big tune. I like the White Stripes, I think I rated their last album a 4/5. In reality this is a 3.5, it's not as good as their other one but it's still good and I saved a couple tracks. 4

Pretty much an album of garage rock perfection the only issue is the sequencing. It's a top heavy album. Best Tracks: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground; Hotel Yorba; Fell In Love With a Girl;

There are elements of the more unique bluesy garage rock that would come to define the White Stripes in this debut, but Jack and Meg White hadn't quite shaped their sound on "White Blood Cells." There's a lot to like here. "Hotel Yorba" is such a fun little romp, "We're Going to be Friends" is adorable, and "Fell in Love with a Girl" is just flat-out amazing. But revisiting this album I was surprised to notice what felt like hints of late-stage grunge. I've always liked "Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground," but realized that until Jack starts singing, it is fairly uninspired grunge crunch. It actually weirdly reminded me of Silverchair... I don't know why, but that's the band I thought of. Don't get me wrong, Silverchair is actually vastly underrated. But it's not the eye-opening opening-track punch of "Seven Nation Army."

Pretty much peak white stripes

Really great to hear this one again. Classic.

Great Album, tho not as great as Elephant.

For being such a big part of my 20s this album held up well as a gem. Guitar and drum rock with no bells and whistles.

The song "We are going to be friends" is really good.

Great!

Absolutely solid album. A great example of 2000's rock. Fell in Love With a Girl and We're Going to Be Friends are my favorites on the album.

dirty bite size rock

Classic. Garage rock revival that destroys with simple guitar and drums. Love this. Favorite Tracks: Fell in Love with a Girl, The Union Forever, Aluminum

A great listen, so raw and full of energy

Great album! Cannot believe it’s 20 years old! Whole album is a banger, nothing you’d skip as part of the experience! Definitely one for vinyl too I reckon!

Not my favorite Stripes album, but very good nonetheless.

Remember when this first came out. Very original and quite simple but very good for a 2 piece.

esta buensiimo

9. Love this stuff. White stripes were one of the first bands I got into back in 6th grade listening on my ipod touch. Great to revisit it and see that it's not just nostalgia, shits solid to the core

Absolute Bangers in hotel yorba, Fell in Love With a Girl etc... I love the simplicity of it. It is just a bit too long.

I felt that I was carried along and that Jack and Meg took good care of me while listening to this album. With some hits especially Fell in love with a girl, you get a diverse album that can do almost anything without feeling boring. Simple yet powerful storytelling packed into 40 minutes worth giving a listen.

That's a bit more like it. Love the vibe of this; great listening on a walk under the blue sky. Vocals in Hotel Yorba reminded me of early Beatles weirdly. Tasty electric throughout. Fell in Love with a girl is such an UNBELIEVABLE TUNE. Those rough short songs like Little Room and The Protector in contrast with I can't wait and The same boy you've always known make for an interesting holistic listening experience. A fan.

A classic.

Why is there something about these albums that shouldn't be as good as they are? Wish I could inject these vibes straight into my soul on a rowdy pub day in the sunshine.

some great songs - not as complete as get behind me satan. pretty raw, and snappy songs

Garage-rock zoals het hoort. Blijft me ook verrassen hoe veel volume ze met 2 kunnen produceren. Sommige nummers vind ik wel een stuk minder op dit album

Great album that I had not heard in a while.

My childhood

So evocative of that time period, with great songs.

Loved this album. One star knocked off as it sounds a bit quaint these days

"But I'm so tired of acting tough And I'm gonna do what I please" (Hotel Yorba) "I said I must be fine 'cause my hearts still beating" (Fell in love with a girl) Estoy poquísimo inspirada para escribir cosas muy repensadas últimamente pero este disco me gustó bastante.

Bande kojarze, bo kto nie zna seven army nation, ale samego albumiku nigdy nie przesluchalem, a warto bylo, rockowanie mocno garazowe, sa kawalki z mocna gitarka i waleniem po garach, jak w I think I smell the rat, ale sa tez spokojne kawalki, z akustykiem i okazjonalnym wyklaskiwaniem rytmu, we are going to be friends, a na takim hotelu yorba mozna ulsyszec bluesowe inspiracje, bande stanowil duet whitow, ale baba chyba nie dawala wokalu w ogole na tym albumiku, wiec multi instrumentalna parka, sporo kawalkow trafi na plejke, bo poza tymi ktore wymienilem wrzucam jeszcze the same boy u have always known oraz offend in every way, mocno trafil w moje gusty rokerskie, takie polaczenie strokes i green daya z odrobina czili

ja tinha ouvido

Not as cool as I expected

The White Stripes 3rd studio album released in 2001 was what made the DIY rock band gain notice. With contemporaries like The Strokes who wanted a more authentic sound, Jack White and Meg White made a fantastic throwback to the blues influenced rock of old. Nothing was overly fancy and everything was simplicity in its finest form. It’s got 16 songs in 40 minutes time, so quick songs but memorable none the less. This spawned mega hit “Fell in Love With a Girl” and the Napoleon Dynamite featured “We’re Going to Be Friends”. I really enjoyed the opener “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” as well as “Hotel Yorba”. The only gripe I have is with the back half having some similar sounds, but gripe is being extreme. Out of 10 I would give it an 8.6.

A great one to listen straight through. Love how they mix in some short rocky ones with the longer lyrical ones

Sehr nett

I'm always impressed at how full of a sound they get with 2 (occasionally 3) instruments. The songs were pretty varied, and while I felt like the last half of the album lost a bit of steam, it was a good listen.

Hotel Yorba was the first song I heard of White Stripes. Offend in Every Way very Neil Youngish. Easily the best album of the list so far - Sack

More or less the same album as Elephant but a good rock album nevertheless!

Tres bon rock, grunge, blues. C’est tres pur comme son, drummet guit mais le son et les tounes y sont! 4.25*

Classic. Was in my high school rotation. Fizzles out a little towards the end. 4.5.

Sehr gutes Album 4

I've listened to this album multiple times, and it is always fantastic.

Favorite Songs: Hotel Yorba, Fell In Love With a Girl. The Same Boy You've Always Known, We're Going to Be Friends, I Can't Wait

A classic. Nothing else specific to say here.

Have listened to this many times. Enjoyed it again.

Brings me back to 2002 when the video for "Fell In Love With A Girl" came out and I first heard of the band. Great collection of songs, even if the production and instrumentation make them feel a bit samey and the less intense songs feel a bit twee. Lots to appreciated outside the songs that everyone knows; "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is a great opener and the "The Union Forever" is also a standout

I should probably listen to more of The White Stripes. I definitely enjoyed this. I like Jack White's vocals in general, and some of the jammy/off-kilter instrumentation at times was up my alley. Hotel Yorba reminded me of a rocky Bright Eyes. Definitely fun. I have definitely heard of "Fell in Love with a Girl". It's good. Not much else to say. I liked Little Room a lot, simple fun. The Union Forever might be one of my favs on this album. Goes a lot of places. Love the plain vocals/smacking of drum sticks after 2 minutes. Reminds me of that jam where I used the drumsticks against Tom's metal beam. :) I Think I Smell a Rat. I mean RCE cover lol? In my mind I was dreaming up a businessman music video for this song. Aluminum is enjoyably sort of experimental/off-tempo. I could see people giving this a 5. But it's not my favorite style to listen to all the time, it's a time and a place for me. It was fun to walk to for suuure.

Cuando mencionan el término "Garage Band" me vienen a la mente bandas como The Killers, Jet, Arctic Monkeys, Black Keys, etc.... diría que ese género llegó a su apogeo entre 2005 y 2010. Me llama la atención que los White Stripes hayan estado ahí desde finales de los 90´s, y también que varias canciones de este disco, que es de 2001, tienen ese sonido característico de "garage" que se volvería tan popular un poco más adelante. Este disco me enseñó que tengo que escuchar más de los White Stripes.

Some annoying tracks

Good stuff. 4 stars.

Pretty awesome what a guitar and drums can accomplish

Really strong, album is coherent as a whole piece

Loved the singles. Some of the non-singles felt kinda ehhh to listen to more than once. Overall felt kinda tame.

Great album!

Oh boy! What can I say... amazing all the way through.

A wonderful effort who's first half more than makes up for it's lackluster flipside. Every track up to "Aluminum" is solid gold. Everything that follows is filler, but its still decent. 4/5 stars. This album can do no wrong.

Lovely album.

Dec nr

I'm not sure this album needed 16 songs, even at only 40 minutes. Still a hell of a ride, though. Best track: We're Going to Be Friends

Great rock album with some songs that really got me hyped. Felt like a FIFA soundtrack

Good, solid, bluesy garage rock. No real frills about it. I don't think there's a bad song on here, but they do all kind of blend together after a while. I did listen thru it at least twice. Favorite tracks: "I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman", "Fell In Love With a Girl", "We're Going to be Friends"

This isn't my favorite album to listen to as an album. It's definitely an achievement in garage rock sound and history, but it's a bit slow for my taste in rock and I don't think that all the songs are equal in quality. A couple of White Stripes classic songs are on here, but also are some not as interesting ones where Jack White's voice sounds squeaky and annoying. When they hit it, the result is incredible, but there are a lot of meh songs here too.

mieux dans mes souvenirs : (

It was okay

Fell in love w a girl is sick (in a good way) ME QUEDE EN EXPECTATIONS OK I PROMISE THAT I'LL LISTEN TO IT PROPERLY *I misspelled the name, it was Expecting LMAO anyway, WTF WITH I think I smell a rat?!?!? WHO CALLS A SONG THAT Now Mary... dope I can learn???? nice build up FINISHED!! hmmmm I think 3

Decent, but a little bit juvenile for me

Fun album, don’t see this as better than elephant tho

classic elder millennial fodder. sang along to most of this in the car. 3.5 mostly for nostalgia

I didn't realize I knew a few of these, presumably from mtv

Goed uitgevoerd garage rock revival

"Does it matter if Jack White recycles guitar riffs from album to album or whether that is just what I perceive?" - Yann Martel - Me

Twas alright, nothing really grabbed me.

Nothing really stood out about this to me, though it didn’t get a particularly careful listen. Pleasant enough. 6/10 Pretty Good

As someone who is huge on unconventional sounds, this album kept me intrigued, love the sound of 'teenage kids coming together in a garage' and just making something; it doesn't matter if its good or not what matters is that you are making this music together and putting collective passion into something, and that stands out to me. I invasion dim lighting, staying up late to finish the piece, i know who I am mentality, and cigarette buds scattered all around. Teenager angst!!! . Although I can admit at one point things did feel a bit dragged on, I didn't hate anything about this album. It almost gives me Scoot Pilgrim VS the World vibes, and Im here for it!! I will say that i did notice that some of the songs werent very cohesive to eachother, but that may be due to the fact I didnt listen to the song in order, but again I kinda love the scattered feel. This is the first album I was given to listen to so I will def make sure to listen to songs in order next time!!

Wonderful alternative rock highlight.

You can’t even hear the didgeridoo

I thought this was pretty good. Kind of fun and funky.

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I just don’t think the White Stripes music has aged that well. The stripped-down rock revival stuff was cool once and now just sounds like I dunno, diminishing returns or something. I want to like it more, because I do really respect Jack White and his abilities and his ethos, but the music is just kinda uninteresting. I like when they get weirder like on Get Behind me Satan or Icky Thump, more than when they’re in the wheelhouse.

Not their best, but solid early-2000s rock

Some good fun tracks, nostalgic.

I think they perfect their style on this album, they keep everything simple but express a lot through playing style. Bluesy in a way most rock music isn't

10 / 10, kommer lyssna om

I still don’t think I get the white stripes. Little Room and The Union Forever are standouts. Jack White obviously has an artistic bent but something about his songwriting style just doesn’t do it for me. Very forgettable music all around to me. Is this blasphemy?

Expected more to be offered.

An unpolished, raw sounding album. It's very easy to see why this was the template for garage rock in the 00's from its sound to its topics and mood. While the genre itself is not normally what I enjoy to listen to, it definitely was a sound that even I find familiar. Also, it must've been very uncomfortable to record and tour despite going through a divorce.

i like

I’m not a fan of the White Stripes but this was surprisingly enjoyable

I normally like the White Stripes, this listen didn't really click for me. Guess it was the weather, or just not the right moment. It has less stand out tracks and the one that I do remember was like a minute long.

Strong start to the album and some heavy sound mixed with a decent vocal. The lyrics leave a lot to be desired but some decent catchy tracks with ‘hotel yorba’ ‘fell in love with a girl’ and ‘I think I smell a rat’ Some absolute unnecessary crap too though - ‘little room’ and 3/4 of ‘the union forever’ as well as ‘aluminium’ and every song after that massively not needed. The stand out track in the album though was easily ‘we’re going to be friends’ felt such a chilled laid back track and was so easy to listen to and put a smile on my face. Best track- ‘we’re going to be friends’ Worst track- ‘little room’ Solid album despite the filler crap. 6.5/10

This album has quite a few strong "4" songs, but even more 3s. I do appreciate the simplicity of the drumming, very unique. But overall, not earth shattering by today's standards. 3.3/5 -> 3/5

Some nice rock songs. I liked it overall.

3 de 5 Disco minimalista del garage rock que consolidó su estatus de culto y lanzó al dúo al estrellato internacional. Fue aclamado por la crítica que destacó su originalidad y además, por demostrar que se puede hacer rock complejo y emocionante con mínimos elementos. A destacar: Track 1 - Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground Track 2 - Hotel Yorba Track 4 - Fell In Love With A Girl Track 6 - Little Room Track 9 - We're Going To Be Friends Track 11 - I Think I Smell A Rat Track 13 - I Can't Wait

Fine, not that good of a band but still okay

Listened to this quite a bit when it came out but lost interest pretty quick. The singles still hit but pretty hit or miss otherwise. Minus points for the Rat song that comes off as a bad show tune.

Um bom album

Not bad for a bunch of demos 3.4

Je suis étonné qu'on n'ait pas eu l'album avec Seven Nation Army, peut-être que Robert Dimery a eu une absence et a choisi un album sur autre critère que sa popularité ? Soit ça, soit il y a deux albums du groupes dans la liste, va savoir. Bon, trêves de moqueries envers ce bon vieux Bob. Parce qu'en fait, je pense qu'effectivement les White Stripes sont un groupe assez important des années 2000 et il est représentatif d'une époque et probablement aussi de son genre. Je n'ai jamais trop aimé les White Stripes, en fait. Ils étaient inévitables dans les années 2000 et j'ai un peu écouté quand j'étais au lycée, mais ça ne m'a jamais particulièrement accrocher. En revenant dessus 20 ans plus tard, je vois que mon appréciation n'a pas tellement changé. Par contre, je dois admettre que ça reste un groupe franchement cool. C'est très énergique tout en étant assez dépouillé. Ce qui fait la force de cet album, c'est son côté brut. La prod est rugueuse, on est très loin des prod gentillettes. Et ça, ça fait que même si les compositions ne sont pas particulièrement agressives, elles ont beaucoup de punch et sont très accrocheuses. Donc je vais mettre 3 parce que ça m'accroche pas plus que ça, mais je dois admettre que c'est vraiment cool. Peut-être que d'ici demain matin, je changerai d'avis et je passerai à 4, mais je n'y crois pas trop.

I liked it a lot. Not my favorite style though

全然好かない

Good rock album.

The singles are extremely nostalgic on this - in particular Hotel Yorba, which I used to do busking (in retrospect, a quite mad song to do on just an acoustic). However, sadly, the rest of it doesn't quite match up. It veers out of 'endearingly scrappy' and into 'actually unfinished' at times, and is probably a little longer than it needs to be. An enjoyable trip down memory lane, but not one that's going to get repeated 2026 airings.

não tava muito na vibe desse álbum quando ouvi, mas ele é bom

Didn't love it, the production is a bit rough and the songwriting is nothing to write home about.

Has all the hits bar a couple. Things get a bit samey snd one thing runs into another but not bad.

Not really my taste of music. It is cool tho

Was ok, didn’t love it. Some fun rock stuff

To my ears this is THE definitive sound of the White stripes, less blues more garage and recorded on a low budget in 3 days. The freshly divorced couple continued as work colleagues and started to satirise the music industry in their artwork. One feels immersed in their world for 40 minutes and, despite not hearing any justification to call this one of the greatest albums ever made, I can see why they became darlings of the DIY indie scene in the early 2000s

This album features some instant classics like Fell In Love With A Girl and We’re Going To Be Friends, but The Union Forever is my fave because vibes. A good album to be sure but not enough of a consistent cohesive sound to put it above others in this list 3/5

I was convinced this was an 80's punk rock band, only to find out that this was a 00's classic. Enjoyable. "We're Going To Be Friends" brings this album to the "ohhh yeah I've heard this band before" territory but honestly the rest of the album is way better.

Love the energy and the raw sound.

It was pretty good, not as great as Elephant, but still pretty good

Cool but doesn’t stand out to me. 3

surprisingly random. lots of songs but they go by so quickly. doesn't seem to have a theme and feels more like a compliation. its fine.

It aight, not rly my kind of thing but it wasn't bad

2026.05.18.

Not musical enough imo, simple yet powerful

Nothing special for me. I didn't hate it, didn't love it. Probably a 2.5, but I'll round it up for Fell In Love With a Girl.

I like the high energy. Good rock beats? Classic rock beats. I guess. Beautiful music.

still not a crazy fan of the white stripes, but this is alright.

j'aime bien c'est my type of rockkkkkkkkkkkk 3.90

Pretty good

Fun stuff, but not enough Seven Nation Army on this one

I don’t know where this sits in the canon of The White Stripes but it’s not my fave but also it’s very The White Stripes and thusly, fine!

i like a lot of these but don't love them (besides we're going to be friends, my beloved) kind of crazy strong opening and closing tracks, so maybe that's all that matters

can totally tell how olivia rodrigo is influenced by them

C'est Ok, sans plus 3

I don't really know what to think. Nothing really stood out to me, but it was enjoyable enough.

decent rock album but didn't stand out too much

White Blood Cells - The White Stripes 1. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (7,5) 2. Hotel Yorba (1,5) 3. I’m Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman (3,5) 4. Fell in Love with a Girl (8,75) 5. Expecting (4,5) 6. Little Room (1,5) 7. The Union Forever (3) 8. The Same Boy You’ve Always Known (6,5) 9. We’re Going to Be Friends (100) 10. Offend in Every Way (7,5) 11. I Think I Smell a Rat (7) 12. Aluminum (3,5) 13. I Can’t Wait (7,75) 14. Now Mary (4,75) 15. I Can Learn (5) 16. This Protector (4,5) Calificación Final (5,5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Back before Jack White hadn't worn out his welcome and his garage punk blues sounded fresh and he didn't insist on using his octave pedal on absolutely everything

Like a garage rock musical.

I dont know why but i never sympatized with WS but i acknowledge that they are very influential. Overall good album not good listener.

I'm always kind of impressed by the White Stripes but it also sounds like an off-broadway rock opera about a band called the White Stripes, in some sense impersonal and affected. I do like We Are Going to Be Friends and all for midwest bands who stay firmly midwest.

As is typically the case with the White Stripes, the best parts are great ("Fell in Love with a Girl," "Hotel Yorba"), and the rest fades. There are pockets of personality, like the sweet "We're Going to Be Friends" and breakdown in "The Union Forever," but the back half of the album all blends together for me. 3.5.

Before the anthem days, this is still very much using the stripes formula - simplistic drums and a few tasty licks. Ok.

Buen disco, fue el primero que escuche de ellos y like.

Not bad not stellar but somewhere in the middle I suppose

There's chaos amid the control that brings a more indie and artistic feel. I prefer "Elephant", but the raw and punchiness of this one makes it good in its own right.

Bit repetitive, ok

I can see why people like The White Stripes and think Jack White is so great, but this didn't make me an automatic fan. A fine album, but nothing special for me.

The hits are hits, the other songs are forgettable. Not the best of the White Stripes, but not a bad album. Fell in Love with a Girl is a true standout. The type of song that I can't help but associate with driving 2 min to the high school baseball field for practice. Joy and excitement pour out. The rest of the album is not great at best and tedious at worst.

It felt more poetic than I expected or remembered: rock stripped bare, nearly to the point of spoken word. The instruments are played with more zeal than skill. It's noisy, joyful, and weird.

Attention grabs 1. The Union Forever 2. We’re going to be friends - oh! It’s this song!!!

I really like “We’re Going to be Friends”, but I’m not feeling the rest of the album.

Ive found througj listening to all of these White stripes albums that I much prefer their hits in bite sized pieces rather than a full album. For my personal taste it just feels like most of their music is lacking a certain something that I cant quite put my finger on, but what I can put my finger on is this button with a 3 on it.

love the guitar and piano in some tracks, quite catchy but still a tad bit lacking.

first listen was brutal but i liked a lot more after listen to it again, it’s a bit boring at times, i wish there was a song i loved, i feel like i saved many songs because of the instrumentals

Much better than Jack White's solo work and with the occasional song that still sounds good ("This Protector") but mostly sounds exactly like it's from the early 2000s. A clangy, crashy sort of album. I never got into garage rock

This is not the one with Seven Nation Army. I've already heard that one on this list. So why on earth is this album here when their one hit is not on this album, and they are a one hit wonder band? Speaking of 'wonder', I wonder why so many entire genres are missing from this list? Where are the Euro Metal bands? Where are the actual good albums from 2001? Blackwater Park? BlueBOB? White Lillies Island? The Fake Fake Sound Of Mika Bomb? You're all insane. I may have a visceral dislike of Meg's drumming, but she wasn't the only one plying that staccato, rhythm-free, simplicity which plagued rock music at the turn of the century. I like the song titles, but I don't much like the songs. They're so short and unrelentingly average. I'd say it remains a mystery why The White Stripes became popular, but it's not a mystery at all; they had an easily sellable look and pandered to an American audience which craved bare bones, anti-complex music which wouldn't offend or challenge, which went well with beer, and which reminded them of better bands. So, not a bad album by any stretch, but there is no reason on this planet, either now, in the past, or in the future that this album should be on this list.

You like The White Stripes? They're...okay.

Fine I suppose - I just can't get excited by it. Feels a bit samey?

pretty straightforward upbeat and like noting I really fuck with too much little room is good 👍 like yes it’s a good album but not my style

Yeah, it's alright. Some good, some bad, some ugly.

This was ok not as good as the other album though

Meeeeeeh. This was fine, vocals dragged it down

Solid stuff!

I *really* want to give this a 2 as we don't need 3 White Stripes albums on this list, and this is the weakest of the bunch. I like them in general, and there are definitely some good riffs on this album, but they simply got better on the later albums and I wish we could have just stuck with those. Then again, maybe this album was removed on a later edition. Anyway, in a vacuum this album is better than 2 stars, so I'll rate it on its own merits. Just, you know, justice for the myriad of albums that are better than this that didn't make the list! 3.4

Album 2 - ( Listened While hanging up washing) Fun First Listen! - Would not listen all the way through again. Gets a little samey. Think this would be great live energy I really enjoy the bare bones blues rock nature of this. It really only clicked with me that The White Stripes are only a two piece band while listening to this album. I think its neat and impressive they are able to achieve a thick and high energy sound with only two people. I thought the lyrics swung rapidly between "yeesh" and "bars!". Though I do like the rough vocal delivery favourite tracks were: "The Union Forever" (gothic moody sound), "We're Going to be friends" (nice theme), "I think I smell a rat" (fun garage track)

Meh. I always liked, but never loved The White Stripes, and re listening to this, if anything, tarnishes the esteem I held them in.

Feels less vital compared to their later work, but I get what a bomb it was after nearly a decade of alternative cruft. Lean and mean and noisy. We're Going to Be Friends is still cute 25 years later.

I liked this album all right and more so than I did at the time of its release, but I continue to wonder if Jack White will ever learn to sing.

Had a few songs i already have in my playlist and some other songs that were good, but there is multiple that i wont revisit. Not a bad album just not their best i think

Pretty standard pop punk for the most part. Most of the songs sort of sound like the jets. We’re going to be friends is the obvious hit on this album but overall not a bad album.

NO DECEPCIONA

I enjoy it perché è corto, album troppo lunghi e con canzoni così tanto simili.... cause let's say it they all sound a little similar to one another ig cause it's an album e non tutti cambiano stile da una canzone all'altra, but yeah that's the point I still liked it fav song "little room" short but really really meaningful I feel like that's me rn so voto direi 7 su 10 non so se lo riascolterò però mi è piaciuto

Feels like some classic 90's rock with an influence from the Beatles - maybe a little bit of grunge. Overall I understand why The White Stripes are popular but they don't stand out to me in particular. I think it's one of those things where they were awesome at the time. Again this comes down to personal opinion but it just felt like music to me.

Maybe is their best, one more star for Meg, and Jack white sings like a desperate chicken.

Good fun!

me han gustado las lentas, el resto lo siento un poco rock pesado

Standouts Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground Fell in Love With a Girl We're Going to be Friends Offend in Every Way

It was like listening to a rock sample platter

Vilket tryck, vilken push! Fint också att dom bröt av lite med den där vän-låten. Stark trea, mycket nära en fyra.

Not really my style but still good

First song do that woah thrum thrum rock yeah - 7 second ones like hey yo whats up neighbour lets fandangle - 6 Third one got like a fun little piano/synth ditty yo this be kinda nice - 8 Fourth be like uh guitar yeah uh be like splangy yknow uh just like get it type shit - 7 Expecting be like du du du DU dun and so on and so forth where the fuck is toledo - 6 Little room is actually pretty good why do I like this one never fucking mind - 6 Dude that true love line is kinda dumb man and the rest of it is iust okay -

I have always liked them much better in theory than reality...this album reinforces that: these songs just aren't very good.

Er ikke no seven nation army dette. :()

Clásico, buen almbun especialmente me gustaron los bajos, no mi estilo del todo pero si añadí algunas buenas

An explosive grunge classic but overwhelmed imo. Most of the tracks are short and sound like a raw scream. It's good as a whole thing but it's weaker if you start spreading it. It still has absolute bangers though

me gusta un poco

Not bad

yeah not my type

Sometimes stumbles onto genius but takes a lot to get there

Tiene un sonido marcado y consistente, bien pesado y garagero, pero no va más allá de eso, las letras no son tan importantes y tiene sus momentos "experimentales" pero no sale de lo común, aún así es un buen álbum para cuando temes ganas de mover la cabeza.

Contemporary Bob Dylan. The lyricism is interesting. The instrumentation is catchy. The vocals are unlistenable. Great stadium jams or high energy road trip jams, but not for the daily playlist

The simplicity and voice of the white stripes just bounces me off them.

Bra grejer

it was goo dbut annoyed me

I think the white stripes suck

Ik ben een fan van de white stripes maar er zitten veel missers op dit album. Ook een paar leuke nummers.

It’s the white stripes, Jack White is good at guitar. I don’t get the hero worship. It’s good enough but kinda meh except for the one song.

the ultimate 3.5 on rym band. like nothing is bad but its all like.. not that exciting. and just good and solid. honestly good for them for really making some iconic rifts in an era where guitar music was kinda dying? I feel like white millennial dads are listening to the white stripes in the garage like white boomer dads listened to venom and anvil in the garage y'kno what im sayin

Господи, вы серьёзно? Типа ещё два альбома White Stipes мне придётся терпеть в рамках этого челленджа? О боже.. Мне НЕ нравится группа White Stripes Мне НЕ нравится голос и манера исполнения Джека Уайта. И никогда не нравилась. Я впервые решил дать шанс и послушать что-то помимо Seven Nation Army (который был прослушан мною против моей воли) и мне НЕ понравилось. Хотя я фанат гаражного рока. Совершенно заурядная вещица, 3/5. 3 - за то что некоторые песни были не столь ужасно скучны а Джек Уайт иногда даже не раздражал своим пением. Ей богу, ни одного альбома Weezer, зато 3 от white stripes...

Overall a strong album with some nice tracks on it and no particularly weak tracks but also nothing that stand out either. I did particularly enjoy Offend in every way and I think I smell a rat. I might have to give this one another go in a bit 3.5

exellent

Started out great i was looking forward but then it just stayed the same

Canciones muy buenas, no me gustaron todas. Habian unas muy ruidosas

Couple bangers mixed in but nothing to sit down and vibe to

it was okkk it was decent not like good but not bad either so yea ?

There’s a couple great songs on it, but they have the same problem across all albums, which is that a two piece isn’t terribly dynamic.

So, I'm pretty sure I've heard one or two songs by these guys before, but never a full album. I am kind of excited to hear what they're all about, I hope to at least enjoy it well enough. Let's go... 1. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground - I don't love it, but this one is cool 2. Hotel Yorba - This one's cute! I like it 3. I'm Finding It Harder To Be a Gentleman - Oop, not vibing with this one at all. No thank you 4. Fell in Love with a Girl - I like the style of this. This one is fine, it's fun 5. Expecting - This one is okay 6. Little Room - Okay this is fun, I like it lol 7. The Union Forever - Some of the genius annotations have me side-eyeing you guys. The way people just talk about women, yikes lmao. Anywho, this song is fine. The rhythm change up one verse 3 is fun. 8. The Same Boy You've Always Known - This is fine/fun 9. We're Going To Be Friends - I know this one from commercials. It's really cute and iconic. I have have a slight love for it. 10. Offend in Every Way - I really really like the sound of this one. The guitars are great! I vibe with this one pretty well! I fear some may take it as a MAGA anthem, but I don't see it like that lol 11. I Think I Smell a Rat - okay intro, holy shit wow. This one is fun, I like! 12. Aluminum - Spacey, fun, and weird. I like it! 13. I Can't Wait - Guitars are fun, but song is meh overall 14. Now Mary - This one is fine. I love the sound, but meh lyrics lol 15. I Can Learn - This one is fine once again lol. Not bad, just okay 16. This Protector - Okay, so 3 or 4... Overall, I think this album is just okay? Not bad in anyway, most of the songs are fine enough, but it's just missing something to really click with me. I guess I need to stop being so generous with my 3's, because this is better than some other I gave 3's, honestly better than some I have 4's, but if I'm being honest it's a 3. 3.5 I guess

I can now confidently say that this is the most I've ever listened to White Stripes. I don't think they're a bad band, but it's a bit silly that they've now appeared thrice on this list and I struggle picking the songs apart. It's pleasant music, but nothing that really sticks in my brain afterwards.

I used to hate the White Stripes because they didn't have a bassist. Then Michael Cera made that joke in Juno and I felt vindicated. I don't hate the White Stripes anymore, but I don't like them either. they were definitely a moment in time kind of band.... "He married his sister?"

A couple favorite songs on here - but this is not my preferred White Stripes album.

Слишком хаотично, бессистемно.

Their first album was ground-breaking. This album sounds like they shifted the ground a bit but no breaking going on - it starts to get a little irritating after a while.

more gooder than I remember but honestly too fucking long

His vocals sometimes border on being too Robert Plant, the songwriting often leans a little bit too much on Paul McCartney worship- (I audibly said "c'mon now" at how McCartney-ish "We're Going to Be Friends" is). But I cannot deny some really great tracks appear here: "Fell in Love With a Girl," "The Union Forever," and "Offend in Every Way" being my favorites.

Nice, I think overall I enjoy this album more than Elephant, but Elephant has Seven Nation Army...

A couple of decent singles on there

This is a really good foundation of the white stripes' sound, and while later albums filled it out a bit more (up to the peak of their experimentation and sound selection, icky thump) this is cool as a super-stripped back bit of rock!

It was fine, but won't be coming back to it. Not my thing.

Never liked this band. I can see the appeal of their punchy, clean blues-rock, but it airways sounded like a sanitised pastiche to me. I also don't really like Jack White's vocals or the songwriting. Having said that, this album "clicked" with me today more than their music has before. I like the looser, sloppier sound they have on some tracks, which is closer to garage-punk. And some of the more idiosyncratic songwriting appealed to me on this record. There are still quite a few forgettable and generic tracks, but I do respect their whole endeavour a little more. 3*

Heard Before; 3; I've always kinda sorta enjoyed the White Stripes. This album is fun to listen to. Barebones, stomping, guitar and drum songs. Heavy on the palm muting and power chords. The stripped down sounds conveys a lot of energy, but at the same time, the songs sound a little formulaic after a while. Favorite Track: Fell In Love With A Girl

Conocía 2 canciones y encontré una que se me quedó en la cabeza

Highlights: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Hotel Yorba, I'm Finding it Harder To Be a Gentleman, Fell In Love With a Girl, Expecting, Little Room, We're Going to Be Friends, Oh I Think I Smell a Rat, Now Mary I do consider myself a big fan of Jack White, but I haven't listened to this record in its entirety for a while. Way back when I last listened to it I didn't really like the second half. As it turns out, that's still the case. It was too tame for his usual style I guess. Especially when you look at his latest solo stuff. Tracks are very short so I feel like the sounds weren't fully explored. It kinda feels like a lot of unfinished ideas and I didn't really like that sort of aftertaste in my ear... It's not even that long so I'm not mad that it's full of these short experiments, but they just didn't click with me. Little Room however was a short lil experiment that I liked. Kinda weird because I usually hate something that short. I don't know if I understood it correctly, but it was funny in my head. I like Elephant and De Stijl much more. They feel much more like a proper White Stripes /Jack White record than this. Therefore I am now sure I won't be revisiting this record as a whole for quite some time again, but the highlights will remain in rotation as they already have been.

listened to this one in the background while doing some work, didn't even notice how it started looping again. it's a nice listen, i liked it! could say it's great album, could also say that none of the song really stood out but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Great album! Songs are very short though, and I would have like some self indulgence on the length of a few of them.

I like the White Stripes, and own a couple of their albums, but not this one. White Blood Cells occupies a weird space for me. It sits between their early raw rock and their more adventurous dabbling into other things, and sounds like they don't have a foot firmly planted in either. It's got quite a few great tracks on it, but doesn't feel cohesive as an album. It's good, but not great yet.

Pretty good, some very high highs and generally one of the better rock albums with some good ideas.

girl whatever

I like the vibe, but towards the end got a little tiring.

White Blood Cells is a raw, energetic record that captures the stripped-down spirit of early-2000s garage rock. Jack White’s riffs are sharp and memorable, and the minimal two-person setup gives the music a scrappy immediacy that clearly helped spark a new wave of guitar bands at the time. At its best, the album is punchy and exciting. Songs like “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” “Fell in Love with a Girl,” and “Hotel Yorba” show how effective the band can be when the riffs, melody, and attitude all line up. Still, the minimalism occasionally works against the album. Without much variation in instrumentation or dynamics, some stretches start to feel a bit repetitive, and the energy that makes the best tracks pop doesn’t always sustain across the entire record. It’s easy to hear why this album was influential and why it resonated so strongly when it arrived. For me, though, it’s more a record I respect than one I feel compelled to revisit often. A strong three.

enjoyable

Can definitely hear the remnants of the 90s in this album. Not really my first choice of music but if someone else was playing this in the car my ears wouldn’t bleed? Definitely some rly nice technical stuff going on. I enjoyed

Liked this in more. Pretty Solid but Not really 4* worthy

There are a couple gems in here but a lot of songs that are just okay and not much more. It's fine as far as 2000s punk goes but it doesn't really do much. The mix is lacking and the performance is fine. I'm a fan enough of the genre but this album outside of the context of it's time doesn't really do anything incredible. I largely enjoyed the B-side of this album better than the A-side, which is curious. I find that those songs are more interesting and dynamic, shame they aren't heard as much. 3.2/5

Some catchy tunes with a few nondescript ones scattered about too. I’m not a massive fan of Jack White’s singing, a bit whiny for me. Gave it probably 4 full plays which is 3 more than the dud albums usually get. 3.5 stars rounded down.