Jack White Revisited

[Pinball Wizard]

Interesting in terms of style... makes some catchy riffs. Took me 5 minutes to figure out how to play Seven Nation Army, solo included.

*self-promotion.

...

It baffles me why he is heralded as a savior of rock... he is talented, and has the potential to do something with his flare. But his formula is the secret recipe that everyone knows about. Take old blues licks and put 'em to a beat. He could use a better drummer to do accomplish this though...


Is there a reason for this thread? That remains to be seen... what do you think his place is within the realm of rock? A troubadour with conviction, or just another cultural fetish?

I would prefer if you didn't go down the road of comparing Jack White to other "virtuosos"... and it would be arbitrary to compare him to the edge... somehow I think that will come up.

If there's any discussion that is.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I think he's an entertaining young man and I enjoy his work

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Jack in red swim trunks. That's all.

 

[Elvis Presley]

The White Stripes brand of simplification is certainly not hard to figure out. Saviors of rock? I dont think so, however, thier catchy songs have sure won over many. I think its good stuff, but it will never blow my mind like Radiohead.....

 

[~LadyLemon~]

And they will never be mind-blowing like Radiohead. They are a good, solid band, and they put on fun, rockin' shows. And yes, Meg isn't the greatest, but she's cute so we put up with it

 

[JessicaAnn]

The White Stripes recently played here. I didn't go to teh show because I am not a fan. But I found the review to be amusing ... and voiced many of the reasons why the White Stripes are overhyped.

White Stripes' hype leads one to gripe
By GEMMA TARLACH
Journal Sentinel pop music critic

There are at least a dozen rock bands in Milwaukee alone with more musical skill and inventiveness than the Detroit duo of Jack and Meg White (no relation other than an alleged failed marriage, despite the brother-sister rumor they coyly propagate).

So why did The White Stripes sell out the Eagles Ballroom in The Rave on Monday night while as good or better local acts have trouble getting 20 people to show up at Vnuk's Lounge or The Cactus Club?

Hype.

The White Stripes' music is the aural equivalent of Andy Warhol's soup cans. The savvy Whites took the familiar, gave it a clever new treatment and, most important, captured the fancy of the tastemaker set through their cheeky appropriation. Once the hypesters and hipsters had latched onto The White Stripes, much like Warhol, the actual art was subsumed by the scene surrounding it.

Despite the number of cover stories in Spin that claim otherwise, The White Stripes have not reinvented the rock. As the duo demonstrated during a set that clocked in just under 90 minutes, however, the Whites are a credible if often derivative garage act - and canny self-marketers with the chutzpah to pass off their solid but rudimentary musicianship as "minimalism."

In the best moments of the show, the Stripes transcended their own shtick. The pair seemed to be performing with genuine joy on "Hotel Yorba," a sprightly rendition of "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" and first encore "Seven Nation Army," which benefited from a slightly faster tempo than the plodding studio version.

Another highlight: a cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," all rockabillied-up and gender-bent with guitarist Jack White singing from a woman's perspective.

The Stripes were most convincing when they stuck to the punkier side of their fusion of blues, '60s pop and rock. The venue's cavernous acoustics also worked to the band's advantage, lending an air of authenticity to otherwise generic blues-rock wannabes such as "Let's Shake Hands."

Drummer Meg White's turn at the mike for "In the Cold, Cold Night" played her breathy Everygirl voice against the sex bomb come-on of the lyrics with mixed results. The self-aware exercise in irony felt as calculatedly precious as the vintage Betty Boop and Little Lulu cartoons shown before the show, or the matching red and black mod suits worn by the road crew, sound guy and lighting gal.

Even less authentic was Jack White's frequent bluesman posturing, most notably on the trying-too-hard "Ball and Biscuit," a cheap knockoff of the real thing. Think Howlin' Pup or Murky Waters.

Whirlwind Heat's opening set was full of energy, jaunty bass lines and the occasional melodic hook, but lead singer and keysman Dave Swanson's penchant for off-kilter Moog noodling and extraneous screeching quickly wore thin.

 

[u2popmofo]

I like them. I personally dont care about how simple or on the other hand how intricate music is. All I care about is whether I like it or not.

Critics, schmitics. The only critical acclaim that matters is your own.

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

The White Stripes brand of simplification is certainly not hard to figure out. Saviors of rock? I dont think so, however, thier catchy songs have sure won over many. I think its good stuff, but it will never blow my mind like Radiohead.....

i knew i put you on a pedestal for the right reasons.

 

[Saracene]

I never based my likes/dislikes on whether the band is derivative or not, as long as there's a special ingredient mixed in with all the influences. Which IMO The White Stripes do possess. Maybe all these other bands -are- more talented and inventive; does this mean I should stop enjoying the Stripes?

Oh, and "Savior of Rock" is the stupidest monicker journalists ever came up with.

 

[IWasBored]

they make good music, whether or not it sounds like something else. i can't figure out for the life of me what song 'seven nation army' sounds like, and it's driving me up a wall. i personally am not a fan, but i understand why people dig it. i don't like calling anyone the savoir of rock.

 

[Bono's shades]

they make good music, whether or not it sounds like something else. i can't figure out for the life of me what song 'seven nation army' sounds like, and it's driving me up a wall.

I had the same reaction. When I first heard "Seven Nation Army" I simultaneously thought "What an amazing guitar riff!" and "I KNOW I've heard a very similar-sounding riff before, but where??"

The "savior of rock" label is stupid, but blame it on the lame music journalists, not the band. I prefer to think of them as just a good band making some fun, interesting music.

 

[u2popmofo]

Sadly, pretty much any riff anyone will ever come up with has probably been done before.

 

[IWasBored]

yeah, i know mofo. my gut reaction is to think ha! they're playing ac/dc

 

[Pinball Wizard]

It's actually a similar bassline to Dazed And Confused... sped up a bit.

I didn't make any fantastical claims about the stripes. They're good, but definitely hyped. Stylistically of course it's cliched, but I guess that's the state of rock.

 

[TiaraGurl]

I am seeing them on Tuesday so we will have to see what happens.

 

[~LadyLemon~]

I'm seeing them for the 4th time this year on the 30th...

 

[anitram]

I actually recently worked one of their shows (I work at the arena they performed).

Really, really didn't like it. Pre-show, the band was friendly enough, but Meg is rather mute. During the show, they were dull on stage and their music really didn't move me at all. I vote for overhyped.

Don't get me wrong, they are a decent band, but no superlatives here. And it is not often that I find a band's recorded material to be better than their live show.

At least I got paid to see them.

 

[Pinball Wizard]

That's fair.

I respect your candor; I hope others follow suit... instead of treading down the path of incessant moaning and attack.