The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
|
List Price: Our Price: $3.88 You Save: $15.10 (80%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.84 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Get Behind Me Satan
Free Music Review: Get Behind This Album!
Hit: 5 Stars
I have never really listened to that much of the White Stripes, just a brief listen to -Elephant- and their song -Fell In Love With A Girl-. However this album cements me now as an avid Stripes fan. Really downbeat compared to -Elephant-, this album creates quirky arrangements and interesting lyrics. Fans with either love it or hate it, so what this is in line for the best album of the year. The release it at a time this year where Colplay's -X&Y- is practically storming the charts everywhere, the Foo Fighters storm out with their double-disc album and The Black Eyed Peas & Oasis try to chart higher than ever. This album has gone resonably unnoticed in terms of charting (-debut week on Billboard Hot 100 #3 down to #11) however critics are praising it more than Coldplay.
Why?
Well, firstly music wise it is less sonically loud than
-Elephant- yet it has lovely songs, Jacks pounding guitar is gone replaced by pounding pianos. Meg however still bangs on her kick-drum and smashes those cymbals harder than ever. "Blue Orchid" is much like -Seven Nation Army- in the sense that it has that same guitar riff opening and starts the album, except this track doesn't have that memorable bass line, yet it is lyrically witty as ever." The Nurse" is actually a pretty creepy song, it has this weirdly entertaining xylophone beat that actually makes this song what it is. "My Doorbell" is the grooviest song on the album, quite retro and funky. Jack's voice is incredibly phenomenal here, with a lovely melodical timbre. "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)" has been quoted as the best ballad Jack has ever written, I beg to differ, later on in the album comes one flippin' good ballad, yet this song has a great chorus. "Little Ghost" is pure bluegrass, showing that the Stripes are willing to experiment with new tempos and styles, the tempo is really quite witty on this track because at one point the tempo "seemingly" falls apart but this is to allow the harmonies to fall and synchronise at different times. "The Denial Twist" is another great Stripes song, very cool, I really like this song. "White Moon" this is that flippin' good ballad I was going on about earlier in the review, the piano is stunning and Jack's vocals are absolutely flawless. "Instinct Blues" personally I don't find this track very bluesy, is that hence the name? I find it one of the more emotionally raw tracks on the album. "Passive Manipulation" is Meg's only vocal appearance as such and runs for only 35 seconds aproxx. This song is very incestuous and quite funny yet at the same time rather disturbing. "Take, Take, Take" is another retro rock moment with an unreal chorus, the chorus just gets louder everytime it is repeated, again showing Jack's arrangement skills.
"As Ugly As I Seem" is a very mellow drawn track but never the less a good one. "Red Rain" rocks, I seriously don't know how to describe it, the song grows on you all the time. And finally "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)" is one of the best songs on the album and a great end to a beautiful album.
The White Stripes should again take home best alternative album at the GRAMMY'S this year but they will face stiff competition from Coldplay, they could even take home, Album Of The Year.
Free Music Review: Something New and Brilliant!
Hit: 5 Stars
They have done it again. The duo of Jack and Meg White has made another album of the year candidate. After the massive success of the album Elephant, they have totally shifted creativity in another direction with amazing results. Jack uses a number of different instruments this time and jumps from musical style to another unlike he's ever done before.
The opening track "Blue Orchid" is basic Stripes. The catchy electric guitar riff combined with the beat of Meg's drumming is the base of the song. Jack's high pitched vocals complement this rocking track. The rest of the album is a different story. "The Nurse" is very rough and experimental. The light sound of piano and marimba gets constantly interrupted by electric guitar and loud drum smashing. It's great when you get used to it. It may throw off people used to just Jack on the guitar.
On to the incredibly catchy piano number "My Doorbell". It has a little early RnB/Funk feel that's lighthearted and irresistible. One of my personal favorite tracks is the incredible ballad "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)". The passion is so great you can just feel it. Next there is a bluegrass sing-a-long entitled "Little Ghost" is great, even though I'm not a fan of the style. The lyrics are very imaginative too. Jack describes falling in love with a ghost, or at least something nobody else can see. It could even be characteristics in a person.
Jack returns to blues with "The Denial Twist". This album is done well even though Jack hasn't rocked us with electric just yet. It really shows how versatile this man is as a musician. "White Moon" is probably the slowest track on the album. Jack sings about Rita Hayworth. It's a great ballad. Jack gives us something familiar in "Instinct Blues", which is a hard gritty rocker that could have fit on the Stripes' first album. Out of Nowhere, Meg's thirty-five second track "Passive Manipulation" comes on. Her lyric about choosing a lover is something rather insightful.
Jack brings us back in with "Take Take Take" which is also about Rita Hayworth. His fantasy of meeting her is a disapointment. Jack's building vocal chorus sounds distorted when hitting its peak though. "As Ugly As I Seem" is an acoustic work of art. The album is almost over by now. "Red Rain" is a song which is builds up more than once and it's a track which I find a little hard to describe. The vocals are very high pitched and distorted in an almost genius way. The album closes with the beautiful piano ballad "I'm Lonely (But I Aint That Lonely Yet)". If there wasn't a more perfect closing to another White Stripes triumph.
It's amazing they started making the album around four months before it was released. It shows dedication and the fact that they don't need to beef up the studio sound like so many other bands. That's one of the reasons I'm a fan of the band. It doesn't have a rushed feel either. The problem many have with this is that it's so different. I love the change. The album isn't as good as Elephant, in my opinion. I do feel it's one of their better albums though. I am excited to hear what Jack has for us next time around. (4 1/2 Stars)
Free Music Review: Definitely a departure for the Stripes...
Hit: 5 Stars
I, like many Stripes fans, eagerly downloaded an advance copy of Blue Orchid, and based on that song I expected Get Behind me Satan to build on Elephant... more solid blues/garage guitar work from Jack... but it turns out that was sort of a tease. Only a few songs on this album have any guitar at all, and none are similar to Blue Orchid. If you go into this album expecting to hear something similar to any of the older stripes albums, especially White Blood Cells or Elephant, you are going to be very disappointed. However, I can't say this album comes completely out of left field, as each Stripes album has been a departure from the one before, just never as much as this album.
Does that mean Get Behind me Satan is a bad album? Hardly. First let's look at the tracks that (thanksfully) feature Jack on guitar. Instinct Blues is classic White Stripes, a nice bluesy track that sounds like something from De Stijl... very nice. Blue Orchid is an incredible song, one of the best the Stripes have ever made. As Ugly as I seem is a softer song with some beautiful guitar work. Red Rain is another blues song, with layered guitars and vocal work, which would be right at home on White Blood Cells. That sums it up for the tracks which have Jack on guitar...
... so how about the rest? Yup, Jack on piano, and marimba... didn't see that coming? Neither did I. Some of the tracks work a lot better than others, making this one of the Stripes more uneven albums. On the plus side, this is quite possibly the first Stripes album that doesn't weaken towards the end. My Doorbell is a light-hearted song for these guys, somewhat pointless but a lot of fun. Forever for Her (Is Over for Me) has some excellent layered vocals, a pretty solid ballad. Little Ghost is full of tempo changes and a LOT of layered Jack vocals. One of my favorite songs is definitely The Denial Twist, which sees Jack trade pounding guitars for some pounding pianos, and oddly enough some pretty decent drumming from Meg. Speaking of Meg, she sings on Passive Manipulation, a decent track that lasts all of 35 seconds. Take,Take,Take is one of the more complex Stripes songs you'll hear, as it has Jack playing both guitar and piano, a dual-layered vocal, and Meg on drums... I'm not sure how they'll handle this track live, as it would require (gasp!) three people to play, unless Jack has managed to grow two more hands.
Long-time Stripes fans will probably be very divided about this album. There is no question that I miss Jack on guitar on a lot of these tracks, as its one of the main draws of the Stripes. But after four albums, I can live with a change in sound, especially because more often than not, these songs work very well. If nothing else, if Jack returns to the guitar for album six (assuming their is one...), it'll sound even better for the wait. I can't claim this is my favorite Stripes album, but on every listen it grows on me more and more. I highly recommend it, with the advice that you keep an open mind and give it at least four or five listens to win you over.
Free Music Review: My "Most Anticipated Album" Of 2005
Hit: 5 Stars
In the bleak soundscape that is and has been 2005, there have been few albums worth anticipating. With no new Modest Mouse or Wes Anderson soundtracks on the books for some time, I either had to start liking Coldplay or place a lot of faith in the Stripes to fill my music void.
I chose the latter. I was not disappointed.
I was so impressed with the album's debut single "Blue Orchid", a stunning Seven-Nation-Army-only-better-! rocker and probable alt-rock song of the year, that I decided to get this album one song per day - in order to extend my first listen awe. (All downloaded legally, of course).
Day 1: "Blue Orchid" What can I say? This song has, in less than two weeks, cracked my 25 Most Played list on the iPod. Worth the album price alone. 10/10
Day 2: "The Nurse" Woah! Strange and experimental, employing (I hate to say it...) "random" bursts of drum and guitar, maracas (?!) and xylophone and great lyrics. An unlikely rocker - definitely a keeper! 10/10
Day 3: "My Doorbell" Definitely the next single. Jack's lyrics have improved exponentially album-to-album beginning with White Blood Cells. 10/10
Day 4: "Forever For Me (Is Over For Her)" What a title! What a song! 10/10
Day 5: "Little Ghost" A little bit of "twang" and slight change of pace, Ghost is a blue-grassy barn house dancer reminiscent of Jack's Cold Mountain musicianship. 9/10
Days 6 and 7: "The Denial Twist" and "White Moon" These songs are good, not outstanding. They develope the album's Rita Hayworth and ghost themes (the relevance of which I do not yet grasp). I got a bit worried about the album starting strong and tapering. 7/10 each.
Day 8: "Instinct Blues" They're back. Good fun and some crazy guitar-work towards the end of this song. When reviewers call the Stripes' instrumentation "primitive" in a non-insulting way, they're talking about songs like this. 9/10
Day 9: "Passive Manipulation" This one is all Meg. All 34 seconds of it. Lyrics are decent, but c'mon this doesn't count. 5/10
Day 9 (again): "Take, Take, Take" Yes! This song is so 10/10 that the earlier 10/10s should really be 9/10. I'm not one to crank it to 11, but I love this celebrity-stalker! The story, the phone ring, the over-lapping lyrics, the slight distortion are all ecstasy! 11/10
Day 10: "As Ugly As I Seem" Im still loving "Take, Take, Take". This song's another change of pace; this album is far from repetitive. Softer, acoustic and voice-driven. 8/10
Day 11: "Red Rain" There are so many odd instruments on this album. Is that a triangle? 8/10
Day 12: "Im Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)" A sweet, piano-based, (as)emotional(as the stripes get) ending to the album. Beautiful even. 9/10
In conclusion: This album ranks (with Elephant) as some of the only "real music" to come out of the alternative / rock scene in recent years. Truly diverse and innovative. What a great two weeks!
Free Music Review: The Bible Only Calls For One Savior
Hit: 5 Stars
Many of the readers probably heard the same review I did on NPR, right around the same time the station interviewed the White Stripes about their latest album, "Get Behind Me Satan." It was describing Coldplay's newest album, and the reviewer said something to the effect of "In an era where most bands get rewarded for just showing up, why not give extra reward to the bands that show up with something damn good"? For Coldplay fans, this may inspire cheers or frustration. Regardless, Jack and Meg White in their 5th album express their reaction to such a growing musical cliché. Why show up with something that's just exceptionally good, when you can show up with something that puts all the other bands to shame?
With my opinion based mostly on this album, I get angry when people call the White Stripes a rock band--it's more accurate to call then a rock-oriented band, and this album is the showcase of that label. The pounding intro, "Blue Orchid" provides an almost Deep Purple-sounding riff, clearly showing the Rock & Roll side of the duo, but immediately after, with an abrupt finish, marimbas chime in on "The Nurse." I suspect Jack and Meg White themselves were also uncomfortable with being labeled as a rock band. The maturity and transcendence that the band achieves in and outside of their applied genre literally has avant-garde rock and rollers declaring Jack White the "savior of Rock & Roll." Check the IMDb message boards for Jack White if you don't believe me, although I suspect some Amazon reviewers have had similar spiels.
Well, Jack knows that the Bible only calls for one savior. He's not trying to save rock and roll, as another reviewer here said, "It'd be nice to hear something legendary come out of the White Stripes, but I guess that would be a bit anti-them." The Stripes continue on with pianos, guitars, more marimbas, is that a ukelele on "Little Ghost," and just sheer driving soulful vocals. In "Red Rain," Jack makes his guitar sing almost as well as on Elephant's "Ball and Biscuit," but our treat here is that he's learned how to do it in less than 7 minutes. The effect is an unrefined sound from a now-refined band. No need to overproduce a song to "perfection." The underproduction has its own sound, and the Stripes embrace it. There are several musical 'blips' here there, most obvious on a guitar backup in "Blue Orchid," that White intentionally leaves in--there's no such thing as a mistake, just paint a happy little tree over it.
The duo closes the album with the piano ballad "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonley Yet)," in which Jack White's voice was described by a friend of mind as "painful." It certainly isn't a "We're Going to Be Friends"-esque lullaby voice, but that's how Jack likes it. In every song, there has to be something raw, something that makes the experience both comfortable and uncomfortable. The White Stripes wouldn't have it any other way, and with their latest installment, they're hoping the world of rock and roll agrees.