The White Stripes - Icky Thump
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Free Music Notes for Icky Thump
Free Music Review: Another great album from the Stripeys
Hit: 5 Stars
There is apparently an opinion, common among certain highly educated musicians, that the White Stripes can't play.
This reminds me of the old complaint that Thelonious Monk couldn't play piano. It's true that he couldn't play everything, the way his friend, neighbour and colleague Bud Powell could play anything placed in front of him. Monk didn't need to be able to play everything, because he was wise enough and genius enough to only play what he wanted to. A DJ once said on air that Monk's style was based on playing wrong notes. Monk rang the radio station and informed them 'Piano ain't got no wrong notes.' Jack White plays guitar as though guitar ain't got no wrong notes.
Similarly, the White Stripes are brilliant musicians because their technique is absolutely spot-on for what they want to do. There are Berklee-educated shred merchants out there who secretly wish they could come up with the riffs that Jack White can rattle off effortlessly. Ted Kirkpatrick, of the Christian metal band Tourniquet, is a phenomenally gifted player, but he is nothing like as good a musician as Meg White - partly because he has the bad taste to play Christian metal, but mostly because he thinks that good drumming is about lots of intricate polyrhythms and hitting things as fast and as much as possible. It isn't.
This is one of my favourite White Stripes albums - loud, raucous, perverse, more Led Zep II than Zed Lep III. I am a guitar player (rock, punk, blues and am studying jazz at a fairly advanced level) and I am in awe of how eloquent the White Stripes' music is, compared to some more ballyhooed stuff I've had to listen to.
Free Music Review: Back in form? What? They NEVER went out.....
Hit: 5 Stars
As a child of the 80s, yet a 60s and 70s Rock fan I can say that the Stripes are leagues ahead of their peers in what they are doing with their sound. Very few bands (I.E. the Beatles, Led Zepplin) produce albums where I consistently listen to EVERY album. What makes them unique? First they obviously touch the roots of rock and roll by leaning on the blues a bit. Second, they take the blues and craft songs around the styles and make them their own. The White Stripes have been very successful for six albums in continuing to reinvent and invigorate their style of music without forgetting these roots. While the Stripes have nowhere near the sales of the aforementioned or others at this time, 20 years down the road who will be one of the legends of this time? My bet is on the Stripes.
Since everyone else has to do it: My order: De Stijl, Icky Thump, Elephant, Get Behind me Satan, White Blood Cells, The White Stripes
My early favs:
1) Catch Hell Blues--no one really has mentioned this gem in other reviews--but like the under appreciated "Red Rain" from the last album has an epic feel to it.
2) You Don't Know What Love Is. Great song. Sounds like a earlier improvement on punk songs like Fell in Love with a Girl, etc.
3) Icky Thump. Title track continues to rope folks in.
4) Rag and Bone. Great all around deep song.
5) Conquest. New angle and shows Jack's vocal depth.
Get this album if you are a long term fan of the Stripes. Get this album if you are interested in a great American band whose fame hasn't soured their sound.
Free Music Review: Awesome Album
Hit: 5 Stars
Am I the only one who actually LIKED the White Stripes' last album, Get Behind Me Satan? I really enjoyed, and appreciated its differences from their previous albums as much as I appreciate the differences on this one. Every track is well written, well sung, and beyond excellently well played. I like the fact that these artists are willing to grow and change and try to new things. What would be the point of putting out the same thing every album? That would be boring.
In some reviews, the Stripes have been compared to Led Zeppelin, which I don't agree with. The influence is there, but Jack's voice is a million times more pleasing to the ear, and I own all the White Stripes albums, but not one Led Zeppelin.
This album is unique, full of personality (especially on "Rag and Bone"), very rockin' from start to finish, and is a bit more, well, THUMPing, than the last one--it has more guitar and drums, is faster paced, and has less piano and dramatic pauses. It does follow the formula of Meg voicing a song entirely by herself (St. Andrew), but she seems to join in much more in the vocals with Jack on other songs on this one as well, which I really like. The lyrics are both catchy and meaningful. There is not a single track I skip over. I can't think of anything bad to say about this one really. If you haven't heard it yet, please do. You won't regret it.
. . . I just tried to recommend my favorite tracks from this album, but I ended up typing almost all of them! :P This album is very good. Give it a few repeated listens, let it sink in like a good glass of wine, and enjoy. :)
Free Music Review: laidilaidilaiyooooohoooo! Great fun!
Hit: 5 Stars
I wasn't a real White Stripes fan, till I purchased this album. This album happens to be my very first White Stripes album puchased. Although I knew the White Stripes for a year, I waited before purchasing this album because I wanted to know how consistant this album was. So, I spent time on Youtube listening to it; that was a big mistake because I knew the sound of the album before purchasing it, but for now on I'll shoot from the hip when buying White Stripes material.
Something, that is very suprising about this album is its consistancy. You would think, well gee this album has fourteen songs, it's probably going to have a few weak songs. But, instead all of the songs really stood out to me. At that point, I was on the edge of my seat. Too shocked by the resemblance of Led Zeppelin's III to this album. "Pricky Thorn, But Sweetly Worn" is my favorite sound. The acoustics on this album really put other modern bands like Coldplay to shame.
If you want an album that you wouldn't dare take out of the CD player get this. After all, it is your choice whether you want to listen to tin can getting thrown down or this beautifully crafted album.
****1/2 out of ***** Great job!
Free Music Review: How fitting
Hit: 5 Stars
I sit with a somber heart today, listening to the new White Stripes album on the same day that fashion legend Liz Claiborne started designing garments for all the women of heaven. Liz incorporated white stripes in some of the clothing she designed. The White Stripes were everything that Liz Claiborned liked. They wear neat clothes, are creative and from all accounts, don't smell that bad. This album is the album I find most aligned with the fashion world. There is harder drumming on this one and nothing drums harder than a catwalk in Paris in the springtime. Earlier white stripes albums were more focused on things like Wichita, but Icky Thump screams "Fashion!!!". My mom had a liz claiborne handbag back in 1987. She would complain all of the time about the transition in music from keyboard driven garbage like Human League to Hair metal. She was hoping for a brother sister team made up of just a guitar and and drums to come along and save rock. Well, guess what happened. My mom is probably carrying her Liz Claiborne handbag singing Icky Thump to the heavens today. Liz Claiborne never met average and neither has my mom since she helped make me.