Elephant - White Stripes (The) > Reviews > Elephant

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	.  .  .
Disadvantages:	.  .  .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

There’s only a few days left before Christmas and i hope that you have finished all your purchase. If you’re still looking for gifts ideas I truly can advise you to buy the last album of the White Stripes — Elephant.

WHO ARE THE WHITE STRIPES ?

Coming from Detroit, Michigan, the white stripes are a peculiar duo striped with red and white like the famous campino they ate as kids. “The Stripes” decided to adopt a red and white look; they both dress in red and keep a pale complexion.
The white stripes formed in 1997, the band is composed of Jack White ( bass and guitar) and Martha White( drums and piano). They have been said to be brother and sister but also to be wife and husband. Neither of these rumours has ever been confirm, who cares as long as the keep doing good music.

Some say that the White Stripes make garage rock revival and personally I do not really know what it actually means. The only thing that matters to me is that the white stripe make good old rock, I just wish them to keep doing so.

ELEPHANT

Let’s have a quick look on the 14 titles of this album.

# Seven nation army :

That’s surely their most known single. This is a really good song very rhythmical. The bass intro of this song is simply delightful. This song is just great, you simply can’t resist to this song. If you totally ignore who the white stripes are you should begin by listening this song.

# Black Math

This song is much more aggressive than the others of the album. The guitar is put in front of every other thing and the talent of jack white with his guitar is undeniable. There is an obvious influence of the 60’s songs. I love this song, it reminds me the Doors.

# There’s no home for you there

This song is much more sweet especially because of the place taken by the voices. This song deals with breaking up and the inability to live together.

# I just don’t know what to do with myself

This is a very nice interpretation of this famous song from Burt Bacharach. You know this is the song that is murdered by Cameron Diaz in “My best friend’s wedding”.
This is a very sweet song that speaks of breaking up and of the lack of the beloved person.

# In the cold cold night

This is the sweetest song of the album. Listening to it brings you back the swinging sixties, almost in an Austin Power’s movie.

# I want to be the boy to warm your mother’s heart

Another 70’s looking like song it is really refreshing to listen to it. It deals with the difficulties of a guy that’s isn’t accepted by the mother of his girlfriend.

# You’ve got her in your pocket

It’s a gorgeous song, really sweet and soft. It’s just the right thing to listen to on a cold rainy afternoon like today.

# Ball and Biscuit

This is a beautiful song where the guitar has a huge part. It is quite Hendrixian ( not bad right ?)

# The hardest button to button
Thanks to a large use of drums and bass it’s a very rhythmic song that is ideal to wake you up in the morning.

# Little acorns

This song begins with a spoken part that sounds like a report. It deals with the story of Janet, a young woman who have been able to overcome her problem thanks to her faith and her will to get through ( ok no comments please )
After 45s of speech the music begins with a very rhythmic bass part.
Jack White gives us is solution to get through the troubles :
Quote “ Be like a squirrel” and “ Straighten your curls, your problems hide in your curls”
Well, sometimes it’s better to no look too much at the lyrics ( see further) but the instrumental part is just great.

# Hypnotize

A hypnotic song ( ah, ah) much more than rhythmic, it’s simply impossible to stay seated while your listening to it, you just can resist dancing.

# The air near my fingers

We are back to 60’s again. The introduction of this song looks very much like the one of “ Wild thing “ ( you make my heart sing….) and then the basic musical theme is modified in the rest of the song.

# Girl; you have no faith in Medicine

Another song that push me into dancing. Looks a bit like the old good offspring, that’s just delicious…

# Well it’s true that we love one another

Back to the swinging sixties again, the stripes make here a sweet duo that looks like a Sonny and Cher song the rhythm is indeed given by a tambourine.
That’s so kitsch you just can resist.

MY OPINION :

Well, that is what I am supposed to give here, isn’t it.
I think that you have understood that I really loved this album. To me every track of this disc is great and deserved to be listened to. The Stripes succeeded in creating their own little universe in which they take us with their music. This red and white striped world is really welcoming, it is almost like home. To me that is why the white stripes are great compared to the other rock groups that exist now. Most of the other rock bands make the same kind of things and that’s kind of a depressing thing to listen to their music. If you do not no who the White stripes are please have a look at their web site www.whitestripes.com, to enter in their world.

The only thing that I regret in this album is that some of the lyrics simply have no sense. I’m French myself and I do not understand all the lyrics when I first listen to it but reading it do not help he to understand them better as for example with the quotes I made theirs is simply no sense in it. Even though the instrumentals are simply amazing and it’s enough to have a great album that surely enters my disc collection and deserved to be part of yours.

Thanks a lot for reading and Happy Christmas.
 

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