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| Sir Stonesalot |
I have Get Behind Me Satan. Had it for about a week now. My uncle gets promo copies of stuff to review for a couple of different magazines. I was really psyched about this album because i think the White Stripes are one of the best things cooking in rock n roll music right now. I love Jack's strange takes on songcraft.
I haven't said anything til now because I wanted to let the album sink in. I see all the critics love it. That would explain why I don't. In fact, this is my least fave of all the Stripes output.
This album goes down a road started on Elephant. Unfortunately for me, it was also the thing that I least liked about Elephant. If Elephant was Jack's guitar album...then Get Behind Me is Jacks PIANO album. The songs are fine. My problem is that I'm a guitar guy, and guitar songs are few and far between on this one. In fact, only 5 of the 13 tracks feature Jack's guitar, including my fave "Blue Orchid". The rest are oddball piano songs. So it seems to me that this album explores in the direction of Elephant's piano songs. Humph, shrug.
I have no doubt that lots of people are gonna dig this record. Like I said, the song are good songs. The problem for me is that the style just isn't my cup of tea. I like big loud distorted guitars shoved in my face. I like rock and roll. There's simply not enough of either for my tastes on Get Behind Me Satan. I don't really know what to label this album as...but rock and roll is not what immediately springs to mind.
Still, you should check it out for yourself. You might like this new direction. I don't. But leave it to Jack to make this album something unexpected.
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| IanBillen |
I thought Elephant was the best album of the decade thus far.
That and Pinks Mizzunderstood.
However it isn't promising for me to hear that Jack only plays his guitar on 5 songs... (?)
I really do like Jacks piano work and he is a good song writer but this is not what I want to hear. However Elephant's "I wanna be the boy" is really great and is my second fav on that album. Elephant's "I Just Don't know what to do with myself" is my kinda White Stripes and is more what I look for from them. I don't want a White Stripes album based on piano with some guitar. I want a White Stripes album based on guitar with some good piano. Well thanks for the update. I will check it out when I can.
Ian
[Edited by IanBillen] |
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| Jumacfly |
Elephant got the best blues track for years "ball and biscuit"...
Anyway, thanks for the review Sir!!
i will hear it soon too...
But to be honest the record I m really looking forward is next Dandy Warhols , nowadays I listen "13 tales" and the great "welcome to money house" and it rules!!
cheers
Ju |
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| Jumacfly |
Elephant got the best blues track for years "ball and biscuit"...
Anyway, thanks for the review Sir!!
i will hear it soon too...
But to be honest the record I m really looking forward is next Dandy Warhols , nowadays I listen "13 tales" and the great "welcome to money house" and it rules!!
cheers
Ju |
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| Nasty Habits |
Dig, Ju!
Well, in my jaded smarmy opinion they've been going downhill since the second album, so what do I know?
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| Jumacfly |
quote:
Nasty Habits wrote:
Dig, Ju!
Well, in my jaded smarmy opinion they've been going downhill since the second album, so what do I know?
the DW?? yes "welcome..." is a pop album filled with keyboard bass and a few guitar licks, and great back vox...I love it Nasty!!!!  |
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| Nasty Habits |
quote:
Jumacfly wrote:
the DW?? yes "welcome..." is a pop album filled with keyboard bass and a few guitar licks, and great back vox...I love it Nasty!!!!
I was talkin' bout the WS, ju. All down hill since De Stijl.
The DIG was a reference to the insane movie about the DW and the Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Have you seen it?
It's CRAZY!
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| mac_daddy |
so you're a fan of the bjonestown massacre..? they have been around for a long time... i have a funny story about taping them one night at the troubador a few years back...
the dandys are alright, too... speaking of that sound, what ever happened to the brmc? i caught their act once, taped it too. i liked them...
all these acts owe a debt of thanks to the jesus and mary chain..?
[Edited by mac_daddy] |
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| Jumacfly |
quote:
Nasty Habits wrote:
I was talkin' bout the WS, ju. All down hill since De Stijl.
The DIG was a reference to the insane movie about the DW and the Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Have you seen it?
It's CRAZY!
ooopss!! not yet Nasty,but I m afraid they don't show it anymore here.Don't forget I live in France 
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| TheSavageYoungXyzzy |
Funny, I too, got a promotional copy (it pays to work in college radio, kids!) and've had it for a little longer. This is really going to be divisive.
I don't mind the piano at all. In fact, I find it rather charming, especially when you consider that the two big guitar songs that aren't "Blue Orchid" ("Instinct Blues" and "Red Rain") are the weakest tracks on the album - "Instinct Blues" is the hands-down worst offender, "Red Rain" is passable but feels like it would have benefited switching places with "I Can't Wait" on White Blood Cells, if Jack had followed through with his threat and made that a piano song.
See, it seemed to me that on Elephant, especially towards the end, the guitar was becoming a crutch. I love me my balls-to-the-wall distorted rock'n'roll as much as the next guy - probably more than the next guy - but if you asked me to identify the melodies of "Hypnotize" and "The Air Near My Fingers" without the benefit of the lyrics, I'd be lost. They're not the same song by any stretch of the imagination, they're just bland rock songs. White Blood Cells suffered this to an ungodly extreme - Elephant, at least, was redeemed by "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine," which is the best rock song released on a major label in the past five years. (Yeah, I went there.)
With this one, though, he seems to be taking his time. If he can get away without using his guitar, he does. In that way, he's really casting aside his crutch - Get behind me, Satan! - even though occasionally you miss it hanging around. I think "My Doorbell" works outstandingly well as a piano-driven rocker, as does "Take, Take, Take." I am in a distinct minority, but I think "White Moon" is a lovely ballad.
When I first heard this one, I drew the immediate line between it and Blood On The Tracks. There is silence and quiet, but there's also a lot of vitriol, and it all seems centered around women. It's a breakup album. Every single song deals with it. Two of them mention someone named Rita ("White Moon" doesn't give her last name, but you can kind of guess). It's a personal story shrouded in the same sort of allegory that covered Blood On The Tracks.
Someone else drew a comparison to Paul McCartney's Ram, which I also liked - there is definitely an air of playful experimentation occasionally taken to annoying extremes - but at the heart of the matter, this isn't a happy relationship album, and it isn't your typical Stripes album, either. By working without the guitar, Jack White's expanding his musical horizon, and while there're misfires here, it really gels as an album in the way no White Stripes album has since De Stijl - and does it without those annoying sound clips between the tracks.
There's much rock to be had here, even without the distorted guitar, the ballads are quite nice although I think he could have easily lost "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)" and put "Ugly As I Seem" earlier so it wasn't ballad overkill by the time you hit it.
It's not perfect, but hey, neither was a certain murky album recorded in somebody's basement thirty-some-odd years ago. It's not as good as that basement record, but it's getting there. I'm psyched to see where the Stripes head after this one. |
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| Nasty Habits |
Savage Young, I am glad to see you're on the promo chain train! Viva college radio - that's where you belong right now!
But you need your head examined if you think these lyrics are anywhere near the channels of pure poetry and experience that is Blood on the Tracks.
Jack has been filtering out his personal experiences and putting up a big fuzzy layer of gauze from every album since the first one, so that now all that can be heard is persona, not person.
Personally, I don't believe a word he says, and that sucks. It's the exact thing that ultimately stops post Dirty Work Stones albums from succeeding totally as well.
Anyway, other than that, I'm very down with your commentary. The experimentation is too cute by half, and give me Jack at three or Blind Willie McTell interviews between tracks over a lot of the gloop on top of some of these songs any day.
Mac --
I don't know if I'm a big fan, but I certainly respect that the Jonestown Massacre folks are FREAKS! Dig is amazing whether you care about the bands or not because it's a really well made film with total access to the kind of disfunctial insanity that all rock bands operate under at one lever or another! Let's hear your BJTM story!
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| TheSavageYoungXyzzy |
quote:
Nasty Habits wrote:
But you need your head examined if you think these lyrics are anywhere near the channels of pure poetry and experience that is Blood on the Tracks.
Jack has been filtering out his personal experiences and putting up a big fuzzy layer of gauze from every album since the first one, so that now all that can be heard is persona, not person.
Personally, I don't believe a word he says, and that sucks. It's the exact thing that ultimately stops post Dirty Work Stones albums from succeeding totally as well.
Really? It's weird, I think Blood on the Tracks has a honkin' big fuzzy layer of gauze on it, too that gets ignored because it's very beautiful gauze. What's "Idiot Wind" about? How about "Tangled Up In Blue"? "Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts"? A lot of allegory, half-truths, and name-checks - I see a lot of similarity between that and the Stripes. Granted, it's never as breathtaking or mindblowing as aforementioned Blood On The Tracks headscratchers, but I don't believe a word of what Dylan says, either. He is 100% persona, 1000% persona, and what makes Blood On The Tracks such a monumental success is that he gets people to believe he's being very personal without giving up a shred of that persona - it's a trick he borrowed from the older folk and blues masters, Robert Johnson and Leadbelly in particular. And in that vein, Jack White is on the right track. |
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| exile |
Im curious to hear it
In my local record store I noticed it had already been reduced 
has it been out long? Did it sell lower than expected or get bad rewiews? |
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| time is on my side |
Today was the day of it's first release (I bought it but haven't had a chance to hear it yet). So it hasn't been released for a full day yet. As for the critics, it's been universally praised as a CD with much substance and quality. A step forward for White Stripes.
In fact, the only negative press I've been hearing, either from friends who have heard it or critics who get paid to write reviews, has been here on this board. |
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| TheSavageYoungXyzzy |
quote:
exile wrote:
Im curious to hear it
In my local record store I noticed it had already been reduced
has it been out long? Did it sell lower than expected or get bad rewiews?
Naw, it's part of a new record policy. Exile, I seem to recall you don't live in the US, am I right? Their policy is two-fold:
1: V2/XL are not big-big labels. They are national/international distributors, but they're certainly not giants. They need to keep piracy down. If the CD is less expensive, and the money goes to support a band as wildly cool as the Stripes and a label that would sign them, the argument goes, people would be more likely to buy the CD. And that's true - even with my burned advance copy, I bought the CD today because I felt obligated to support the artist.
2: They want to outsell or at the very least keep place with the wretch-inducing bullshit that is Coldplay's X&Y. If the record costs $1 less (as it did in my shop), and you are a trendy kid who wants to keep up with modern trends and not care about too much else, you will buy one album and say "Oh yeah, I got that Top 10 rock album because I am awesome." If the Stripes album is cheaper, they'll get that one. Victory for the Stripes! Defeat for Coldplay! Peace in our time!
(I have seen several negative reviews, time is on my side: See the New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly and the Boston Globe.) |
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| Nasty Habits |
Yeah - heavy reduction on release day is the way to get the soundscans up to make the thing chart high. It's the standard practice these days and has nothing to do with perceived sales. In fact, the lower the initial price, the more copies they expect to sell in the long run. Same thing happened w/the new Beck, Springsteen, etc. . . .
Zyzz, we must have different copies of Blood on the Tracks - although I do like your analysis. Yes, Dylan certainly does throw the I Ching, the tarot, and all sorts of other fancy cards up in your face and obviously Blood on the Tracks got rerecorded mainly because of, say, the overly personal nature of the original Idiot Wind, where he didn't have his symbolism complete. But Dylan actually manages to make his symbolism signify and conjoin to millions of peoples' internal actual experiences. The amazing thing about Blood on the Tracks is that it deepens for the listener the longer he/she not only lives with it but lives.
When I was in high school and college, I appreciated Blood on the Tracks because of its intensely poetic drive, brilliant narrative structures, and the way he yelled like a motherfucker on Idiot Wind. As I grew older and had been through more life, I really began to appreciate the actual content of the songs and the way they communicated the experience of a breakup and its LONG term effects in a way that was universal. Dylan manages to take his experiences, symbolize them, and be honest. I don't think Jack is honest. Dylan tells the truth even when he is lying, to paraphrase Johnny Thunders. I think Jack is just an extremely, exceedingly clever artist. To me his symbolism is like the convoluted lyrics on the first four Steely Dan albums or the symbolism on a Pavement record - It sounds cool, but it doesn't mean much.
Let's have this discussion in ten years and we'll see how either record has aged for the both of us.
Anyway, this is an interesting fundamental difference between how one person hears an album and one person doesn't. I know EXACTLY what Jack is singing about on his first record, even though those songs don't make any more logical sense than the songs on Get Thee Behind Me or Elephant. Just like I know EXACTLY what the songs on Exile are about whereas I can't really make any sense out of what the post-Steel Wheels era Mick is singing, most of the time. Doesn't mean that I can't enjoy the performances, but it does definitely mitigate my aesthetic experience.
I like Get Thee Behind Me Satan. I think the music is excellent, with a couple of gaffes. Jack's words have been bugging me for the last three albums, however, and they have always been the weak point for the band for me.
Reviewers review records well because that's what they're paid to do. Fans wrestle with music because they love it. |
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| 72Tele |
I think its a really good record. Like all great bands Stones, Clash, Replacements to name a few I think the White Stripes continue to progress and change with still keeping touch with the foundation they rose from. "Forever For Her" sounds like late 60's early 70's era stones to me. Thank God for Jack White! to me he is a defibrillator to the dying heart of Rock and Roll. |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
See, it's not that I think this album or music is bad...it's just not up my alley.
I think the best album this year so far has been Sleater-Kinney's "The Woods". It is unsettling and monstrous. Love it.
It's just what I'm into right now.
Maybe "Get Behind Me Satan"(Wasn't there a song called "Get Behind Me Satan, and Push"?)will stike me differently at some other time. I dunno. It's just not the kind of thing I want to hear right now.
I hope I didn't put anyone off the album. You should certainly see for yourself. |
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| exile |
quote:
TheSavageYoungXyzzy wrote:
Naw, it's part of a new record policy. Exile, I seem to recall you don't live in the US, am I right? Their policy is two-fold:
I see...I understand now
I also want to support this artist |
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| sammy davis jr. |
I've got it and listened a few times- what strikes me is how poorly its recorded compared to Elephant, which was recorded on 8-track 1/4" for 5,000. I'd have to say Jack is his on his game lyrically, but the songs just don't have the same impact- and not because of the piano. Although Jack is worlds better a guitar player than pianist. The song Meg sings is really dreadful too. Should of left that one to a B-side. I'm not bashing it, because it has it's moments, but it's not one to build their legacy one IMO. |
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| Angiegirl |
I heard they want to re-record the album for their vinyl version during/after their tour. They want to get some practice at playing the songs and then re-record every song in one take in the studio 'live'. Weird. |
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| Child of the Moon |
Get Behind Me Satan has quickly become my favorite Stripes album. I personally really dig this new sound they've got going on, although I will admit is works better in some places than in others. As for the "piano tracks," I have to say that White Moon and As Ugly As I Seem are my favorites, while some of the others tend to get a litte repetetive. The guitar tracks are all fantastic, though - Blue Orchid rocks, and I think I actually prefer Instinct Blues to Ball and Biscuit - the former sounds like an incredibly fucked-up version of Spoonfull.
My personal favorite, though? Little Ghost. Great prototypical mountain song that sounds like I crawled out of Cold Mountain. |
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| time is on my side |
Just got back from seeing the White Stripes in concert. Excellent show!!!! They were one of the headline acts here at the Midtown Festival. They played for about 90 minutes (that's what I hate about these festivals, they always shorten their shows, but, then again, I saw Lou Reed tonight too so I guess you got to take the good with the bad). I do hate all of this body surfing though (it takes away from the concert when you are continually having to help keep human bodies stay afloat).
Awesome show (this is the second time I've seen them live). They played a generous amount of songs from their impressive new album, Get Behind Me Satan, and most of the songs from Elephant. They also played songs from White Blood Cells and De Stijl. Jack played guitar (he was incredible) for just about the whole show. He did play piano on about two or three songs and their was one song from the new album, Nurse, where he played marimba.
If you get a chance, SEE THEM LIVE.
[Edited by time is on my side] |
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| time is on my side |
This is the selist for the White Stripes concert on June 10,2005:
Here's the setlist:
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When I Hear My Name
(a very brief "Lord, Send Me an Angel" customized for Georgia... I think)
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Blue Orchid
Passive Manipulation
Red Rain
Death Letter
My Doorbell
Hotel Yorba
Same Boy You've Always Known
I Think I Smell a Rat (tease)
Lovesick (with 2nd half performed on organ only)
Little Ghost
We're Going to be Friends
Hardest Button to Button
Black Math
The Nurse
I Just Don't Know What to do With Myself
Ball and Bisciut/ (Howlin' Wolf song)/ Ball and Biscuit
Seven Nation Army
Screwdriver/ Passive Manipulation (Jack White version)/ Screwdriver
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This SHOULD be complete, and IS in the correct order.
[Edited by time is on my side] |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
The Stripes AND Lou? HOLY SHIT!
Exactly who else was at this festival?
What did Lou do?
[Edited by Sir Stonesalot] |
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| time is on my side |
quote:
Sir Stonesalot wrote:
The Stripes AND Lou? HOLY SHIT!
Exactly who else was at this festival?
What did Lou do?
[Edited by Sir Stonesalot]
They were all at the Music Midtown festival here in Atlanta:
http://www.musicmidtown.com/
Lou played for about an hour and it was an excellent low key performance. Here's what I remember what he played:
Adventurer, White Light/White Heat, Charley's Girl, Burning Embers, Ecstasy, The Blue Mask, Sweet Jane (there were a few other's which I forgot)
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Some good stuff there...a lot of crap too.
I hate those multi stage things. I dunno about you, but for me, it always seems like there's always two bands that I want to see playing at the same time...or worse...bands that I DON'T want to see playing at the same time.
And there's always about a gazillion people getting in yer way all the time.
Did you go check out the Pixies? |
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| time is on my side |
quote:
Sir Stonesalot wrote:
Some good stuff there...a lot of crap too.
I hate those multi stage things. I dunno about you, but for me, it always seems like there's always two bands that I want to see playing at the same time...or worse...bands that I DON'T want to see playing at the same time.
And there's always about a gazillion people getting in yer way all the time.
Did you go check out the Pixies?
I feel the same way about these type of festivals. I just go for the music. The atmosphere normally sucks. For as you put it "there's always about a gazillion people getting in yer way all the time". I was definitely going to check out the Pixies Saturday. However, it was pouring down rain and my wife had just returned from Macon where she had to take a test. So, I said what the hell, I'm not going. To me, the main thing was seeing Lou Reed and the White Stripes Friday even though, I must admit, if the weather had have been halfway decent, I would have gone to see the Pixies.
[Edited by time is on my side] |
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| Soldatti |
I liked the album, some great songs in it. |
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| beer |
I feel the same way about GBMS as i did abOut Elephant. A good album with some great tracks and some forgettable ones.
i don't like The Nurse, White Moon, Passive tone deaf Manipulation, and Ugly as I seem. the beginning of I'm Lonely reminds me of Keith and Mick messin around on the piano at the beginning of the film Cocksucker Blues.
The other tracks I dig though.
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