Freethought & Rationalism Archive

mac_philo · 04-24-2003, 07:14 AM

I'm excited to get this record. I'm picking it up (on vinyl!) tomorrow. They were great on Conan last night.

For popular music the White Stripes are in the semi-first rank. I'd say the best album to far this year is 'Pig Lib' by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks.

vixstile · 04-24-2003, 08:05 AM

Their first album is still their best IMO. I saw the White Stripes live awhile back and they were great.

Huginn · 04-24-2003, 08:12 AM

Music isn't that expensive (considering the amount of pleasure it can bring). Be adventurous, buy the album and make your own mind up (there's no way any of us will be able to tell you in advance if you'll like it).

vixstile · 04-24-2003, 08:23 AM

Or just get Kazaa Lite and pay nothing

Nikolai · 04-24-2003, 04:58 PM

Though I prefer their second album (the name escapes me at the moment), Elephant is an excellent CD, better then most stuff out right now and superior to White Blood Cells.

vixstile · 04-24-2003, 05:23 PM

De Stijl

Sakpo · 04-24-2003, 07:10 PM

Well I bought it. It's interesting, by the late 1960s rock and roll had become rock music. The music had grown increasingly complex both musically and lyrically, leaving some fans behind craving the older form of rock and roll (not to deny that complex, sophisticated rock existed in the 1950s/early 1960s, but it was less common). This led to the "roots revival." Now, thirty or so years later we get The White Stripes. Plenty of artists have continued to push the music forward, and many are still doing so. Still, all too often that music, while great in its own right, seems to have changed too much to satisfy that craving for good ole rock...which now is the more complex form of rock we were beginning to see 30+ years ago. Generally, the airwaves today are filled with crap (since I wasn't around in the late 1960s I'm free to imagine mainstream radio that was just filled with the Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, etc, without any of the forgettable crap I don't know about).

"Elephant" does not push rock forward. It isn't innovative. It isn't all that original. There isn't anything on it we haven't heard before. But it's good stuff. It's fun. It's smart. It's decent music. It's worthwhile. It hits the soul of the rock fan. Perhaps with this album this kind of rock, for me at least, becomes a form of folk music. That's fine, I've heard it before and I'm glad to hear it again. I'm still going to listen to my 'Band of Gypsies' a lot more though.

Highlights:

Ball and Biscuit: Jack White seems a lot more convincing as a bluesman than your typical white rocker (he certainly beats Clapton).

Black Math: Nice lead guitar. Being unfamiliar with his previous work, the opening track 'Seven Nation Army' left me wondering if Jack White was a competent lead guitarist who was deliberately playing in an understated manner...Black Math let me know he had his chops.

lunachick · 04-25-2003, 08:30 PM

Based on this thread, I went and spent a CD voucher I've been sitting on for about a year. Good move. I'm listening to it now (up to Ball and Biscuit - first listening), and I agree there's really nothing new about it - but so what? It rocks. It's a good buy. I'm diggin' it. Cheers.

Edited just to throw this in for fun

Sakpo · 04-25-2003, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lunachick
Based on this thread, I went and spent a CD voucher I've been sitting on for about a year. Good move. I'm listening to it now (up to Ball and Biscuit - first listening), and I agree there's really nothing new about it - but so what? It rocks. It's a good buy. I'm diggin' it. Cheers.

Edited just to throw this in for fun

Heh, I used a voucher on mine too. It seems like the right kind of CD to get with a voucher (of course, my little sister has already stolen it...which is fine since that lets me listen to my Hendrix which is far better while knowing the littler one is being exposed to some alright rock, it's actually sort of like rock training wheels maybe...not that I don't enjoy it too).

lunachick · 04-26-2003, 04:20 AM

I'm now listening to this for the third time. I REALLY like it. It reminds me of things I've not heard for a long time - whether it's things like Mazzy Star, Hendrix, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Paul Butterfield, Gang of Four, Rolling Stones (from the "Get yer Ya-Ya's Out era), Cream, the Cramps, the Pixies, Dusty Springfield and loads more. The production is rough, and I love that! Given the sparseness of instrumentation, it's a fat sound - raw and raucous. I'm loving it. I recommmend it. Go buy it. Each listening is giving me more to rave about.

Yeah, ok - I'm adding lots of bands they remind me of, but it's true!!!

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04-24-2003, 07:14 AM	#11
mac_philo Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Tax-Exempt Donor, SoP Loyalist Posts: 2,191	I'm excited to get this record. I'm picking it up (on vinyl!) tomorrow. They were great on Conan last night. For popular music the White Stripes are in the semi-first rank. I'd say the best album to far this year is 'Pig Lib' by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks.

04-24-2003, 08:05 AM	#12
vixstile Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: California Posts: 2,029	Their first album is still their best IMO. I saw the White Stripes live awhile back and they were great.

04-24-2003, 08:12 AM	#13
Huginn Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lincoln, England Posts: 1,499	Music isn't that expensive (considering the amount of pleasure it can bring). Be adventurous, buy the album and make your own mind up (there's no way any of us will be able to tell you in advance if you'll like it).

04-24-2003, 08:23 AM	#14
vixstile Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: California Posts: 2,029	Or just get Kazaa Lite and pay nothing

04-24-2003, 04:58 PM	#15
Nikolai Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Richmond, Virginia Posts: 422	Though I prefer their second album (the name escapes me at the moment), Elephant is an excellent CD, better then most stuff out right now and superior to White Blood Cells.

04-24-2003, 05:23 PM	#16
vixstile Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: California Posts: 2,029	De Stijl

04-24-2003, 07:10 PM	#17
Sakpo Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Pacific Northwest (illegally occupied indigenous l Posts: 7,716	Well I bought it. It's interesting, by the late 1960s rock and roll had become rock music. The music had grown increasingly complex both musically and lyrically, leaving some fans behind craving the older form of rock and roll (not to deny that complex, sophisticated rock existed in the 1950s/early 1960s, but it was less common). This led to the "roots revival." Now, thirty or so years later we get The White Stripes. Plenty of artists have continued to push the music forward, and many are still doing so. Still, all too often that music, while great in its own right, seems to have changed too much to satisfy that craving for good ole rock...which now is the more complex form of rock we were beginning to see 30+ years ago. Generally, the airwaves today are filled with crap (since I wasn't around in the late 1960s I'm free to imagine mainstream radio that was just filled with the Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, etc, without any of the forgettable crap I don't know about). "Elephant" does not push rock forward. It isn't innovative. It isn't all that original. There isn't anything on it we haven't heard before. But it's good stuff. It's fun. It's smart. It's decent music. It's worthwhile. It hits the soul of the rock fan. Perhaps with this album this kind of rock, for me at least, becomes a form of folk music. That's fine, I've heard it before and I'm glad to hear it again. I'm still going to listen to my 'Band of Gypsies' a lot more though. Highlights: Ball and Biscuit: Jack White seems a lot more convincing as a bluesman than your typical white rocker (he certainly beats Clapton). Black Math: Nice lead guitar. Being unfamiliar with his previous work, the opening track 'Seven Nation Army' left me wondering if Jack White was a competent lead guitarist who was deliberately playing in an understated manner...Black Math let me know he had his chops.

04-25-2003, 08:30 PM	#18
lunachick Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NZ Posts: 7,895	Based on this thread, I went and spent a CD voucher I've been sitting on for about a year. Good move. I'm listening to it now (up to Ball and Biscuit - first listening), and I agree there's really nothing new about it - but so what? It rocks. It's a good buy. I'm diggin' it. Cheers. Edited just to throw this in for fun

04-26-2003, 04:20 AM	#20
lunachick Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NZ Posts: 7,895	I'm now listening to this for the third time. I REALLY like it. It reminds me of things I've not heard for a long time - whether it's things like Mazzy Star, Hendrix, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Paul Butterfield, Gang of Four, Rolling Stones (from the "Get yer Ya-Ya's Out era), Cream, the Cramps, the Pixies, Dusty Springfield and loads more. The production is rough, and I love that! Given the sparseness of instrumentation, it's a fat sound - raw and raucous. I'm loving it. I recommmend it. Go buy it. Each listening is giving me more to rave about. Yeah, ok - I'm adding lots of bands they remind me of, but it's true!!!

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