LM: Indeed, Elephant is the "British" album, as English as bangers and mash. But "Seven Nation Army" proceeeds carefully; the White Stripes start out slowly, with what sounds like a heavy bass line (but which actually comes courtesy of a seven string guitar handled with technical finesse). But it's slow, repetitive, simple — a toned down sound that is familiar to fans who've heard Jack and Meg's eponymous debut, De Stijl, and White Blood Cells. The guitar resonates, solo, and then Meg comes in with the drums and the song builds from there. The vocal slips in, measured, musical spoken word. Meg adds an extra layer to the beat, and then the song builds to a crescendo that is in fact reminiscent of the best of glam rock.
It's a neat trick, effectively bridging Elephant with the albums that came before. The British influence has always been there, but subordinate to the blues and punk riffs. With Elephant, that balance is reversed, and "Seven Nation Army" is a masterful introduction to the change in tone.
LM: Though I'm not sure I agree about this song being the lynchpin of Jack's platform... no matter, we'll get there. I can feel our movement gaining support from this rational argument! Even a Nickelback fan could understand this, maybe. Isn't this better than killing and mayhem?
GA: No. When the people take power, Nickelback fans will be lined up against the wall and shot. Whining counterrevolutionary losers caught with Radiohead CDs will find themselves being re-educated at Gitmo. Then there's Abu Ghraib, or as it will soon be known, "Camp Mimi".
LM: Hush, you. I think Radiohead is okay, at least. But back to the topic at hand! This is indeed White Stripes Nation... or could be, even perhaps should be — and Al Barger and I are going to prove it to you, one song and one vote at a time. We will outline the influences that helped shape our beloved White Stripes, as well as their vast musical talents, presented across generations and outlooks. Al and I are pretty disparate individuals, and if we can agree to... well, agree, then perhaps everyone can!
Article comments
1 - Aaman
Good stuff - quite diabolical
2 - michelle
as a black girl the white stripes to me are the best band out there i love jack white i never see him doing any interview on live tv
3 - LegendaryMonkey
Diabolical! I love it.
I hardly ever see a live interview, either... and oh, would I love to have 10-12 on video just hanging around for me to soak up on rainy Saturday afternoons. There can never be enough White Stripes.
4 - Joe Battista
They're okay. Creative presentation though!
5 - MAF
Hey Al, I am a Jack White disciple
myself. The White stripes do rule.
You have good taste (somewhat). Now
all you need to do in order to be
perfect in my eyes is to learn more
about black people.
I like your
style El Presidente!!! You were
born to write. I would buy a book
by you anyday. Back to Jacky boy,
what he did for Loretta Lynn was
truly amazing. I never really took
him seriously until after that.
As a African
boy who has a soft spot for any
kind of music that appeals to me
I appreciate your music reviews
6 - LegendaryMonkey
You wait, Joe... in a week, we'll have you singing a different tune.
Al -- I sense the sweet smell of potential converts in the air! We'd better get to work!
7 - Generalissimo Alberto
MAF, thank you so much for your kind comments. Also, I hasten to add that White Stripes Nation is a post-colonial, post-racial land of union and harmony, open to people of all races, nations and creeds.
8 - dr. frued / brain doc
You must be a very lonely guy....sad fer yu...
why not go outside away from yer computer and see what the day brings?
You are too young to be this way.
dr. freud...
9 - Reported
I don't really care if this is a joke or satire. This type of talk makes me sick. Yeah, I know the lines before you say them "The White House doesn't care hahahaha!"
Well, I guess we'll all be sitting in our chairs waiting to see if they do care, and come bust your doors down, and drag you fags out in pink P.J.'s.
I don't really think this administration cares if this is joke or satire. Lets just hope they don't kill you for Treason.
10 - Generalissimo Alberto
Yee-haw, there, Reported. Come and get me, coppers!
Also, if'n anybody wants to shoot me for treason, they'll have to get past by evil one-eyed coon dog first.
And Jack's seven nation army.
Also, a fair warning to the feds: I do NOT have pink PJs. I sleep in the nude. Consider yourselves warned!
11 - OnlySmartPerson
The White Stripes suck...I pity myself for even responding to a stupid post like this but thought you should know that white stripes are gay and besides wouldn't Green day be a better choice for you faggots.
The final solutions is banning all laws and recycling all guns to return us to a mideval rennaisance so i could kill all of you with heavy metal....Whos with me?
12 - Rodney Welch
I ove the White Stripes and I love T. Rex, but that sentence about Elephant leading off with "a classic 70s glam slam that Marc Bolan would have been proud to claim for T Rex" has me totally befuddled. What in the world is "glam" about "Seven Nation Army"? The song and the album have virtually nothing to do with that world in sound or sensibility.
13 - william pertublum
That "OmlySMartPerson" was right! green day is better and the whole part about returning to the mideival ages was just...magical. I agree completely, we should change our government into a fuedal system.
14 - DJRadiohead
Green Day's crowning achievement seems to have been recording an album's worth of punkpop Springsteen ripoffs.
15 - mark talula
Yep green day is that bad but they are still better than the white stripes, sadly.
16 - Naio
Whitestripes are wife and husband... so how can they be gay?? I also thinik they are with the few still making some good rock music instead of commercial shit!