The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (2001)

White Blood Cells is the third studio album from the White Stripes and after its re-release on major label V2 records the album shot to critical acclaim in the music world. Despite being recorded in just one week and produced by frontman Jack White, it is a truly great album and no wonder it is featured in many authors lists as one of the best albums of the naughties and even of all time.

Their debut album and De Stijl had set the White Stripes up to have a blues/punk fusion sound, which White Blood Cells completely disregards and sets itself up to be a primitive garage rock and roll record, simple yet oh so effective. The album set the band up to burst onto the mainstream scene with Elephant in 2003.

Lyrically the album takes us on a journey of falling in love, being betrayed and depths of secluded paranoia. White’s lyrics lay it all on the line while he makes his guitar roar like a pack of lions and Meg smashes her drums like a party at a Greek restaurant which culminates in the adrenaline fuelled classic Fell In Love With a Girl. Generally the album follows within a heavy and dark pattern which is outlined in the gritty opener Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground which even eleven years later still blows me away every time.

Despite The album leaning towards the darker reaches of love, loss and betrayal, the popular song We’re Going To Be Friends harks back to refreshing memories of our childhood. It will encourage that lump in your throat to make itself known and make you beam a smile as bright as the the Bat-signal whilst you remember the teacher marking your height against the wall and being inseparable from those very first friends you made, ahh the simple life!

It’s a great album, I know it’s old but we’ve been listening to it a lot lately and wanted to share our thoughts with you and encourage you to delve back and visit it.

The View From The Music is… 9/10

FACT: The lyrics for track seven, The Union Forever, allude to the classic film Citizen Kane which is said to be Jack White’s favourite film and most of the song is almost direct quotation from the film itself!

Comments welcomed and appreciated!

Thanks,

The View From The Music