A toast to Jack and Meg White who, for the last 13 years, have been collectively known as The White Stripes.
Warning. I'm about to gush a lot. This band was my absolute favorite band of all time.
At the dawn of the new century I was first introduced to The White Stripes' breakout hit "Fell In Love With a Girl". It rode in on a crest started by other "The" bands (THE Strokes, THE Hives, THE Vines). I feel that this era is what defines the gap between Stripes devotees and the mere radio listeners. Many people dismissed the Stripes as the "The" craze died. But it turns out that their "the" was only part of the trend through coincidence. The White Stripes were bringing something decidedly different to the table. Of course this is not to say anything negative about the other "The" bands. I'm still an active listener of all three. But MY Beatles broke up today, so let me do my thing.
Ya I said it. My Beatles broke up today. Now it's unfair to really compare any band to the Beatles because the scope of the Beatles mythos is ongoing to this day. While I do hope that the Jack and Meg White legacy should continue to grow as they pursue other projects, my comparison is based on my reaction to the breakup. I feel how I imagine hardcore Beatles fans felt when they disbanded. I'm shocked. I'm a bit upset, but I keep telling myself it's ok. At least they'll never have a chance to suck.
Not that I ever thought they had a chance to suck anyway.
My love for the Stripes runs deep, but it wasn't always this way. In fact when I first bought "White Blood Cells" I was disappointed that "Fell In Love With a Girl" was the only song that sounded like a "The" band. I was also fifteen.
I gave it a few good listens, generally enjoyed it and chucked it aside so I could enjoy some more Blink182. I picked it up here and there, but it was not until 2003's "Elephant" that my infatuation took hold. I bought it on a whim put it on in my car. I'll never forget the next 45 minutes. This wasn't what the White Stripes sounded like in my brain. I asked myself did I miss something on that first album I bought? So, after being mind-blown by "Elephant"(the supreme highlight being "Ball and a Biscuit"), I immediately revisited "White Blood Cells". To my surprise this was more of that same sweetness I'd just listened to. What happened? My musical taste had apparently matured, and I realized that this was no "The" band, this was the motherfucking White Stripes. A crazy-grungy-bluesy-garage-rock revival with a side of sweetness and charm, here to kick some ass. I did a bit of research and soon after discovered that they had two previous albums that I hadn't heard of. I immediately bought them and felt the same enthusiasm. The self-titled premiere album was a collection of extremely lo-fi bluesy rock, and the sophomore album "De Stijl" was no different, and even featured a few covers of ooooold blues(Son House's "Death Letter" is made sublime).
These four albums dominated my cd player almost 100 percent of the time, and over the next few years I became obsessed.
Their next album was "Get Behind Me Satan", the closest thing that the Stripes have had to an experimental album. Whereas the duo had used other instruments than just their classic guitar-and-drum combo on albums before, this album contained much more use of piano and xylophone. Despite this, GBMS still had that distinct White Stripes feel. And with that the image of Jack and Meg White playing the characters of brother and sister had cemented itself into pop culture.
The Stripes' final album(in exception to their live album) was Icky Thump. Their first step away from reel-to-reel recording and towards the digital era also marked a return to their guitar-and-drum roots. And of course, it was fantastic.
It was after this album that I was finally able to see them live...at Madison Square Garden. Needless to say, it was glorious!
This is the only time I was able to see them live. There was one time earlier that they played the Atlantic City House of Blues, a mere 40 minute drive from my house at the time, and I didn't go because I was young and stupid. I even read a book called "The Greatest Show I Ever Saw" in which a rock writer cited that that show was his favorite. I list this as my only regret in life.
Throughout my formative years the White Stripes taught me how to love music. They taught me to deny trends and define myself truthfully. They gave me a look into the history of classic blues. They even teamed up with some of my favorite artists(Michel Gondry, Conan O'Brien, Jim Jarmusch) and further cemented themselves into my being.
The Stripes have appeared in films, Jack has become a successful producer, and even had the distinct honor of performing a Bond theme. Hell, they were on the fucking Simpsons. Despite today marking the end on The White Stripes, their impact is indelible.
I don't know where Meg will go after the break up, but I can only imagine that, despite Jack's busy production schedule and his work with two other bands, they will still be involved musically, and at the very least, Meg will take her rightful place in another band.
The split is based upon the desire of the band to preserve their legacy. Mission accomplished. The Stripes' parting words are inspiring: "The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to."
So it is with this that I say thank you Jack and Meg. Thank you for being the soundtrack to my life. And thank you for pumping the brakes before you ever got a chance to suck. Now gimme a new Raconteurs album!!!!
That's a great summary of their career. Why aren't you a writer for more than comedy? You rock!
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