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Get Behind Me Satan

CameronStewart

02:28 / 08.06.05

I don't quite know what to make of the new White Stripes album just yet. After the full-on wall of rock that was Elephant this one's a lot softer - uncharacteristically for the Stripes, only a couple of tracks feature an electric guitar, the rest sacrificing power chords in favour of piano, marimba, bells and other instruments. I've also heard that they deliberately rushed this album (in the name of spontaneity), and that several of the tracks were incompletely written when they began recording and hastily finished through improv in the studio.

Whenever I listen to a new record by one of my favourite bands I always suffer from shock of the new - it doesn't sound like the last one so my initial response is to dislike it, but usually it grows on me and I learn to love the differences. Hopefully that's the case here...

I do really miss that guitar though.

GogMickGog

14:43 / 08.06.05

Yeah, and that lead single-one of the few moments where Jack piles on the guitars- just makes me think of...uurgghh...Do Me Bad Things...

Both sick and wrong.

CameronStewart

14:52 / 08.06.05

Actually I like Blue Orchid, and I've listened to the whole album a few times over now and it's beginning to grow on me.

I haven't heard Do Me Bad Things.

haus of fraser

15:18 / 08.06.05

I downloaded a few tracks and I'm really enjoying what I've heard- i think i may buy it on the way home from work tonight- I also like White Orchid- although i anticipate it becoming one of this years most overplayed- thus most irritating tracks fairly soon- shame really.

I like all the piano driven stuff- it still sounds like the white stripes to me, they always had that piano thing hinting it may come out- think 'Harder to be a gentleman' and ' this protector' on White blood Cells. Its good to hear a progression in sound without treading water like so many other bands do- to be honest on first impressions i'm prefering it to Elephant which always felt like a little bit of a disappointment to me.

CameronStewart

04:36 / 09.06.05

Alright, I've changed my mind, I love this album now. I've listened to it about 5 times through since I got it and now it won't get out of my head.

Jack The Bodiless

01:56 / 11.06.05

T-R-E-P-A-N-N-I-N-G.

Answer to all life's booooolsheeeeeet.

The Timaximus, The!

17:17 / 12.06.05

although i anticipate it becoming one of this years most overplayed- thus most irritating tracks fairly soon- shame really.

I know. I haven't really listended to Elephant since soon after it came out for that very reason. I'm loving this album so far, and trying to think of ways to avoid hearing it other than out of my own cd player. Maybe it's too weird to get much airplay, but who would have expected them to blow up like have at all?

Cameron: if you miss the Rock, check out the new Sleater-Kinney album, The Woods. It's more "shock of the new," but in such a good way. (Review here)

matthew.

15:34 / 15.06.05

I just recently started listening to Elephant. I don't love it as nearly as much as White Blood Cells or De Stildfg or whatever the fuck it's called. Get Behind Me Satan definitely has that White Stripes feel to it. You could never accuse them of being the same old, same old, though. I don't know if I like it yet.

WARNING - POSSIBLE THREADROT

How do you pronounce "trepanning"? (It's that skull drilling thing, right?)

END POSSIBLE THREADROT

Axolotl

15:37 / 20.09.05

I finally scraped enough cash together to buy this and am enjoying it amazingly. White Orchid and the follow up single are somewhat overplayed, but the album as a whole is top stuff imho. I particularly like "I'm Lonely (But Not That Lonely Yet)

Keith, like a scientist

16:59 / 20.09.05

My Doorbell rules. Such a simple little song, but it's got that bluesy country energy that Jack does so well.

lonely as a cloud...

10:14 / 21.09.05

I ♥ Take Take Take. And Little Ghost is quite amusing. But...there's nothing with the power of 7 Nation Army, or the swagger of Ball & Biscuit. Still, Get Behind Me.. is probably one of my favourite albums of the year so far.

Axolotl

10:39 / 21.09.05

I quite wanted to re-listen to "Elephant" & compare it to "Get behind me.." but I lost it when my MP3 player went kaput.

ronfinch

21:42 / 21.09.05

Wasn't the one before last recorded somewhere in London and this latest one in his front room, but with similar equipment. Do any of you notice it 'sounding' different?
Is the 'sound' of it different to the notes played (or instrument those notes are played on)?
I am interested..
Cheers
Ron

The Return Of Rothkoid

04:27 / 22.09.05

After repeated listenings and attempted critical musings, I've come to the conclusion that this album is, in fact, shit.

The butter's spread a bit thin on this one.

matthew.

17:20 / 23.09.05

It's like Jack White gave up writing decent lyrics. I mean, his lyrics were always simplistic and not deceptively so, as critics seem to want to think. But now... now, he's just sitting on the toilet and singing random ditties and putting random phrases together.... Yeah. This CD is shit. Go back to playing the blues, Jack. Please.

matthew.

02:45 / 24.02.06

Okay, some months later, and I think I want to change my opinion on this album. My comments re Doorbell -> what was I thinking? Obviously I didn't get the lyrics.

Denial Twist made me love the album. Love it. There's something about that piano-beat (which repeats often on the album) that's very catching. Combine that with Meg's charmingly simple drum beats and you got a great song.

Little Ghost with its layered harmonies is also a standout track. It's a neat little alt-country tune that gets the job done.

I'm also grooving on Take, Take, Take.

Anybody else loving this CD right now?

ZF!

10:10 / 25.02.06

Ah, how could you have ever not liked this album? Yes I am loving it. In fact I'm listening to it right now because of this thread, and yes "Denial Twist" is fabulous, although "My Doorbell" is at this moment one of my favourite songs that I've ever heard and the only reason I bought this album.

I still can't get into any of the previous albums though. Perhaps not the right place for this question, but what do you like about the other albums matthesis?

Toran

03:05 / 01.03.06

I'd not actually heard any of the White Stripes' other albums before I listened to this one. Coming into the 'game' a bit late, I know.

At any rate, I really like them. Their style in general goes very well without a lot of hard rocking (not that their style doesn't go well with it either). I particularly enjoy Take, Take, Take and Denial Twist. Take, Take, Take's lyrics are really cool -- I see it as a [rather blatant] metaphor of humans and their continual discontent.

Denial Twists's lyrics are fairly inane, but it's still a quite entertaining song.

As a whole, I really like the entire CD. I haven't listened to much of the White Stripes' older stuff yet, but that's on my music-to-get list.

matthew.

03:28 / 01.03.06

I'd start with De Stijl if I was going back to the "beginning". That particular album has all the hallmarks of "classic" White Stripes: the minimalism, the sledgehammer-like influence of the blues, and the inane lyrics so often mistaken for brilliance.

The first album, The White Stripes is neither good nor bad. It simply exists. The influence of the blues and r&b cannot, repeat cannot be understated here. If it was not for the blues, Jack White would no career.

The third album, White Blood Cells is where Jack gets a little experimental. He plays with a larger sandbox. He uses interesting lyrics (read: Citizen Kane quotes).

Elephant is more experimenting. Experimenting with studio "trickery" or lack thereof, experimenting with song structure, with simplicity.

I much prefer "classic" White Stripes, but I am beginning to like this new fangled White Stripes you kids are all about.

haus of fraser

08:59 / 01.03.06

My personal fave is White Blood Cells- their breakthrough album with the garage rock classic 'Fell in love with a Girl' and country pop of 'Hotel Yorba'- if truth be told its the only white stripes album i've ever loved and constantly played - even if i haven't heard it for ages and where i like their other records- IMHO it is there one and only 'Classic' album, all the others i've tired of quite quickley-

Maybe another recommendation is to try and download some live stuff or pick up a live bootleg- cos this is where they really come alive- i used to have a minidisk with a gig that Radio one put out- bloody great it was too...

ORA ORA ORA ORAAAA!!

02:33 / 12.03.06

I really quite like this album, whereas in the past I've been a bit 'meh' about the white stripes in general.

I have a question, though: am I the only person in the world who thinks blue orchid is about breaking up with someone who is a ... sexual non-completist? Or perhaps 'tease' is more accurate.

Despite the fairly obvious blue balls reference in the title, none of my friends believe me. I may be reading things into it that aren't there in the desire to look clever, though.

matthew.

03:19 / 12.03.06

I can't believe I never noticed the blue ball thing.

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