Album: White Blood Cells
Artist: The White Stripes
Release Date: July 3, 2001
Genre: Alternative Rock
Length: 0:40:25
Label: Sympathy for the Record Industry
Producer: Jack White
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2012): #497
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2020): N/A
1,001 Album Book: Yes
White Blood Cells will keep you from getting sick.
Meg and Jack White, arguably the most famous duo in the history of alternative-rock music, were gaining popularity but still relatively unknown prior to the release of White Blood Cells. With some traction and audience from their first two releases, The White Stripes quickly rose to become household names with the release of this album. Produced by Jack White himself, White Blood Cells peaked at 61 on Billboard 200 and the album achieved certified platinum status with over one million sold copies in the United States alone.
Straying away from the more bluesy influences as seen on the previous albums, White Blood Cells gives a more powerful and raw garage rock sound. The entire album was recorded in less than one week and showcases a wide range of songs, going from hard-rock crunchiness, an acoustic love song, and even a highly distorted instrumental. The record opens with "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground", quickly giving the listener an idea as to what to expect with the energy and organized sloppiness of the album. Then, "Hotel Yorba", the second track on the album, takes a step back and changes to almost a completely different genre, while still keeping The White Stripes at its core. Later in the album, "We're Going To Be Friends" showcases Jack White on an acoustic guitar and his hopeful, yet nostalgic voice with a subtle backing by Meg. This song, alongside the rest of the album, shows the world that The White Stripes aren't a group that settles into a specific genre and is a nice split in the album from some of the more energetic songs.
While listening to White Blood Cells, it's hard to keep in mind that each song is only two individuals playing. Each song could easily be mistaken for a full band due to the pure power in each chord, lyric, and cymbal crash. One of the most unique songs in the entire album is "The Union Forever". Randomly in the middle of the song, Jack White stops playing his guitar and Meg plays rhythms strictly on the rim of her drum set. This effect is unique and perfectly highlights the ability of the group to go quickly from the mosh-pit feeling into a more relaxed hug-your-friend feel. Out of nowhere, "Aluminum" gives the listener an interesting break with a strictly instrumental song. This isn't the best instrumental song in the world, but I appreciate The White Stripes including it in the final product. While instrumentals are not nearly as popular as songs with vocals, it's something I wish more groups would utilize as it gives a whole different avenue to showcase the skills of the group. Speaking of playing skills, one criticism a lot of people have with The White Stripes is Meg White's ability to play the drums. While she is definitely not the most robust and flashy drummer by any means, the backing beat and force she plays with perfectly complements Jack White. Not sure if this has anything to do with their chemistry as not only band mates, but as a married couple at the time (they have since split). Throughout the album you can hear how cleanly they play together while keeping with the garage-rock sound prominent across the majority of songs (hence my term "organized sloppiness"). With multiple songs that defined early 2000's music and pop culture, this album is a must listen.
Favorite Songs: "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground", "We're Going To Be Friends", "I Think I Smell A Rat" Least Favorite Song: "Aluminum" Production Quality:
Mix = 8/10
Innovation = 8/10
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 10/10
Lyricism = 8/10
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 9/10
Instrumental Timbre = 7.5/10
Group Chemistry = 10/10
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.7/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at the "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!