Album Review: The White Stripes Greatest Hits

Even if you’re not a fan of the White Stripes, you can’t tell me that you don’t like at least one song from their 6 album discography. Tell me that you’ve never bobbed your head up and down in a sports arena to Seven Nation Army or if that’s not the first guitar riff you’ve ever learned.

If you told them 23 years ago that they would be one of the most successful rock duos of all time, no one would be more shocked than Jack and Meg White. That their 14 year run would include a divorce, 5 Grammy wins and a greatest hits album released on December 4 2020. Yes they were married. They are not brother and sister. If you haven’t noticed by now, Jack likes to mix things up.

Writer, producer, upholsterer and creative genius, Jack was Born in Detroit, the youngest of 10 children and self taught (ranked at number 17 in 2011 on Rolling Stone list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. The fact that White played music for the sole reason that he loved it and never expected anyone to buy his records is either very punk rock or artistic AF.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that both musicians were never formally trained and shared an intimate past that fueled their distinctive sound. There was a raw and visceral chemistry that drew you in. The fuzzy snarl of Jack’s guitar, his wailing vocals and the simplistic, primitive pounding of Meg’s drums, created that youthful and passionate energy that is the essence rock music.

By implementing the de Stijl aesthetic to their minimalist yet stylized look, they took music videos to a whole new level. They remained consistent with their trademark trichromatic fashion until the end.
(He got the idea for the band name because Meg loved peppermints and then continued with the color scheme).

Jack is living proof that as long as you back it up with a crazy riff you can get away with the most obscure and childlike lyrics.

The album simply titled “The White Stripes Greatest Hits” begins with their first single Let’s Shake Hands (which was recorded in their living room and released on vinyl in 1998). And then takes you on an Icky Thump trip, slipping and screeching into various genres.

There are 26 tracks to choose from, so whether you consider their style to be punk and like their garage rock sound (Fell In Love With A Girl, Hardest Button To Button, Blue Orchid) or you prefer
their bluesy rock vibe (Ball and Biscuit) you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re a fan of blue grass, folk or country there are some sweet acoustic songs like the whimsical We’re Going To Be Friends, The Hotel Yorba and Jolene. If you are not familiar with most of the songs, it’s probably because they actually did not have 26 great hits. They did however manage to put together an eclectic, exciting and truly unique collection of some brilliant songs that help define and reshape a decade of music.