#449 The White Stripes, 'Elephant' (2003)

Previously 390

That’s interesting, two albums named after an animal in a row. The White Stripes’ fourth studio album, ‘Elephant,’ changed everything we knew about rock music. Mainstream success from a duo that seemed to buck the trend. Two members, no bass guitar, lots of noise. It opens with ‘Seven Nation Army,’ a kind of ‘Smoke On The Water’ for the new millennium. There was mystery and intrigue surrounding this band. No one knew if they were brother and sister, a married couple or divorced. How did two people make such noise?

Jack White has emerged as one of the eccentric geniuses of our age. The liner notes on the record state "No computers were used during the writing, recording, mixing, or mastering of this record." It was recorded over a 2 weeks period in London, using an eight-track tape machine and pre-1960s recording gear. It was a “back to basics” record for the band.

Featuring all the makings of a great cover, their version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s ‘I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself,’ is both familiar and original. The album has so many great songs on it; from ‘The Hardest Button To Button,’ to ‘Ball and Biscuit,’ which includes one of my favourite guitar riffs of recent times and also a reference to White’s subsequent record label, ‘Third Man Records.’ ‘Elephant’ has always been a 5-star album for me, and to be honest, it holds up. Might even be better now than it was 17 years ago.

#rs500albums