Number 83: Elephant by The White Stripes
The Detroit duo returns to its roots
Release: April 1st, 2003
Genre: Blues Rock
Favorite Tracks: Ball and Biscuit, Black Math, The Hardest Button to Button
Where I heard it:
By the time I was regularly listening to The White Stripes, Jack and Meg White had already called it quits on the band. It's surprising to me looking back on it that I didn't grow up with a greater exposure to one of the most influential groups of the 21st century. In my head canon, The White Stripes were always a product of the past. In reality, they were steadily releasing new material well into my childhood. I was so busy educating myself on the history of rock and roll, I wasn't paying attention to its evolution happening before me in real time. I don't exactly remember what motivated me to listen to Elephant, but like many of the albums on this list, it likely came from the eventual realization that many of my favorite songs in the band's catalog reside on this album. I heard Black Math over the speaker of a hookah lounge, I played The Hardest Button to Button on Rock Band 3, Seven Nation Army is only the most recognizable bass hook ever written. I really liked all of these songs individually, but hearing them within the full context of Elephant only garnered more of my appreciation.
Unequivocally showing my age
I'm practically center stage
Undeniably earning your wage
Well, maybe I'll put my love on ice
Teach myself, maybe that'll be nice
~ Black Math
What to expect:
In comparison to their previous releases, Elephant does very little in the way of introducing anything new for an album by The White Stripes. The magnificence of this album comes from its immaculate polish and flawless execution of the strengths which make The White Stripes such a captivating band at their core. Since their debut in 1999, the small but mighty lineup of Jack and Meg White have always exercised a barebones approach towards their production. The White Stripes sound reminiscent to Motown blues that stemmed from the group's native Detroit, but equipped with a modern face lift that balances acoustic ballads and grungy riffs. While Elephant introduces small improvements like added bass guitar layers in songs like Seven Nation Army and The Hardest Button to Button, other tracks like You've Got Her In Your Pocket and It's True That We Love One Another are some of the most stripped-down productions I've heard from The White Stripes. The contrast between these two styles throughout Elephant are grouped together appropriately, forcing the pace and energy of the album to shrivel and swell again from beginning to end. Whatever the moment calls for, it's ultimately the musical chemistry between Jack and Meg that takes center stage. Meg takes a lot of heat for her lack of extravagance on the drum kit; which I will admit, her playing style is quite simple and easy to learn. However, the impact of the drum heads and cymbals are the perfect tone to integrate Jack's distorted guitar and wailing vocals. Whether the track heavy or soft, Meg flawlessly accompanies Jack's remarkable talent with equally impressive tact. Frankly, there are no White Stripes without Meg White. As for the band's other half, what more can be said about the brilliance of Jack White? As a performer, a songwriter, a vocalist, a guitar player...he's proven his capabilities of transcending genres in more recent years, but the signs of his rising talent were evident on early albums like Elephant. Jack plays the ever-loving hell out of his guitars, producing sounds and squeals that very few guitar players ever achieve. Together, Jack and Meg are a force to be reckoned with unlike any other. Elephant to me is the apex of what The White Stripes conceptually aimed to be from the very beginning.
and just hand it this way
Don't even need a drink of water
to make the headache go away
Give me a sugar pill
and watch me just rattle down the street
Acetaminophen
You see the medicine
~ Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine
Why it's my favorite:
It's disappointing to talk about bands you love as relics of the past. It's a retrospective on their history, rather than excitement and speculation for what's to come. There's always the chance of reunion shows and what not, but I wouldn't hold out hope on them. Specifically in the case of The White Stripes, I think both Jack and Meg must feel they accomplished great things with this project. The White Stripes' discography has six solid studio albums, each of which hold up extremely well over time. What's the need to dig up what's already been buried? With this mentality in mind, Elephant holds a sacredness within its place in The White Stripes' releases. This record was the turning point in Jack and Meg's mainstream success after championing the underground, proving they were ready for the limelight. Elephant reflects the culmination of the band's first three albums, refined to a level that is palatable to the masses without sacrificing the spirit that made The White Stripes a spectacle to behold in the first place. It's not often we see a group sell out to a major record label and maintain their essence at heart, whereas The White Stripes only seemed to musically improve in an anomaly of contractual precedent. I have a ton of love and appreciation for this band, and I wish I could have shown that during The White Stripes' period of activity. Elephant in my mind will always be the flagship album of theirs that I'll recommend time and time again for first-time listeners.
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