The White Stripes could have just as well been a music critics’ fever dream. Fully indebted to early blues and garage-rock madness and arriving fully in tow with a clever, artsy presentation that made them popular with indie-rock fans, Meg and Jack took rock forward by reducing it to its core elements.
For better or worse, “White Blood Cells” made stars out of the two musicians. But how does the album live up now that the hype has finally cooled off a little?
The Unexpected Rise of The White Stripes
By the late 1990s, rock music was still the dominant force in the pop charts. But a good chunk of the pie had been eaten up by other genres, especially bubblegum pop, hip-hop, rap, and electronic dance music.
The rock bands that were popular belonged, for the most part, to the new breed of metal bands, dubbed nu metal, or were entwined with grunge and pop-punk music.
Critics and fans of classic rock were generally suspicious of these genres. They were especially distrusting of these bands’ attempts at aligning themselves with whatever was modern and new.
The White Stripes could have as well just been an art project. When bands like Slipknot or Mushroomhead included a half dozen members, all of the sounds of the Detroit band came from two members, Jack and White. They claimed to be brother and sister, although, more than likely, they’d actually been formerly married.
The White Stripes sounded striking, playing a minimalist form of hyped-up blues. However, Jack White’s songwriting revealed a love for The Beatles and classic country music.
Their look was unique as well. While their counterparts, The Strokes, The Vines or The Hives, were skinny jeans and t-shirts, The White Stripes dressed solely in red, white and black and made sure to have their outfits complement one another.
The White Stripes had released two records by the dawn of the new millennium, their self-titled full-length and “De Stijl.” Both were surprise indie hits and acquired the group fans among the stars.
How Good Were the Darling of Indie-Rock, Really?
“White Blood Cells” finds The White Stripes seemingly out of step with the cool new indie-rock bands but also leading the lines. While most of their rivals are busy ripping off Television, The Velvet Underground, and each other, The White Stripes are taking old blues and 60sesque melodies and turning them into immediate, vital pieces of art-rock.
If there’s anything fancy about The White Stripes, it is shown in everything else besides the actual sound. Just as they would do live, the recorded version of the band sounds as if it is acting out past trauma through a musical psychodrama. A lot of the 2000s bands had plenty of energy, but none sounded quite as loose as the Detroit band.
It’s not hard to decide whether you like “White Blood Cells.” The songs are short and memorable. There are no long intros, no long solos, and little time to get bored. The Clash‘s Joe Strummer would have approved.
“Fell in Love with a Girl” Becomes an Indie-Rock Anthem
“Fell in Love with a Girl” became a worldwide hit and did it on the back of a heavy guitar tune that sounds like someone slapping you around for two minutes.
If you thought those songwriting hooks were sharp, the country-influenced “Hotel Yorba,” the tender “We’re Going to be Friends,” or the goth fantasy of “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” only cemented that idea.
It wasn’t just indie-rock dance fillers and pop hits that came easy for the band. Meg White’s simplistic and incredibly heavy drumming is the secret element on songs like “I Think I Smell A Rat” or “Little Room.” The White Stripes can be as heavy, hypnotic and psychotic as any of the nu-metal or industrial bands that shocked parents around the world after Woodstock 99.
What does this tell you about Jack and Meg? A lot and nothing you could use to build a file on them. The White Stripes were mysterious, and the world’s press hounded them for more information.
The Legacy of “White Blood Cells”
Critics absolutely adored “White Blood Cells.” It’s easy to understand why. The music sounds like the music critics had built a Frankenstein-like band that could absorb the intensity of Iggy Pop and The Stooges, the soulfulness of Chicago Blues and the modern coolness of The Strokes.
But many bands tried a similar approach or went straight into trying to copy The White Stripes. A few managed, but most failed.
The White Stripes were clever. Jack White, in particular, had a vision that included the music and a mysterious presentation that made him and Meg icons of the 2000s indie-rock scene.
The Success of “White Blood Cells”
The legacy of “White Blood Cells” was immense. The album went platinum. This was the era right before physical sales of albums would become irrelevant.
For the general public, it introduced the idea of a dynamic duo. There’d been others, but none had achieved mainstream appeal.
It also cemented the idea that a rock band didn’t need to include at least 3-4 members of the same sex and have them play guitar, bass and drums. From now on, bands will be composed in many different ways. The success of The Kills or The Black Keys was in no small part due to The White Stripes.
Finally, The White Stripes, more than any other band, made classic rock and the blues cool. They managed this because they were cool, and their sound was as well.
In a separate article, I’ve ranked The White Stripes as the greatest rock band of the 2000s, and I stand by that statement. Songs like “Fell in Love With a Girl,” “Seven Nation Army“, or “Blue Orchid” are an essential part of 2000s indie-rock.
There won’t ever be another band quite like The Stripes, but they may well be re-released for one day, inspiring a band of a similar calibre.
