White Blood Cells
White Blood Cells | ||||
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Genre |
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Length | 40:25 | |||
Label | Sympathy for the Record Industry | |||
Producer | Jack White | |||
The White Stripes chronology | ||||
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Singles from White Blood Cells | ||||
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White Blood Cells is the third studio album by American
Following their success releasing two albums within the Detroit music scene, the White Stripes departed from their blues-inspired roots and opted for a simple garage rock sound. They promoted White Blood Cells with a trio of shows in Detroit weeks before its release. They also released three singles to promote the album: "Hotel Yorba", "Fell in Love with a Girl", and "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground", which are among the band's best-known songs. The song "We're Going to Be Friends" was later issued to rock radio but did not receive a commercial single release.
White Blood Cells received widespread critical acclaim, bringing the band to the forefront of the
Background and recording
Continuing the stripped-down
The band rehearsed for one week and recorded the album at
The album was dedicated to Loretta Lynn, creating a friendship between Lynn and both Jack and Meg White. In 2004, Jack White would produce Lynn's comeback hit album Van Lear Rose. Redd Kross bassist Steven Shane McDonald created an online-only art project, titled Redd Blood Cells, in which he added a bass track to the otherwise bass-less album. The White Stripes arranged with Steven to take the files down after more than 60,000 downloads.
Composition and lyrics
The lyrics for the album were written over various points in the band's early career, including unrecorded songs for the duo's debut album The White Stripes (1999) and Jack White's previous band Two-Star Tabernacle. "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground", for example, was included in the album though Jack had written the song in 1999 and the band had been performing it along with "The Same Boy You've Always Known" since early 2000. This led to speculation that the songs are about the end of Jack and Meg White's marriage. Some material for White Blood Cells was also inspired by Jack White and the Bricks, a side-project formed in 1999.[10] Regarding the four-year time span in writing for the record, Jack White said "It was cool because a lot of things had been sitting around for a long time, stuff I had written on piano that had been just sitting around not doing anything. And it was good to put them all together at once, put them all in the same box and see what happened."[8] All material on the album is original, a contrast to numerous covers on the band's first two efforts.[1] The lyrics explore love, hope, betrayal, and paranoia, brought on by the increasing media attention the duo began receiving. A common theme throughout the record is the morality of persistent attention, most prevalently profiled in "Little Room".[11] "Little Room" is "homily", written in response to White's favorite song, "Grinnin' in Your Face" by Son House.[12]
"The Union Forever" contains allusions to Citizen Kane (1941), reportedly Jack White's favorite film. In fact, nearly every line in the song comes from the movie. According to Ben Blackwell, the song was originally recorded without the a cappella interlude as Jack White forgot. The interlude was added in when the band returned to the studio several weeks later.[13] In 2003 it was rumoured that Warner Bros., who own the rights to Citizen Kane, might sue the band over copyright infringement,[14] but nothing seems to have come from it. "I Think I Smell a Rat" evolved from another song that was recorded for the album and eventually released on White Blood Cells XX, "That's Where It's At".[6] "Hotel Yorba" is based on a real hotel a couple of blocks from Jack White's childhood home: "The Hotel Yorba is a really disgusting hotel," he remarked to Spin in 2001. "There was a great rumor when I was a kid that The Beatles had stayed there. They never did, but I loved that rumor. It was funny."[1]
The album attempts to rid the band of a blues rock sound, instead vying for a more simple guitar and drums garage rock sound. Shortly before the release of White Blood Cells, White asserted that "There's no blues on the new record. We're taking a break from that. There's no slide work, bass, guitar solos, or cover songs. It's just me and Meg, guitar, drums and piano."[1] The duo intended to break away from the "bringing-back-the-blues label", instead containing piano-driven tracks that, to that point, remained unrecorded.[8] Influences are present from a variety of genres, including childlike love songs ("We're Going to Be Friends").[11]
Packaging
The cover art of White Blood Cells depicts the duo surrounded by people wielding TV and video cameras.[1] The images poke fun at the music industry and promotion surrounding it. "When does music become a business and why do we have to be suckered into it? Why do we have to buy a cell phone, you know what I mean? A lot of that stuff upsets me. It gets annoying," said Jack White.[1] The album's title alludes to the increasing media attention the band was receiving, which would only increase after release. "The name, White Blood Cells, for the album, is this idea of bacteria coming at us, or just foreign things coming at us, or media, or attention on the band," Jack White explained in a 2001 interview. "It just seems to us that there are so many bands from the same time or before we started that were playing and are still playing that didn't get this kind of attention that we're getting. Is the attention good or bad? When you open the CD, it's a picture of us with these cameras. Wondering if it's good or bad."[8]
Release
To promote the album, the band performed three shows in Detroit at the Gold Dollar, Magic Bag, and Magic Stick three weeks before the album's release.[8][15] This was the last time they would perform at the Gold Dollar.[16] White Blood Cells was rushed onto the shelves by Sympathy, although the record label wasn't prepared to handle the hype that surrounded the record when they rereleased it.[17]
For the twentieth anniversary of the album, White Blood Cells XX, a companion album to White Blood Cells was announced in April 2021 via Third Man Records Vault subscription. The album included home demos, early studio mixes, alternate takes, as well as a live show from September 6, 2001, at Headliner's in Louisville, Kentucky. The package also included footage from David Swanson recorded during the recording sessions.[6]
Reception and legacy
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 86/100[18] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [19] |
Alternative Press | 8/10[20] |
Los Angeles Times | [21] |
NME | 8/10[22] |
Pitchfork | 9.0/10[23] |
Q | [24] |
Rolling Stone | [25] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [26] |
Uncut | [27] |
The Village Voice | A[28] |
White Blood Cells was released to nearly universal acclaim.
The album was ranked on many "best of 2001" year-end lists, including being ranked among
As the 2000s drew to a close, White Blood Cells was included on several publications' lists of best of the decade.
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
A.V. Club | US | Top 50 Albums of the 2000s[45] | 2009 | 1 |
Billboard | US | Top 20 Albums of the 2000s[55] | 2009 | 11 |
Consequence of Sound
|
US | Top Albums of the 2000s[56] | 2009 | 7 |
Mojo | UK | The 100 Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime 1993–2006[57] | 2006 | 28 |
NME | UK | The 100 Greatest Albums of the 2000s[58] | 2009 | 19 |
Pitchfork | US | Top 200 Albums of the 2000s[59] | 2009 | 12 |
Q | UK | The Best 50 Albums of 2001[44] | 2001 | 39 |
Rolling Stone | US | Top 100 Albums of the 2000s[60] | 2002 | 19 |
500 Greatest Albums of All Time[61] | 2012 | 497 | ||
Slant Magazine | US | Top 250 Albums of the 2000s[62] | 2010 | 68 |
Spin | US | Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years[63] | 2005 | 57 |
125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years[64] | 2010 | 87 | ||
Uncut | UK | The 150 Greatest Albums Of The 21st Century So Far[65] | 2009 | 1 |
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Jack White; all music is composed by Jack and Meg White
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" | 3:04 |
2. | "Hotel Yorba" | 2:10 |
3. | "I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman" | 2:54 |
4. | "Fell in Love with a Girl" | 1:50 |
5. | "Expecting" | 2:03 |
6. | "Little Room" | 0:50 |
7. | "The Union Forever" | 3:26 |
8. | "The Same Boy You've Always Known" | 3:09 |
9. | "We're Going to Be Friends" | 2:22 |
10. | "Offend in Every Way" | 3:06 |
11. | "I Think I Smell a Rat" | 2:04 |
12. | "Aluminum" | 2:19 |
13. | "I Can't Wait" | 3:38 |
14. | "Now Mary" | 1:47 |
15. | "I Can Learn" | 3:31 |
16. | "This Protector" | 2:12 |
Total length: | 40:31 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
17. | "Jolene" | 3:09 |
18. | "Hand Springs" | 2:57 |
Bonus DVD
Some editions were released with a bonus DVD.
Audio
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Hand Springs" | 2:57 |
2. | "Lafayette Blues" | 2:15 |
Video
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Hotel Yorba" | |
2. | "Fell in Love with a Girl" | |
3. | "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" | |
4. | "We're Going to Be Friends" |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[67]
The White Stripes
- Jack White – vocals, guitar, piano, production, mixing
- Meg White – drums, backing vocals
Production
- Stewart Sikes – engineering, mixing
- Fred Kevorkian – mastering
Artwork
- "The Third Man" – layout and design
- Patrick Pantano – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[81] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada)[82] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI)[83] | Gold | 40,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[84] | Platinum | 300,000* |
United States (RIAA)[86] | Platinum | 1,114,000[85] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
See also
References
- Handyside, Chris (August 12, 2004). Fell in Love with a Band: The Story of The White Stripes. ISBN 0-312-33618-7.
Notes
- ^ ISSN 0886-3032. Archived from the originalon June 11, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
- ^ Pitchfork Staff (October 2, 2009). "The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
...transmogrifying the scuzzed, tensile garage rock of their first two underrated albums into pop pandemonium.
- ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting November 12, 2001: Singles". Music Week. November 10, 2001. p. 29.
- ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 25 February 2002: Singles". Music Week. February 23, 2002. p. 35.
- ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1459. June 28, 2002. p. 26.
- ^ a b c "THIRD MAN RECORDS ANNOUNCES VAULT PACKAGE #48: WHITE BLOOD CELLS XX". Third Man Records. April 6, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ ISSN 1055-2758. Archived from the originalon February 19, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Giannini, Melissa (May 29, 2001). "The Sweet Twist of Success". Metro Times. Times-Shamrock Communications. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
- ^ "White Blood Cells XX feat. Stuart Sikes". Acast. The Third Men Podcast. November 17, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ^ Handyside 2004, p. 84
- ^ ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the originalon June 23, 2001. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
- ^ Wilkinson, Alec (March 13, 2017), "JACK WHITE’S INFINITE IMAGINATION". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
- ISBN 979-8986614526.
- ^ Devenish, Colin (April 1, 2003). "White Stripes May Face Suit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "WSgigposters_3shows". Jack White Art & Design. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ "Third Man Records Vault Package #34 – The White Stripes Live in Detroit: 1999-2000-2001". Jack White. October 4, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Handyside 2004, p. 193
- ^ a b "Reviews for White Blood Cells by The White Stripes". Metacritic. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ Phares, Heather. "White Blood Cells – The White Stripes". AllMusic. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ^ "The White Stripes: White Blood Cells". Alternative Press (158): 104. September 2001.
- ^ Carpenter, Susan (July 8, 2001). "The White Stripes, 'White Blood Cells,' Sympathy for the Record Industry". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ISSN 0028-6362. Archived from the originalon July 9, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ^ Kilian, Dan; Schreiber, Ryan (August 23, 2001). "The White Stripes: White Blood Cells". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ^ "The White Stripes: White Blood Cells". Q (181): 122. September 2001.
- ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ "The White Stripes: White Blood Cells". Uncut (52): 100. September 2001.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (September 18, 2001). "Consumer Guide: Minstrels All". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ^ Handyside 2004, p. 122
- ^ Blender staff (2001). "Albums of the Year". Blender. Archived from the original on September 2, 2005. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Rolling Stone staff (2001). "Albums of 2001". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Mojo staff (2001). "MOJO – Albums of the Year 2001". Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Kerrang! staff (2001). "Kerrang! Albums of the Year 2001". Kerrang!. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ NME staff (2001). "NME Albums 2001". NME. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Pitchfork staff (January 1, 2002). "Top 20 Albums of 2001". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ The Village Voice staff (2001). "Albums of the Year". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Spin staff (2001). "Spin End Of Year Lists 2002". Spin. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ NME staff (March 2003). "NME's 100 Best Albums Of All Time". NME. Archived from the original on April 18, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Spin staff (June 20, 2005). "100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005". Spin. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Stylus staff (January 18, 2005). "Top 50 Albums of 2000–2005". Stylus. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Mojo staff (May 2006). "100 Modern Classics, 1993–2006". Mojo. p. 63.
- ^ White Blood Cells #19
- ^ Fell in Love with a Girl #58
- ^ a b "The Best 50 Albums of 2001". Q. December 2001. pp. 60–65.
- ^ a b The A.V. Club staff (November 19, 2009). "The best music of the decade". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Uncut staff (2009). "Top 150 Albums of the 2000s". Uncut. Archived from the original on October 14, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Billboard staff (December 2009). "Top 20 Albums of the 2000s". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Rolling Stone staff (December 2009). "Top 100 Albums of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ NME staff (November 18, 2009). "Top 100 Albums of the 2000s". NME. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Pitchfork staff (October 2, 2009). "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 20-1". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ISSN 1553-2305. Archived from the originalon December 15, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ^ "1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die". The Guardian. November 22, 2007. Artists beginning with W. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
- ISBN 978-1-84403-624-0.
- ISBN 978-7-09-893419-6
- ^ Billboard Staff (December 16, 2009). "Billboard Critics' Top 20 Albums of the Decade". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- Consequence of Sound. Archived from the originalon November 19, 2009.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime 1993–2006". Mojo. 2006. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ^ "The Top 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade". NME. 19) The White Stripes: White Blood Cells. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ^ Pitchfork staff (October 2, 2009). "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 20-1". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 14, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ^ "100 Best Albums of the Decade". Rolling Stone. December 9, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time: The White Stripes, 'White Blood Cells'". Rolling Stone. May 31, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ "Top 250 Albums of the 2000s". Slant Magazine. 2010. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
- ^ "100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005". Spin Magazine. 2005. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ^ "125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years". Spin Magazine. 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ^ "Rocklist.net..Rocklist.net... Uncut Lists ." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ BMI Entry[permanent dead link]
- ^ White Blood Cells (CD liner notes). The White Stripes. Third Man Records. 2001. TMR033.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – The White Stripes – White Blood Cells". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – The White Stripes – White Blood Cells". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The White Stripes – White Blood Cells". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The White Stripes – White Blood Cells". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "White Stripes | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ "The White Stripes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ "Top 200 Albums of 2002 (based on sales)". Jam!. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ "Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002". Jam!. Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
- ^ "UK Year-End Charts 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. p. 4. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – The White Stripes – White Blood Cells". Music Canada. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – The White Stripes – White Blood Cells" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved April 22, 2019. Enter White Blood Cells in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2008 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- ^ "British album certifications – The White Stripes – White Blood Cells". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- Billboard. p. 22. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2022 – via American Radio History.
- ^ "American album certifications – The White Stripes – White Blood Cells". Recording Industry Association of America.