Week 4/52: Get behind me Satan

GET BEHIND ME SATAN: The fifth album by legendary garage/blue rock The White Stripes, released 2005. But is it good?

Get behind me satan is the album following up Elephant, released 2003, which contained the single "seven nation army", one of (arguably) the most famous rock songs of all time, as well as containing 13 other excellent songs, so it's fair to say they had an almost impossible task in following up that album, and they pretty much didn't. Not as you'd think, anyway.

So the album opens with Blue orchid- the album's lead single, and holy shit the guitar riff in this song is sticky as hell. The first time i played I couldn't resist getting up and grooving to it, and as it finished i was lured into a false sense of security thinking "oh great, another album packed with guitar led head bangers" and as the second track started i was in for a pretty nasty suprise when second track "The Nurse" opens with lead marimba, and the tracks continued to be largely absent (though not entirely) of heavy guitars leads like the first 4 albums.

In fact, most of the songs on the record are piano led- Jack appears to be going for a more rhythmic approach, as if he wants your hips swinging side to side instead of head banging up and down. The songs come off more ballad-esque, and dip more into country than previous White Stripes records, on "little ghost" for example, the rapid guitar playing evokes a really root-sy feel to the music. "Ugly as i seem" is a sweet guitar ballad with a melody not as melancholy as the title suggests. The energy on "My doorbell" is infectious, Meg's boxy drums and Jack's staccato piano give the track a real groove. That being said, not all of the tracks are sticky and memorable, I couldnt tell you how Red Rain or White moon go, or The Denial Twist either. Even tho on other WS albums the sound is more homogeneous with guitar and drums making up most of the arrangements, the arrangements feel more succinct and memorable on their older work.

Speaking of, the arrangements on this album are way fuller- there are noticably alot more instruments per song, including bass guitar, which other WS albums lacked- which sort of leads me onto my biggest gripe with the record- it doesnt feel like a white stripes record. In their first few albums, their sound was characterized by a certain rawness, the recording quality was kinda rough, and megs drumming was pretty simplistic, but this record feels way more polished, and professionally produced, which certainly takes something away from it.

But that doesn't mean it's a bad album. It's certainly enjoyable whilst it lasts, and I dont regret listening to it, but when I compare it to their debut record or white blood cells or elephant I just dont care as much. In conclusion, it's a fine record, but just pales in comparison to alot of their earlier work.

I don't like talking about album art alot but Meg looks real good here whereas Jack looks petty bad negl