The White Stripes were obviously, proudly retro. However that is not the whole story. Jack & Meg undertook the most successful re imagining of American electric blues and rock since Led Zep or Grunge. This was partly due to them finding the best or essence of rock, keeping it simple and having a bitchin rhythm section, which had been neglected by previous post punk rock groups who tended to concentrate on innovations in melody, grunge included. If musically they retroactively distilled what was great about rock and blues, thematically and aesthetically TWS provided something new, using the red, white & black line art and uniforms, name checking the Dutch De Stijl art movement. Alongside Jack's gentlemanly, old fashioned and critical stance; often in opposition of the original rock subject matter, which could be deliberately disrespectful to drive that generation gap wedge home. Jack however is not twee and is able to reference the value of friends and being nice to parents with bollocks a thousand fringed indie types could never muster.The White Stripes stood out in a Detroit surrounded by a garage revival, Soledad Brothers, Detroit Cobras and the Von Bondies were peers of TWS and following the first run of records kicked off a shitstorm of by numbers garage types, culminating in the likes of The Hives and that other group I can't remember.
Of the two albums, De Stijl their second after a raw bluesy debut has a more garage pop element, despite containing more blues covers of Son House and Blind Willie McTell. It came out on Sympathy for the Record Industry, who brought us Rocket from the Crypt no less, true ancestors of this music, a smaller audience awaited this release and TWS are more reveling in knowingness, namedropping art and philosophies in the liner notes. The cerebral psued in me always prefers De Stijl, although over time, sonically speaking TWS breakout third White Blood Cells has to be the best.
Actually the best WS experience is to see them live, as I did post De Stijl in a small venue. The energy, guitar noise and supernatural levels of non verbal between Jack & Meg are spellbinding and is in my top ten gigs. Otherwise try the John Peel Maida Vale sessions recorded throughout this period for a ferocious, fast and loose WS.
At the time White Blood Cells correctly anticipated with it's artwork the fame, adulation and ostracism from the Detroit scene they helped to birth, and also introduces a Morrissey like paranoid element from Jack, often shown in those who feel out of time. This adds to the albums interest, and sets TWS on the fame trajectory which has culminated in Jacks current liaisons with models, superstars etc.
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