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De Stijl

 
Album Review: De Stijl

  • Artist: The White Stripes
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: June 20, 2000
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Despite their reputation as garage rock revivalists, the White Stripes display an impressive range of styles on their second album, De Stijl, which is Dutch for "the style." Perhaps the album's diversity -- which incorporates elements of bubblegum, cabaret, blues, and classic rock -- shouldn't come as a surprise from a band that dedicates its album to bluesman Blind Willie McTell and Dutch artist Gerrit Rietveld. Nevertheless, it's refreshing to hear the band go from the Tommy James-style pop of "You're Pretty Good Looking" to the garagey stomp of "Hello Operator" in a one-two punch. It's even more impressive that the theatrical, piano-driven ballad "Apple Blossom" and a cover of Son House's "Death Letter" go so well together on the same album. Jack White's understated production work and versatile guitar playing and vocals also stand out on the languid, fuzzy "Sister, Do You Know My Name?" as well as insistent rockers like "Little Bird" and "Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me?" As distinctive as it is diverse, De Stijl blends the Stripes' arty leanings with enough rock muscle to back up the band's ambitions. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
You're Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl) Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (1:49)
Hello Operator Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (2:36)
Little Bird Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (3:06)
Apple Blossom Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (2:13)
I'm Bound to Pack It Up Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (3:09)
Death Letter Son House The White Stripes (4:29)
Sister, Do You Know My Name? Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (2:51)
Truth Doesn't Make a Noise Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (3:14)
A Boy's Best Friend Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (4:22)
Let's Build a Home Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (1:58)
Jumble, Jumble Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (1:53)
Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me? Meg White, Jack White The White Stripes (3:22)
Your Southern Can Is Mine Blind Willie McTell The White Stripes (2:29)

Credits

Jim Diamond (Mixing), John Szymanski (Harmonica), Jack White (Mixing), Jack White (Producer), The White Stripes (Liner Notes), Ewolf (Photography), Jack White (Guitar), Meg White (?), Meg White (Drums), Jack White (Engineer), Jack White (Piano), Meg White (Tambourine), Meg White (Floor Tom), The White Stripes (Cover Art Concept), Jack White (Vocals)
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Wikipedia: De Stijl (album)
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De Stijl
Studio album by The White Stripes
Released June 20, 2000
Recorded 1999–2000
Genre Garage rock, punk blues
Length 37:31
Label Sympathy for the Record Industry
V2 (US reissue)
XL (Europe reissue)
Producer Jack White
Professional reviews
The White Stripes chronology
The White Stripes
(1999)
De Stijl
(2000)
White Blood Cells
(2001)
Singles from De Stijl
  1. "Hello Operator"
    Released: May, 2001

De Stijl (pronounced /də ˈstaɪl/) is the second studio album by the American garage rock band The White Stripes, released on June 20, 2000 on Sympathy for the Record Industry. The album reached number thirty-eight on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart in 2002 when The White Stripes' popularity began establishing itself. It has since become a cult hit for White Stripes fans because it displays the early fusion of simplicity of the band's blues and punk fusion before the breakthrough success of White Blood Cells.

"De Stijl" is a Dutch art movement and means "The Style". Lead singer Jack White had been an admirer of the movement for a long time, especially of furniture designer Gerrit Rietveld who also designed the Rietveld Schröder House, which Jack and Meg White visited while on tour in the Netherlands. De Stijl was dedicated to Rietveld as well as Blind Willie McTell.

On February 5, 2008, Canadian media reported that Former Radio-Canada host Dominique Payette has filed a lawsuit against the White Stripes for using a 9-second clip of her interview with a little girl at the beginning of "Jumble, Jumble". She is demanding $70,000 in damages and the removal of the album "De Stijl" from store shelves. [1]

Track listing

All songs written by The White Stripes except where noted.

  1. "You're Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)" - 1:49
  2. "Hello Operator" - 2:36
  3. "Little Bird" - 3:06
  4. "Apple Blossom" - 2:13
  5. "I'm Bound to Pack It Up" - 3:09
  6. "Death Letter" (Eddie James "Son" House) - 4:29
  7. "Sister, Do You Know My Name?" - 2:52
  8. "Truth Doesn't Make a Noise" - 3:14
  9. "A Boy's Best Friend" - 4:22
  10. "Let's Build a Home" - 1:58
  11. "Jumble, Jumble" - 1:53
  12. "Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me?" - 3:22
  13. "Your Southern Can Is Mine" (William Samuel "Blind Willie" McTell) - 2:29

Personnel

The White Stripes
Additional musicians

References


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "De Stijl (album)" Read more