WRITE YOUR 1ST LISTEN REVIEW OF THE LAZARETTO ALBUM

[Kali Durga]

My first listen review is too long to post here in Swirl so I posted it elsewhere. Link in case anyone's interested-- http://kalidurga.blogspot.com/2014/06/l ... ately.html

In a nutshell, I'm in love with this record. I'm not going to presume which songs should or should not be on it, because that doesn't matter. Enough of them mean something to me personally after just one listen that I'm not going to quibble over rating any of them with a number.

[tcricha43]

My first listen review is too long to post here in Swirl so I posted it elsewhere. Link in case anyone's interested-- http://kalidurga.blogspot.com/2014/06/l ... ately.html

In a nutshell, I'm in love with this record. I'm not going to presume which songs should or should not be on it, because that doesn't matter. Enough of them mean something to me personally after just one listen that I'm not going to quibble over rating any of them with a number.

Great review! I love this album too. I was afraid I would be let down after how much I enjoyed Blunderbuss, but I may like this album more. I felt the same about Would You Fight For My Love?. At RSD it felt epic, very similar to Blue Veins , so much so I assumed it would be the last song on the record (as Jack often ends his albums). I do really enjoy the album version though. I think it would make a great single, then turn into an epic in the live show.

[littleacorn]

My first listen review is too long to post here in Swirl so I posted it elsewhere. Link in case anyone's interested-- http://kalidurga.blogspot.com/2014/06/l ... ately.html

In a nutshell, I'm in love with this record. I'm not going to presume which songs should or should not be on it, because that doesn't matter. Enough of them mean something to me personally after just one listen that I'm not going to quibble over rating any of them with a number.

Love your take on it Kali This album means something to me. It reminds of the the first time I spun Led Zeppelin III. It was a game changer in my life and led me down this crazy vinyl collector path . A co-worker of mine asked for the lyrics of Entitlement today as I was streaming the album. He doesn't really care for music much but that song really grabbed his attention.

[jgibbdah]

1) Three Women or Black Bat Licorice
2) Just One Drink or Entitlement
3) 6.5/10 but I'd like to listen on vinyl before I give it a final grade

I LOVED Blunderbuss, still listen to it regularly. Its fantastic from the onset and doesn't let up. Low point on the album, for me, is Love Interruption and thats a pretty good song.

The first time I listened to Lazaretto, I actually hated a lot of it. Yes, there are the crunchy, raucous guitar riffs that we all enjoy from Jack and that I thought we were promised from High Ball Stepper and Lazaratto. I thought the rest of the tracks were overwhelmingly twangy and was missing the full sounding rock band that was featured on Blunderbuss. I don't want Jack to turn into a country-rock artist but I felt like its inevitable at this point.

I've listened to the entire album about a dozen times now and my opinion has drastically changed. I must have been in a bad mood or something but its quite a bit less country influenced than my first impression but those honky tonk country songs stick out as sore thumbs for me. Also, the way he chose to sing Will You Fight For My Love reminds me of the scene from Forgetting Sarah Marshal and the rock opera that Jason Segal wrote. Ouch! I like that song, but maybe its the combination of lyrics and vocal style but it seems over dramatic to me.

I don't mean to bash Lazaretto at all. I do like parts of it but I don't think the twang is ever going to be something I enjoy or what I want to hear from Jack. I doubt I will ever prefer this album to Blunderbuss.

[love_islander]

There's an interesting array of opinions here. After listening to Lazaretto (just the song) last night I didn't go back for a second take instantly (I was more shitty at only getting one song downloaded I guess). I hope it is better than Blunderbuss for me

[KNARF]

I'm proud to invest time in a place where Kali Durga shares with all of us her passion, incite, and intelligence–without being a bias fan.
Everyone should read her incredible article that digs deep into Lazaretto.

http://kalidurga.blogspot.com/2014/06/l ... ately.html

Of all the reviews so far, Kali is the first to focus on the words. What's singer/songwriter music without words that take you somewhere?
Bob Dylan said "the words always come first", then he writes the music.
Tons of musicians can play, but VERY few can write in the class of Dylan, Lennon...and McCartney.
The lyrics on Lazaretto are some of the most interesting ever.
I find myself wanting to keep listening to try and get a better understanding of the lyrics.
With most tracks on Blunderbuss, I did not feel as compelled because many lyrics were drowning in this country-ish thing.

The comments that crystalize why I LOVE Lazaretto over Blunderbuss are 2 things jgibbdah wrote which reconfirmed my fear of what the Blunderbuss follow-up might have been:

I don't want Jack to turn into a country-rock artist

I don't think the twang is ever going to be something I enjoy or what I want to hear from Jack

THANK YOU jgibbdah!
Blunderbuss was too much Nashville for fans who just don't like anything country.
The White Stripes were much closer to punk than country. Opposite sides of the spectrum.
Hotel Yorba is perhaps the one WS track that had a country vibe but it's so buried in the raw energy hugely thanks to Meg's drumming.
Meg kept it closer to punk than country. She is sadly missed. Rolling Stone, Jack said it himself regarding how important Meg was to him on stage in:

"Because on stage? Nothing I do will top that"

What a HUGE comment. To say that NOTHING he does will ever top him being on stage just with Meg White?
That was the bravest & most profound thing I've ever heard Jack say.

If Blunderbuss is 30% country-ish, Lazaretto is about 13%. Simply sanitizing the country-ness reveals a Jack White that's closer to The White Stripes on Lazaretto. And on his third album, if Jack brings down the countryness to 3%, I have a hunch that will be his best album yet. The 3rd one!
But I still think he's gonna release the first ever Triple Album for his 3rd one.

Lastly...Kali Druga is 100% on point about Black Bat Licorice.
That's the one song since the White Stripes split, that sounds the closest to a White Stripes song.
Sixteen Saltines was closest on Blunderbuss for me. But Black Bat Licorice takes me back to Icky Thump.
A little Conquest-like instrumentation in there. Just an AMAZING track.

How can anyone not love an album that brings you closer to The White Stripes?

...Closer to John Anthony Gillis.

[3rdmwsiy]

1) Three Women or Black Bat Licorice
2) Just One Drink or Entitlement
3) 6.5/10 but I'd like to listen on vinyl before I give it a final grade

I LOVED Blunderbuss, still listen to it regularly. Its fantastic from the onset and doesn't let up. Low point on the album, for me, is Love Interruption and thats a pretty good song.

The first time I listened to Lazaretto, I actually hated a lot of it. Yes, there are the crunchy, raucous guitar riffs that we all enjoy from Jack and that I thought we were promised from High Ball Stepper and Lazaratto. I thought the rest of the tracks were overwhelmingly twangy and was missing the full sounding rock band that was featured on Blunderbuss. I don't want Jack to turn into a country-rock artist but I felt like its inevitable at this point.

I've listened to the entire album about a dozen times now and my opinion has drastically changed. I must have been in a bad mood or something but its quite a bit less country influenced than my first impression but those honky tonk country songs stick out as sore thumbs for me. Also, the way he chose to sing Will You Fight For My Love reminds me of the scene from Forgetting Sarah Marshal and the rock opera that Jason Segal wrote. Ouch! I like that song, but maybe its the combination of lyrics and vocal style but it seems over dramatic to me.

I don't mean to bash Lazaretto at all. I do like parts of it but I don't think the twang is ever going to be something I enjoy or what I want to hear from Jack. I doubt I will ever prefer this album to Blunderbuss.

After this review I see why you don't like Entitlement

[DBCooper]

Hotel Yorba is perhaps the one WS track that had a country vibe but it's so buried in the raw energy hugely thanks to Meg's drumming.

uh...what?

[Jettkoral]

Hotel Yorba is perhaps the one WS track that had a country vibe but it's so buried in the raw energy hugely thanks to Meg's drumming.

uh...what?

I don't get how he compared Jack White's lyrics to Dylan, Lennon, and McCartney....
Wha?

[Kaber]

Jack White

album number 2

13 tracks on vinyl

Contaminating my mind, body and soul

[Jettkoral]

Jack White

album number 2

13 tracks on vinyl

Contaminating my mind, body and soul

There's only 11 songs Chris

[Kaber]

Jack White

album number 2

13 tracks on vinyl

Contaminating my mind, body and soul

There's only 11 songs Chris

2 on the labels

[Coma16]

Jack White

album number 2

13 tracks on vinyl

Contaminating my mind, body and soul

There's only 11 songs Chris

2 on the labels

Will the 2 bonus tracks be on the MP3 download?

[DBCooper]

Jack White

album number 2

13 tracks on vinyl

Contaminating my mind, body and soul

There's only 11 songs Chris

2 on the labels

Will the 2 bonus tracks be on the MP3 download?

yes. only an extra 3.50.

[KNARF]

I don't get how he compared Jack White's lyrics to Dylan, Lennon, and McCartney....
Wha?

I was not comparing Jack's style of writing to their's.
I was just referencing legendary singer/songwriters and YES I put Jack White in that category.
He may not be looked upon as a legend to the bigger world yet, but it's obvious that Jack is a legend.