The White Stripes Split

So as you may or may not know, The White Stripes have officially broken up. I’m pretty confident in saying this is the most devastating music related news I’ve ever heard (keep in mind I’m 24.) Figuring out how to put The Stripes’ impact on me into words is quite difficult, because Jack White is such an enormous force in music that if we were to diagram the musical landscape of rock in terms of the solar system, Jack White would be the sun. He’s constantly lending his talents to different acts and music related entities, but as a devout member of the church of Jack White, I know it all comes back to The White Stripes.

I love everything that Jack touches, whether it be The Racounteurs, The Dead Weather, everything he is doing to revive vinyl and even his assistance on Electric Six’s “Fire in the Disco” to name a few. But what I am always patiently waiting for, is his returns to The White Stripes; it just feels like home and gives Jack the freedom to fully explore his creativity without any other members holding him back. I don’t want to diminish Meg’s role in The White Stripes, because she is certainly a key contributor to their success, but in terms of songwriting and creativity, Jack White is the man.

For me, The White Stripes were a glimmer of hope in my view of modern music. By the time The White Stripes were becoming household names with their innovative video for “Fell in Love With a Girl” I had essentially given up all hope on modern music. By that time I had made classic rock my exclusive source for music, and being so young at the time, I had a lot of catching up to do. There was certainly no time for any of this modern nonsense. However, all the hoopla surrounding The Stripes made me take notice. I listened to a copy of White Blood Cells and was impressed. I then went out and purchased Elephant and became even more enamored with the talent this duo possessed. With each release they showed growth and innovation, while never straying too far form their blues/garage rock roots. During their run they reignited my interest in modern rock, and that cannot go understated.

The White Stripes will always hold a special place in my music collection. They never disappointed with each release - always pushing the boundaries of music and creativity - and they reinvigorated modern rock. In what seemed like an impossible task a decade ago, over the past few years David Gilmour has been de-throned as my favorite musician, that spot now goes to Jack White, and while I deeply appreciate everything Jack does, The White Stripes will always be his defining achievement.