497: The White Stripes — White Blood Cells (2001, Sympathy For The Record Industry)

Overall rating: 4

Level of prior familiarity: 5

How I Listened: On Spotify, at work

I still remember the first time I listened to this album (on CD!). I bought it at a local Boston record shop, loaded it into the 6-disc changer in my ’92 Plymouth Voyager, and made the long drive out to Waltham for no particular reason other than to listen to this album. And it’s as good today as it was then.

I live in Nashville. This is Jack White’s domain. And it’s hard to escape the rampant fanboyism that abounds here. But the majority of Jack White’s work — whether with The White Stripes, The Dead Weather, solo work, whatever — never struck me the way that this album did back in ’01. I loved The Dead Weather (and had the privilege of working on one of their albums), and still think they’re one of the best live bands I’ve ever witnessed. And I thought Lazaretto was pretty solid too. But White Blood Cells is still the one album I come back to when I feel the need for a Jack (and Meg!) White fix.