The White Stripes Greatest Hits

ザ・ホワイト・ストライプス 初のベスト・アルバム『ザ・ホワイト・ストライプス・グレイテスト・ヒッツ』

アメリカ・デトロイト出身のジャック・ホワイト(Vo/G)とメグ・ホワイト(Dr)によって1997年に結成されたユニット、ザ・ホワイト・ストライプス。2人だけの演奏とは思えないセンセーショナルなサウンドが大きな注目を集め、ガレージロック・リバイバルを代表するバンドとなる。1998年のデビュー以降、これまでにオリジナル・アルバムを6枚リリースし、そのうち3枚がグラミー賞を獲得。2011年に解散するも、未だその人気は衰えを知らない。そんな彼らが初めてとなるベスト・アルバム『ザ・ホワイト・ストライプス・グレイテスト・ヒッツ』をリリースする。初めてのオフィシャル作品集となる今作には、秀逸さの光る'90年代終盤の楽曲から2000年代初期のアンダーグラウンドの讃歌、MTVミュージック・アワードを獲得した瞬間を思い出させる曲、グラミー賞を掴み取った素晴らしい曲、世界中のスタジアムで合唱を巻き起こした曲まで、キャリア全体を網羅する全26曲が収録される

Like the other archival releases that appeared after the White Stripes called it quits in 2011, The White Stripes Greatest Hits is filled with the same detail, wit, and willingness to subvert expectations that made the band so dynamic when they were active. As with all things involving Jack and Meg White, the collections hand-curated feel is much more personal than the average best-of or streaming play list. The idiosyncratic track list shuffles the pages of the Stripes songbook, bringing new life to their music in the process. While there are plenty of expected choices here (Fell in Love with a Girl, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, The Hardest Button to Button) that still sound great, the set goes deeper with songs that are just as strong if not quite as well known. Astro and Screwdriver, both from 1999s The White Stripes, reaffirm just how bold and clearly conceived the bands music was from the start, while the brash hooks of De Stijls Hello Operator foreshadow the massive success they earned with White Blood Cells just a year later. Elsewhere, the marimba-driven The Nurse sounds just as eerie as it did on Get Behind Me Satan, serving as a potent reminder that the groups artiness was as vital to their music as their dedication to rock. The compilations nonchronological approach allows for some clever song pairings, such as the floral theme of Blue Orchid and Apple Blossom and the animal-related duo of I Think I Smell a Rat and I Fought Piranhas. Jack and Megs flair for covers is well represented by I Just Dont Know What to Do with Myself, Conquest, Death Letter, and Jolene, the latter of which became nearly as iconic as Dolly Partons original. The decision to put their most inescapable song, Seven Nation Army, at the end is an unusual move and also a fitting one, adding an extra sense of finality to the proceedings. Its clear a lot of love went into crafting The White Stripes Greatest Hits, and its quirks should make it all the more endearing to fans and newcomers alike. ~ Heather Phares