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Seven Nation Army

bigheadmodano | the bermuda triangle | 08/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perhaps 4 and a half stars would be more appropriate, but Seven Nation Army is easily the single of the year. The title song is growing weary with me, but still has great impact on the listener is terms of raw power. The progression is the same throughout the song, so it can be redundant if you overplay it, so use sparingly and you'll have a new favorite. This single could have feasibly been a double-A side ala The Beatles due to the strengths of Good To Me. Similar to songs like Black Math and Broken Bricks, Good To me is very simple with lyrics penned by an old bandmate. It works perfectly with Seven Nation Army. Alas, the best is saved for last, and I must say this single could have been a TRIPLE A-SIDE because of Black Jack Davey. A very Physical-Graffitish song with a hooky riff and an incredible fill, Davey goes into the pile with Death Letter, Jolene, etc. as classic covers. Overall, Seven Nation Army is as close as The Stripes will likely get to single perfection."

Don't Count it Out Yet!

Yoshemitzu | Columbia, MO USA | 09/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I saw the White Stripes at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, the show was scorching. It may have been my first real rock concert, but what a way to start the journey! The duo seamlessly went from song to song--in the first half hour, I was convinced that they were trying to fit in every song from their repertoire. And then, after blasting through songs from literally every album (and even some non-album tracks), a familiar beat rang through--"Seven Nation Army." I'd completely forgotten about the song until that moment.



For those who complain that "Seven Nation Army" is trite and (or perhaps "because") it's overplayed, don't blame the Stripes--they are as familiar (and frustrated) with that fact as we are. For the other reviewer who said this should be a triple-A-side single, you're absolutely correct, and the White Stripes will NEVER treat "Seven Nation Army" as more or less of a song than any of their other material. Even though it's the pop-fodder that led them to the mainstream, they always treat every song like the make-or-breaker of the concert.



The single is fantastic, of course. "Black Jack Davey" opens with some of Jack's most soulful guitar work, and "Good to Me" is a thoughtful tribute to Brendan Benson (with whom Jack is releasing an album in not too long--The Raconteurs) and just a blisteringly good song. But to get the full effect of the White Stripes, you MUST listen to all their material, and you MUST at some point in your life, see a live show."