Just watched disk #2 from Cold Mountain Video. Anyone really know this guy, Jack White? Is he the Johnny Depp of Old Time Music? Sorry if this is a completely ignorant question. Most are anyway.
Just watched disk #2 from Cold Mountain Video. Anyone really know this guy, Jack White? Is he the Johnny Depp of Old Time Music? Sorry if this is a completely ignorant question. Most are anyway.
We few, we happy few.
Oh, now you've opened up a can of worms! There were some "highly flamed" threads on this some time ago. Here is my opinion, even though I will probably get flamed again for it:
Jack White is a kind of new-age rock and roller. He has a group, "The White Stripes" which is just him on electric guitar and his ex-wife on drums. No bass, nothing else. I am a passionate rock and roll fan of many decades, but his stuff does absolutely nothing for me.
So along comes the Cold Mountain film project. Jack was good friends with Rene Zellweger, one of the stars and investors in the film. There was a rumor that they were having an affair, but I don't know the truth and timing of that or if it was a factor, but hey, it is Hollywood after all. Anyhow, Jack wound up as the musical headliner and an actor in the film, even though he had no previous old-time music credits to his name. He even appeared on an A&E special to promote the movie, where he looked stoned out of his gourd while absolutely butchering "Wayfaring Stranger."
To those who like him, Jack White is a talented cross-over artist. To those who don't, myself included, he is a no-talent interloper who is cheapening old-time music.
Well OK then. I thought it was just me.
We few, we happy few.
I have never been a fan of the White Stripes, and his vocals on their recordings defintely put me off as well. But, I thought his work in Cold Mountain was very soulful, and it worked very well within the context of his role as a homegrown, untrained, unrefined, travelling amateur musician/deserter. I find it interesting that I like him better as a "musical interloper", than for what he is better known.
Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?
Jack White's latest "project" is working with country singer Loretta Lynne in one of the most incomprehensible musical pairings since Bing Crosby and David Bowie sang "The Little Drummer Boy" on a Christmas special years ago. I first heard White Stripes on a late-night tv show and thought they were part of a comedy skit on garage bands. I don't get him either.
Steve
LOL, Steve! I did the same thing. I first saw them on Letterman and I thought it was one of David's gags. Especially because you had this very animated guitarist just banging away and singing, while the lady drummer just sat there looking vacant and bored, just hitting the snare and one cymbal on every downbeat. No rolls, no tom-tom action. When I realized they were for real I thought, "Gee, I could be a rock drummer, too, even though I have never seriously touched a kit!Originally Posted by
I saw the White Stripes perform on the Grammy's last year... They blew everyone away.... I kid you not...His guitar playing was very impressive...
He is dating Renee Zellwegger...Or at least he was the last time I read People magazine!!
Eric
sorry, shows you that differences are what makes the world go round. thought i don't own their music, i never turn them off the radio or tv when i see white stripes- for their genre i think that they are really powerful. i haven't seen cold mountain, but what is wrong with someone wanting to be involved in different genres and projects musically. instead of looking at him as an interloper, look at him as a young pop guy who has interest in roots music.
not a flame, just my opinion, so answer but don't attack. thanks,
jflynnstl writes: "Jack White is a kind of new-age rock and roller."
new age? you'll hardly find the 'stripes on the roster of windam hill. they're the polar opposite of that.
ira. i'm w/you. good musicians, which i put jack white in that catagory, keep exploring rather than get stuck in one thing. on a similar front, there's a lot of people around here bent out of shape about thile, but i'm willing to follow his vision & see where it leads.
this "no talent interloper" thing is similar to the charges leveled at gillian welch. (" she's from southern california. she wasn't born in the right part of the country to play this music."), which leads us to the old "can-white-men-play-the-blues?" argument.
sam
Is Jack White in that "Folk Rap" outfit "Tenacious D"?
That stuff is funny, if too vulgar.
Z
Member since 2003!
Well I admire his effort to try different things, Rene Z. included. He is an acquired taste I guess. I haven't acquired it yet.
We few, we happy few.
Z - You're thinking of Jack Black; he cracks me up too. (But then again, I think Adam Sandler is funny.)
Estne volumen in toga, an solum tibi libet me videre?
I don't know the White Stripes, but I enjoyed the old timey music in Cold Mountain very much. #I liked the movie too.
# This Jack White was pretty good in the part. #The singing and songs were not overly professional -and should not have been! #Jack
smilnJackB
True. I thought the fiddle playing was worth the trip though.
We few, we happy few.
You know, I was impressed with the believability of the old time music in Cold Mountain. I'm no fan of Jack White, but seeing and hearing him perform in the movie kind of added another dimension to his stance as an artist. But I will not be buying the soundtrack or any White Stripes albums. And I'm still confused over the Loretta Lynn deal. I saw Loretta and Jack perform on Letterman and it just bothered me for some reason.
Back to Cold Mountain--- the movie was terrible. I would not recommend it to anyone. It was really kind of stupid.
Jack will be the T Bone of the future. He is young now but exploring.I think we will see interesting thinhs from the retro rocker who digs ol' time music.
Peace,
Rick
I don't disagree that Jack White did a credible job on the CM soundtrack. His performance on A&E is another matter, but everyone has a bad night. What I think is unfortunate is that the project deserved better than just "credible" and there were people out there who could have done much better. Just as a for instance, I challenge anyone who thinks that White was the best man for the job to compare the CM soundtrack to "Songs From the Mountain," a CD inspired be the Cold Mountain book, independent of the movie. Some of the tunes are the same. "Songs From the Mountain" absolutely blows the soundtrack away, IMHO, and it is much more true to the traditions of the music represented.
Just going side by side with the tracks of "Wayfaring Stranger," on the two CDs it is obvious that White is not even in the same league as Tim O'Brien as an old-time singer. What was the hang up? Was Tim too busy? Too expensive? Not sleeping with Renee'? Inquiring minds want to know!
I liked the music in Cold Mountain when I saw the movie, but heard the soundtrack first, and it didn't stand on its own (even with Mike Compton & Stuart Duncan). Loretta Lynn is probably lonely since her husband died - the stuff with Jack White is too dark and depressing, but like Johnny Cash's final work, young people seem to think it's more "real."
Just an interesting side note about Mr. White, Rolling Stone magazine had their 100 Greatest Guitarist issue come out about a year ago and Mr. White appeared ahead of a lot of "top notch" guitarist on their list. He was listed as number 17. Seriously, he was.
I thought it was rather "interesting" placement on their part.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5937559?
Darren:
I am stunned by that list. So according to Rolling Stone, Jack White is the 17th "Best Guitarist of All Time." He is better than:
19. Richard Thompson
21. George Harrison
27. Mark Knopfler
36. Steve Cropper
32. John Cipollina
39. Brian May
40. John Fogarty
42. Robert Fripp
45. Frank Zappa
46. Les Paul
49. John McLaughlin
50. Pete Townshend
54. Jorma Kaukonen
70. Eddie Van Halen
74. Johnny Winter
91. Robbie Krieger
96. Angus Young
Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Andres Segovia, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Alvin Lee, Leslie West and Roger McGuinn, just to name the few that jump into my head, aren't even on the list, and White is #17. It is a world gone mad!!! Hey, with those rules, maybe I could be the 17th best mandolin player of all time. It would make as much sense.
These "best of all time" lists usually tend to be skewed to over-represent the last few years.
<Insert witty saying here>
It really is hard to read these types of lists today, 100 greatest....best of all time...whatever. I think most of it is done to get publicity for the "next big thing." It is sort of like when you watch some of these programs on CMT, "country" music television, and they have the current hot acts giving their five cents worth on some country legend, whom they have probably never met and maybe listened to one day in their life. And who exactly put this list of the greatest guitarists together? I'm guessing it was some 22-year old punk who probably doesn't even know who Les Paul or Chet Atkins is. Was Doc Watson on the list?
Doc Watson was not on it, nor was Clarence White of the Kentucky Colonels or Tony Rice.
Jimi Hendrix #1? OH please...he was good but come on. Van Halen should be real close to the top. At least Clapton is up there. But where is Chet Atkins? I guess influence was not a factor in comprising the list. I wonder what the criteria for getting on the list was.
personally i was outraged that Rolling Stone put Jack ahead of Tony Iommi. But that's me. I still think Rolling stone is clueless, by the way.
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