Special report from G-Man:THE RACONTEURS - Live 9/29/06 at the Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
Opening Act = Dr. Dog - we didn’t watch them, for drinking brewsky was more important....
Much of the following is the result of severe lack of sleep; however, I stand by every word!
FIRST REACTION Below was written the day The Raconteurs’ debut album “Broken Boy Soldiers” came out…
I give this album more like 3 1/2 stars. iTunes needs 1/2 stars; something I have always fought for...furthermore...
Today was the release date to Mr. Jack White's new band, The Raconteurs - as you all know, otherwise would not be reading this. However, I'm sure like many of you, my first impressions of the album came from mp3s on the internet. Future advice to myself -- wait for the damn album to come out. I screwed up the release date because I had already heard pretty much all the album online and that distorts a music lovers feel for an album when listened to in whole. The internet leaks made my expectations satisfied though -- for anything Jack White touches makes good music. “Steady as She Goes”, a solid first single that gets better with more listens. Try the acoustic version. And “Store Bought Bones”, not White's Mona Lisa, but a quick song to let us know better things are to come.
Now, when rating an album, one must put into account an artist’s past work, and their expectations. Mr. White is in the band - so it must be 5 stars and the result being iTunes gives us those 1/2 stars we all want because the album’s too good, right? Well, 30 minutes or so of Jack White is great. I don't care if it's his Zeppelin, Son House, or straight acoustics. But when u add “Alternative to Love”, Brendan Benson's latest album, which blew massive chucks, it takes away from White's airtime and reduces the album to more like 20 minutes. “Intimate Secretary”, a Benson vocal about his rabbit hopping and girl shopping doesn’t deserve that sophisticated music journalist lingo - it's simply corny ass lyrics and he needs some bass in his voice. However, Benson won me over with possibly the album’s best all around song, “Together”, and later “Call It A Day” is a solid song and for some reason should be put on when it's raining out (huh?).
The album concludes with all White vocals on “Blue Veins”, leaving his mark and telling fans to stick around. It's definitely a Jack White song and like many of his songs, they are so freaking cool that the audience will play it again and will be waiting for more the next time the Raconteurs hit the store. With more work together, White and Benson could become classic – hold your horses on the quick Lennon-McCartney comparison…please continue that band you began in your “Little Room”.
Let’s go see these guys in person - September 29, 2006 –Beantown visit for the Kennedy brothers this past Friday because Jack White was in town, without MEG (or Dylan = shitburgers). Companying Mr. Jack was Brendan Benson (solo artist sharing vocals with Jack), and the Greenhornes drummer and bassist (another Detroit act that Jack met over the years of life). This makes up their new band, The Raconteurs, which means ‘skilled story tellers’. Jack and company have shared chuckles over this. People think the name fits them because they’re qualified lyricists; however, Jack chose this because he thought “Raconteurs” sounded “cool”…no need to seek Webster (the little black kid’s book of words; also known as a dictionary) for the meaning of “cool” because this is Jack White, he’s a rock star and they’re all cool, right? Especially, the Raconteurs bass player ??? – you can look up his name for your own useless knowledge, but to me he is Garth with a black wig. Where we sat, you couldn’t see him during the whole concert – it didn’t matter at all. We had a perfect view of Jack White and at this point it’s hard for me to see these dudes as a band; it feels more like Jack’s buddies from Detroit playing and waiting for Jack to take them to legend status.
Side bar: Garth lookalike slash Raconteurs’ bassist said, in my recent interview, at Jack’s Nashville house; “You didn’t tell them about my pubs, did ya?” – one of Garth’s most classy lines in Wayne’s World; bassist will deny he said this line, but believe me people, it is publish in an Oprah (strong black women; purposely spelled with the “E” because Oprah represents all black women) endorsed book.
It is hard to criticize anything Jack White does – because I know his opinions about critics and pretty much every song he’s touched I like. I also know Jack doesn’t want people to compare this to the White Stripes, and the Raconteurs is not a side project people – this is a band Jack has been waiting to start for a long time. Here’s the however…However, we are entitled to our favorite White songs and not one mine incorporates Brendan Benson, Garth & Co. It is impossible to not compare the Raconteurs to the White Stripes – it’s like trying not to compare Tyson chicken breast to KFC…and we all know what I mean.
I have tried not comparing these groups, but when the Stripes set the bar so high, well, it only sets up the Raconteurs for disappointment. Not failure though. This is respectable music, but falls short similar to how ladies say Irishmen do.
Jack White is the first true rock star I have seen in person. I got over that pretty quickly and realized these songs just aren’t that good. I denied this going into the concert because I hate criticizing musicians because I have never played a note in my life (Mary Had A Little Lamb with the Alto Sax in 3rd does not count Garrett!). And I am not criticizing. The Raconteurs just are not close to the White Stripes. But who is? Well, the answer is Dylan. So I suggest if you see the Raconteurs in person, see them when they’re touring with Zimmerman. When Bob and Jack perform I will be sure not to answer nature when it calls. I missed the Raconteurs best song, “Blue Veins”…fill in the blanks yourself…shitburgers.
Sarah Borges was better live…John Butler was the best I’ve seen live so far…Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is somewhere in the middle…I have yet to see the White Stripes live…what was I thinking missing them…obviously I wasn’t…ok, nature is calling…talk to you later, bloggers.
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