Their fifth album, Get Behind Me Satan is the strangest and least focused effort by these unlikely garage rock superstars to date. It's also their finest, an Exile on Main Street-ish mish-mash where the sum is greater than the parts. In a market increasingly driven by singles and downloads, it's nice to be reminded how exciting an album can be, especially one where you really don't know what to expect next. There are a lot fewer pounding guitars on this album. They've largely been replaced by pounding pianos. Most songs sound like rough mixes at first; almost every song has something exceptionally loud in the mix--the guitar solo in "The Nurse," the drums in "Doorbell," everything in "Blue Orchid." After a few listens, however, it becomes clear that the group is not using the studio as an instrument so much as exposing the nuts and bolts in the process along the way.

There are some duds; the wanky blooze-rawk number "Instinct Blues" goes on way too long and it would be nice if "The Nurse" had a real chorus. Whether "Passive Manipulation" is about the wife-or-sister schtick, if the cover artwork indeed has Jack and Meg calling each other devils, and which scripture is referred to by the album's title (Matthew, Mark or Luke?): none of that matters so much as the fact that this album is strangely sprawling and obliquely ass-kicking at the same time. "Orchid" is a rockdisko sonic smash that shows how to really get rock kids on the dancefloor. Meanwhile, "Doorbell" sounds enough like the Jackson Five to totally rule, and "Forever for Her" is the best ballad Jack's written in years. The fact that some marimbas provide the driving force to "Forever" makes it all the better. --Mike McGonigal

Japanese pressing of their 2005 album includes two bonus tracks, 'Who's A Big Baby?' and 'Though I Hear You Calling I Will Not Answer'. Both bonus tracks were previosly released as B-sides to the first single, 'Blue Orchid'. 15 tracks in all. V2.

Japanese Edition of the 2005 Album from the Renowned Duo of Jack and Meg White Includes Two Bonus Tracks: "Who's a Big Baby?" and "Though I Hear You Calling, I Will Not Answer".

It's very hard to be both eccentric and all-around solid, but this album does just that. The music styles from song to song are incredibly diverse, but the album, rather than suffer through the transitions, relishes them. Some of the songs are catchy to no end, some are thought-provoking. This is the White Stripes at their finest.

I like the White Stripes. I think the sound of music they make stands out a little. Something different. This CD was better then the previous ones.

This is a great cd through and through. No two songs sound alike on it as they go through a wide-range of styles. You'll want to put it on repeat.

Had my 1st encounter with The White Stripes three days ago over the airwaves. Later that day had listened through Icky Thump and Get behind me Satan, and bought the latter. Yes, I agree with some reviewers that the music is not entirely original, but only in one, very restricted sense: when I listen I hear The Rolling Stones here, Black sabbath there, Led Zeppelin there etc. HOWEVER, this music is highly original in that the artists have done a magnificent cut-and-paste of of various styles of earlier rock bands, showing extreme viruosity in their mastering of those genres, while (most favourite to me) taking the mickey right out of them. I think they are simply superb, and walk away laughing with sheer delight at the musical excellence, superb humour and iconoclasm. Well done White Stripes! - I've ordered a crisp, unouched-by-human-hands copy of Elephant (love the Hendrix take-off in Ball & Biscuit)and am off to buy Icky Thump this very afternoon. PS: I am 51 years old, and if there is one thing I suspect myself of it is excellent taste in music (my acid test is: Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd & The Rolling Stones). So wha! to your critics.

If you dig original ideas this is the real poop!!!!!!
Gotta listen
the best
kz