In Rewind: The White Stripes - The Complete Peel Sessions

The following is a re-post, and this week (with the release of the new White Stripes album, Icky Thump) seemed like a good time to share it again. Also, the first time it went up the files were in m4a format and I didn’t even know it. Thank you Hype Machine for helping me figure that stuff out.
----------------------------------------------
A few years back I had a friend named Tim who was a huge fan of The White Stripes. He made me a CD compilation (complete with the really cool artwork) of some live Stripes songs he said were from sessions with the late John Peel, the esteemed English DJ, and champion of The Smiths and Nirvana long before their popularity soared. The CD still remains, even if the friendship, sadly, does not.

The Complete Peel Sessions collects a wide array of Stripes’ tunes, ranging from album cuts from their first 3 records, The White Stripes, De Stijl, and White Blood Cells, to a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”, to several takes of traditional folk and blues (“John the Revelator”, “St. James Infirmary”). The performances are evidence that Jack White possessed a strong sense of showmanship before there was much of an audience to show off for. He is consistently engaging while interacting with the crowd and his host.

The music is strong straight through the 22 tracks presented here, with Jack and Meg White (still being introduced as a “brother/sister” combo) rampaging through most songs at a breakneck pace. The riffs come heavy, sweaty, and loud. Jack’s vocals are more frantic than on record, he sings as if he’s being chased by something terrifying. Meg does what she does, keeping steady time at the drums. This is an interesting set, especially for fans of the band who weren’t there yet in 2001/2002 when the band broke. It provides a good snapshot of the early period, pre-Rolling Stone/MTV/corporate rock radio, of one of the decade’s best rock bands.

The show:

Hotel Yorba
Let’s Shake Hands
When I Hear My Name
Jolene
Death Letter
John The Revelator
Astro/Jack the Ripper
I’m Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman
Screwdriver
We’re Going To Be Friends
You’re Pretty Good Looking
Bo Weevil
Hello Operator
Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground
Memphis
Little Room
Same Boy You’ve Always Known
Look Me Over Closely
St. James
Apple Blossom
Jumble
Fell In Love With A Girl

*** WELL, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN KILLING MY BANDWIDTH OVER THE PAST 3 DAYS, SO UNFORTUNATELY I HAD TO TAKE DOWN THE FILES. HOPE EVERYONE WHO GOT HERE IN TIME HAS ENJOYED THE SHOW***
--------------------------------------------------