Aluminium (XL)
By Trey Perkins
Monday. Dec 04, 12:02 AM
Avant gard orchestral interpretations of The White Stripes!? Is the whole world on crazy pills?!

I’ve already discussed the notion of transferring one style of music to another in my review of Power Up! Mutations and Mutilations of 8-bit Hits. Occasionally, these reinterpretations can elevate gruff, simple music to the status traditionally reserved for classical thunder par excellance. On the other hand, local record stores are filled to the brim with cheesy half-assed reinterpretations that displace rock in another genre (see Dread Zeppelin or those terrible orchestral interpretations of every single Pink Floyd album). Usually, these compilations are chucked way behind artists’ actual catalogue in an attempt to confuse the bewildered consumer into mere consideration of purchasing such an album. Disappointment ensues when they arrive home to realize what they thought was a collection of every sweet Zeppelin tune possible is actually a compilation of four reggae musicians butchering “When the Levee Breaks.” John Bonham would be spinning in his grave, most likely in a Guinness soaked frenzy.

Classical interpretations of rock, however, stand out from other such attempts, but interpreting Jack White’s music for an entire orchestra? Seem like a foolish task. I mean, on a superficial level, isn’t the whole ethic behind The White Stripes to be as “bare-boned,” simplistic, and rock as possible? Well, that seems to be Jack White’s attitude at least. But even further, White’s a guitar player. Sure, he’s got some solid chops, and he can riff like no other, but he’s straight out of the garage with a masonite-bodied, Sears Catalog-ordered guitar in hand. So why complicate it by rearranging songs like “Little Bird” for an entire avant garde orchestra? I guess it points to the fact that, no matter how much you subjugate and classify music, in the end it’s still music. Even further still, transferring rutty, guttural guitar chops to a full orchestra demonstrates White’s mastery of composition (even though it has to be slightly rearranged). Yet, no matter who rearranges it, White still wrote the original harmonies and melodies and rhythms, so that’s where the credit is due.

Having probed the philosophy under-girding Aluminium, it’s worth stating that it’s a good listen for both fans of White’s music AND those into avant garde / classical. The technicality alone engenders respect for the musicians featured here. Even more so, it’s just a fun and enjoyable listen. At times, Aluminium really demonstrate the percussive, erotic emotional registers intrinsic to The White Stripes’ sound, and at times it’s very moody: something that was so essential to songs like “Hello Operator,” even though, with an orchestra, you don’t have that rough and crunchy tone of a distorted guitar. Sometimes the arrangements are almost note-for-note interpretations of actual Stripes songs, like “Little Bird” and “The Hardest Button to Button.” Other times, major melodies are alluded to, picked up, and dropped in some of the other compositions. Overall, it might rest far in the back behind The White Stripes’ actual catalog in any record shop, but at least it’s way better than Dread Zeppelin.
www.alumiiinium.com
www.xlrecordings.com

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Trey Perkins

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