The Reverend Will the Thrill Presents the Album of the Week!

Tonight, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is holding its annual induction ceremony.  Every year when the inductees are announced, more than one journalist has to comment about how old they feel because it doesn't feel like it's been long enough for certain artists to be inducted.  Which I totally get.  I sometimes feel old myself when I see artists getting in who were popular when I was in college--or even later, as is the case with this week's album selection.  I have to remind myself that I'm not as young as I used to be--some may argue that I never was.  When some of my favourite artists like The Beatles, The Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Billy Joel were inducted they were younger than I am now.  But the only criterion that I'm aware of for induction is that at least 25 years has to have passed since the artist released their first commercial recording.

Every year, each class of new inductees brings a surprise.  From the country, rap, and even jazz artists that we don't necessarily think of as rock musicians, to the artists that we can't believe were not inducted years ago (I mean, seriously?  What was the holdup with Joe Cocker and Cyndi Lauper?), the list always sparks some kind of discussion--like how is Warren Zevon still not in?

I was taken aback by the induction of the artists behind this week's album.  I didn't realize they had been around long enough to be inducted.  I seem to recall being introduced to them by my cousin Aaron when we lived together many years ago.  Although I've never been as obsessed by them as I have been with some other artists, I've always liked their music.  I've always felt it was just... solid.  They were clearly influenced by blues and "classic" rock, which is what I've always been primarily drawn to.  They had a hard-driving feel to their music that I've only really heard in a few other artists.  Frankly, I dug it.

Formed in the late 1990s in Detroit, the group consisted of only two members--Jack White who sang and played guitar, piano, and keyboards, and then-wife Meg White who also sang and played drums and percussion.  The couple divorced in 2000, but continued to work together until 2009, releasing their last album in 2007.  Since their breakup, Jack has gone on to quite a solo career.  I've always admired him for everything he's done to further the public's appreciation of music, primarily through his label, Third Man Records.  Meg largely withdrew from public life, but I think it's safe to say that she's still considered one of the best and most influential drummers of this century.

This week's album is their third.  Released originally in 2001 and again the following year on a new label, it was their first mainstream success.  I always liked it because it features two songs--"Fell in Love With a Girl" and "We're Going To Be Friends"--that I first heard in movies.  (I've always found this is another great way to expose myself to new music.)  Please enjoy 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The White Stripes with their album White Blood Cells.

I will be taking next week off from writing these for personal reasons, but I'll be back in two weeks.  Until then, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and, as always, please remember that if at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you!

Yours in peace, love, and rock 'n' roll!

The Reverend Will the Thrill