Blunderbuss (album)

Blunderbuss
Studio album by Jack White
Released April 23, 2012 (2012-04-23)[1]
Recorded 2011
Studio Third Man Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Blues rock, garage rock, alternative rock, folk rock
Length 41:52
Label Third Man, XL, Columbia
Producer Jack White
Jack White chronology
Blunderbuss
(2012)		 Lazaretto
(2014)
Singles from Blunderbuss
  1. "Love Interruption"
    Released: January 31, 2012
  2. "Sixteen Saltines"
    Released: March 13, 2012
  3. "Freedom at 21"
    Released: April 1, 2012
  4. "I'm Shakin'"
    Released: October 10, 2012

Blunderbuss is the debut album by Jack White, released on April 23, 2012 through White's own label Third Man Records in association with XL Recordings and Columbia Records. The album was released in MP3, compact disc, and vinyl editions. The album was almost entirely written, recorded, and produced by White in 2011. The first single from the album, "Love Interruption", was released on January 30, 2012 through White's website and Third Man Records website.[2] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 138,000 copies.[3] The album received Grammy Award nominations for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards,[4] while the single "Freedom at 21" was nominated for Best Rock Song. The single "I'm Shakin" was nominated for Best Rock Performance at 2014 Grammy Awards.[5]

Background

Blunderbuss has its roots in White's recordings with several artists under his label, Third Man Records, including Tom Jones. White was in contact with Wu-Tang Clan member RZA and, when RZA couldn't attend the session at the last moment, to make good use of the musicians that turned up at his studio, White decided to get them to play his own material[6] ultimately recording several tracks that he had written in the last six months of 2011. The tracks would later develop into songs that appear on the album.[7] The album was produced by Grammy-winning sound engineer Vance Powell, who had also worked with such names as The Whigs, Kings of Leon, and Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes. The entire album was recorded to 8-track analogue tape.[8] According to White, he used “100 different production styles on the record." He explained:

It came from the freedom of having my own studio and having people in Nashville who could come at short notice. What was great too with all these hired guns in the room was that I could write on-the-fly. I could ask people to play something, and I would go somewhere else and work on another part. I was directing people in the room. I had never done that before. When you are in a band, you don't really tell other people what to play.[6]

In regards to finally issuing a solo album, White said, "I've put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas."[9] To promote Blunderbuss, White performed "Love Interruption" and "Sixteen Saltines" on the March 3, 2012 episode of Saturday Night Live, with two different backing bands, one all-female and the other all-male. The studio version of "Sixteen Saltines" was subsequently released via White's YouTube channel on March 13.[10] Promotional copies of the album, distributed to reviewers and radio stations, were sent as vinyl records to prevent leaks. The album leaked on April 15, nine days ahead of its official release.[11] On April 16, Third Man Records streamed the album in its entirety on iTunes for free listening, 8 days before its release.

Release

The vinyl LP version of the record was pressed at United Record Pressing in Nashville, TN.[12] The photographs on the record album were taken outside the Nashville Electric Service South Substation in Nashville, Tennessee.[13] The Japanese edition of the album features two extra tracks: "Machine Gun Silhouette" and a cover of U2's "Love Is Blindness" (which appeared on the tribute record AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered).

Singles

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
The A.V. ClubB+[17]
Chicago Tribune[18]
The Daily Telegraph[19]
The Guardian[20]
MSN MusicA−[21]
NME8/10[22]
Pitchfork Media7.8/10[23]
Rolling Stone[24]
Spin8/10[25]

Blunderbuss met with widespread acclaim from critics and fans, receiving a score of 83 (or "universal acclaim") on the aggregator site Metacritic.[15] Many reviewers commented on the theme of heartbreak that seems to dominate the lyrics. The Washington Post called the album "restless, cranky and great, although weirdly inconsequential: less a statement of artistic purpose than a stellar collection of songs."[26] The Sunday Times remarked that "if his lyrics seem oppressively focused on one subject, his music heads happily all over the place, echoing all the previous aspects of his career and wandering into new areas."[27] Billboard said that "Blunderbuss is familiar enough to please the faithful, adventurous enough to forge a new path forward and satisfying enough to make fans realize anew just how much White has been missed,"[28] and USA Today said that "more than just being his first solo album, Blunderbuss is Jack White's divorce album," adding, "Blunderbuss aims wide and often hits home."[29] The album was number three on Rolling Stone's list of the best albums of the year, saying "the album bursts with mutated Memphis soul ("Love Interruption"), crunk-Kiss swagger ("Sixteen Saltines") and looped-out hippie jazz folk ("Take Me With You When You Go")."[30] In one conservative review, The Toronto Star called the album "the most conventional record White has made outside of the Raconteurs and...falls just a hair shy of the lofty expectations one might hold for a Jack White solo album.[31]

Commenting beyond its merits musically, the album drew mixed commentary on what it revealed about White's views towards women. In one review from Jessica Misnener with The Atlantic, she remarked, "White's dismissal of a 21st-century woman in Blunderbuss' 'Freedom at 21' makes perfect sense. A modern-day woman, with her sexual freedom and iPhone, represents power and choice, things that White embraces in his own life. But she's come by this in a way that's not on his terms, so she's a villain."[32] Allison Stewerrt with The Washington Post concurred, saying, "Hangers-on may be frequent targets, but women don't come off well, either: They're creatures of eternal falseness, apparently, who wear too much makeup and want to kill White's mother and send her to hell."[26] But in another album review, Rob Sheffield with Rolling Stone said, in reference to White's all-female band, that his "favorite trick is turning women into rock goddesses: Meg White, Alison Mosshart, Alicia Keys, even Loretta Lynn. White knows how to make women feel like stars."[33] Echoing this sentiment, Laura Barton with The Guardian remarked, "It's undeniable that White's music is fired by the difference between male and female...But nowhere does he assert that the masculine is superior to the feminine, rather that there are differences to be celebrated."[34] In a interview with The Guardian that brought up the accusations of misogyny, White said, "I don't know where the hell people got that from me because I've done so much work in my life to promote female musicians and artists...I respect and I'm inspired by them so much."[35] After an interview with White, Alexis Petridis says that White asserted that "Freedom at 21" was actually about "the lack of etiquette surrounding new technology."[36]

Commercial performance

Blunderbuss also performed well commercially. On March 5, 2013, the album achieved gold status, having sold over 500,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[37]

Track listing

All tracks written by Jack White, except "I'm Shakin'" by Rudy Toombs. 

No. Title Length
1. "Missing Pieces"   3:27
2. "Sixteen Saltines"   2:37
3. "Freedom at 21"   2:51
4. "Love Interruption"   2:38
5. "Blunderbuss"   3:06
6. "Hypocritical Kiss"   2:50
7. "Weep Themselves to Sleep"   4:19
8. "I'm Shakin'"   3:00
9. "Trash Tongue Talker"   3:20
10. "Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy"   3:03
11. "I Guess I Should Go to Sleep"   2:37
12. "On and On and On"   3:55
13. "Take Me with You When You Go"   4:10
Japanese bonus tracks
No. Title Length
14. "Machine Gun Silhouette"   2:56
15. "Love Is Blindness" (U2 cover) 3:18

Tour

The Grand Ole Opry gave him a framed blunderbuss as a gift after he sold out at the Ryman Auditorium two nights in a row.[38]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Blunderbuss liner notes.[39]

Charts and certifications

Peak positions

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[40] 2
Austrian Albums Chart[41] 2
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[42] 1
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[43] 12
Canadian Albums Chart[44] 1
Danish Albums Chart[45] 3
Dutch Albums Chart[46] 4
Finnish Albums Chart[47] 13
French Albums Chart[48] 5
Greek Albums Chart[49] 26
Irish Albums Chart[50] 2
Japanese Albums Chart[51] 13
Italian Albums Chart[52] 11
New Zealand Albums Chart[53] 2
Norwegian Albums Chart[54] 2
Polish Albums Chart[55] 7
Portuguese Albums Chart[56] 8
Spanish Albums Chart[57] 25
Swedish Albums Chart[58] 20
Swiss Albums Chart[59] 1
UK Albums Chart[60] 1
US Billboard 200[61] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2012) Position
Australian Albums Chart[62] 47
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[63] 22
Dutch Albums Chart[64] 85
Swiss Albums Chart[65] 72

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[66] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[67] Platinum 80,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[68] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[69] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Awards and nominations

Brit Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2013 Jack White Best International Male Solo Artist Nominated

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2013 Blunderbuss Album of the Year Nominated
Best Rock Album Nominated
"Freedom at 21" Best Rock Song Nominated
2014 "I'm Shakin" Best Rock Performance Nominated
Best Music Video Nominated

MTV Europe Music Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2012 Jack White Best Alternative Nominated
Best Look Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2012 "Sixteen Saltines" video Best Rock Video Nominated

mtvU Woodie Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2013 Jack White FOMO Woodie Nominated
Jack White Branching Out Woodie Nominated

O Music Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2013 Jack White Analog Genius Award Won

UK Music Video Awards

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2012 "Sixteen Saltines" video Best Indie/Rock Video - International Nominated

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hear Jack White's new solo single 'Love Interruption' on NME". NME. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "Jack White Iii". Jack White Iii. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  3. ↑ Franich, Darren. "Album Sales: Jack White's 'Blunderbuss' debuts at No. 1; The Wanted can't compete with One Direction | The Music Mix | EW.com". Music-mix.ew.com. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  4. ↑ "The Official Site of Music's Biggest Night". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  5. ↑ "The Official Site of Music's Biggest Night". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  6. 1 2 "Jack & White Vision". Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  7. ↑ "The Same Boy You've Always Known?". Uncut Magazine. March 29, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Jack & White Vision". Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  9. ↑ "Jack White to Release Solo Debut 'Blunderbuss' in April". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  10. ↑ "Jack White - Sixteen Saltines". YouTube. 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  11. ↑ "Jack White : Blunderbuss". Hasitleaked.com. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
  12. ↑ "Jack White - Blunderbuss - Third Man Records". Facebook. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  13. ↑ "Jack White Blunderbuss Album Cover Location"
  14. ↑ "Jack White Streaming New Song, "Machine Gun Silhouette"". Guitar World. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  15. 1 2 "Reviews for Blunderbuss by Jack White". Metacritic. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  16. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Blunderbuss – Jack White". AllMusic. Retrieved April 26, 2012.
  17. ↑ Hyden, Steven (April 25, 2012). "Jack White: Blunderbuss". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  18. ↑ Kot, Greg (April 23, 2012). "Jack White front and center on 'Blunderbuss'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  19. ↑ McCormick, Neil (April 13, 2012). "Jack White, Blunderbuss, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  20. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (April 19, 2012). "Jack White: Blunderbuss – review". The Guardian. London. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  21. ↑ Christgau, Robert (May 22, 2012). "Jack White/The White Stripes". MSN Music. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  22. ↑ Nicolson, Barry (April 20, 2012). "Jack White – 'Blunderbuss'". NME. London. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  23. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (April 23, 2012). "Jack White: Blunderbuss". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  24. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (April 24, 2012). "Blunderbuss". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  25. ↑ Kandell, Steve (April 19, 2012). "Jack White, 'Blunderbuss' (Columbia/Third Man)". Spin. New York. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  26. 1 2 Stewarrt, Allison (April 24, 2012). "Quick Spin: 'Blunderbuss,' by Jack White", The Washington Post.
  27. ↑ ME (April 22, 2012). "JACK WHITE Blunderbuss", The Sunday Times. :30
  28. ↑ J. A. (April 21, 2012). "Blunderbuss." Billboard. 124 (13)
  29. ↑ Shriver, Jerry (April 24, 2012). "‘Blunderbuss': Love stinks", USA Today.
  30. ↑ December 20, 2012. "ALBUMS OF THE YEAR", Rolling Stone. (1172/1173):71-85
  31. ↑ Rayner, Ben (April 24, 2012). "ALBUM REVIEWS", The Toronto Star. 04/24/2012
  32. ↑ MISENER, JESSICA (April 25, 2012). "Jack White's Women Problem," The Atlantic. Retrieved October 15, 2014
  33. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (April 24, 2012). "Blunderbuss", Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  34. ↑ Barton, Laura (27 April 2012). "Think Jack White has a problem with women? You don't know rock'n'roll", The Guardian. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  35. ↑ Lewis, Tim (31 May 2014). "Jack White: 'I'm like Larry David, Alan Partridge and Chris Rock in one person'". The Observer. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  36. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (April 13, 2012). "Jack White: 'I don't like to take the easy way out, on anything I do'". The Guardian. London.
  37. ↑ "Jack White Goes Gold as 'Blunderbuss' Notches New Sales Victory | SPIN | Newswire". SPIN. 2013-03-05. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  38. ↑ Marc Maron (June 8, 2012). "Jack White". WTF With Marc Maron. Season 2. Episode 289. 33:33 minutes in.
  39. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Jack-White-Blunderbuss/release/4602081
  40. ↑ "Australian Charts - Jack White - Blunderbuss (album)". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  41. ↑ "Austrian Top-40 - Jack White - Blunderbuss (album)" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  42. ↑ [http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Jack+White+[US]&titel=Blunderbuss&cat=a "ultratop.be - Jack White [US] - Blunderbuss"] (in Dutch). Ultratop. ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  43. ↑ [http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?interpret=Jack+White+[US]&titel=Blunderbuss&cat=a "ultratop.be - Jack White [US] - Blunderbuss"] (in French). Ultratop. ULTRATOP & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  44. ↑ Mark Daniell (2012-05-03). "CANOE - JAM! Music: White soars, Wanted flop on charts". Jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  45. ↑ "Jack White - Blunderbuss (album)". Danishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  46. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl - Jack White [US] - Blunderbuss" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  47. ↑ "Finnish Charts - Jack White - Blunderbuss (album)". Finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  48. ↑ "Tops : la compilation "NRJ Hit Music Only 2012" numéro 1 des ventes". Chartsinfrance.net. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  49. ↑ "Ελληνικό Chart". Ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on 2003-08-06. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  50. ↑ "Chart Track". Irish Albums Chart. GfK. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  51. ↑ ジャック・ホワイトのアルバム売り上げランキング [Jack White album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  52. ↑ "Italian Charts - Jack White - Blunderbuss (album)". Italiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  53. ↑ "New Zealand Music Album Charts". RIANZ. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  54. ↑ "VG-Lista - Jack White - Blunderbuss (album)". Norwgiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  55. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  56. ↑ "Portuguese Charts - Jack White - Blunderbuss (album)". Portuguese.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  57. ↑ "Spanish Charts - Jack White - Blunderbuss (album)". Spanishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  58. ↑ "swedishcharts.com - Jack White [US] - Blunderbuss" (in Swedish). MegaCharts. Hung Medien / swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  59. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Schweizer Hitparade - Alben Top 100 14.10.2012". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 2010-09-30. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  60. ↑ "UK Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  61. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (2012-05-02). "Jack White Debuts At No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  62. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2012". ARIA. Archived from the original on 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  63. ↑ "Ultratop Belgian Charts". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  64. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Dutch charts portal". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  65. ↑ Steffen Hung (2012-12-30). "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2012". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 2013-01-12. Retrieved 2013-11-08.
  66. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  67. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Blunderbuss". Music Canada.
  68. ↑ "British album certifications – Blunderbuss". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Blunderbuss in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  69. ↑ "American album certifications – Blunderbuss". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
Preceded by
Tuckegee by Lionel Richie		 Billboard 200 number-one album
May 12-19, 2012 		Succeeded by
Blown Away by Carrie Underwood
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