Video Review - High Ball Stepper

High Ball Stepper

by Jack White

Album: Lazaretto (out 9th June 2014)

I smiled when I saw this clip for the first time. It reminded me of being a little girl and being slightly obsessed with the sound system my family owned and the speakers that all the magical sounds came from. I would get in trouble for sticking my hand on them and turning the music up really loud in an attempt to feel the vibrations as the volume increased. It's the same feeling I get now when I see live music, the reason I stand in front of the stacks in the desire to actually feel the sounds as the bands play. 

In the clip for 'High Ball Stepper' Jack White never appears, but makes his guitar sing in ways only Jack White can, all the while creating some mesmerising visions of various substances and objects bouncing around and off amplifiers. It's not the most interesting clip of all time, but it's kind of like those youtube clips of cute animals, or people falling down stairs, or bad 80s hair clips; for some strange reason can't stop watching once you hit play.

I smiled when I saw it but I laughed when my blog boss Matt asked me to review this clip. I mean, what was he and what are you expecting me to say? If you* guessed...

"Oh Jack. Oh sigh."

...then you get two prizes. One for the fact that you've been reading this little blog here for a few years now, because that's what I always say about Jack White (and hey, thank you for reading, since I've mentioned it) and two because you know me so well. I adore Jack White and I don't actually care what anyone thinks of that. Someday he's bound to release something I don't like (I mean, it's just the lottery of life isn't it? Chances are and all that. I'm no mathematician) but until that day I get to continue my sighing every time I hear the sweet sounds of his guitar and all the amazing things he does with it. 

*Imaginary prizes only awarded to those who are not my fellow blogger Matt or anyone else lucky enough to be heading to Glastonbury in June, in which case your prize is seeing Jack White there this year. Lucky, lucky, lucky you. Oh Jack, oh sigh. 

Jo Michelmore gives 'High Ball Stepper' three Jack White heads out of five...