This band very nearly passed me by, and had it not been for my friend getting fed up watching metal bands, I may never have bothered listening to them. I have a faint memory of people getting excited when this collaboration happened (it's pretty A-list stuff) - I was living in Australia and definitely remember seeing the cd billed as The Saboteurs due to a name conflict there - but that was about it. The week after I returned to the UK some friends and I went to Roskilde Festival. We'd been the year before and loved it (I recommend it to anyone who enjoys large festivals). After a while of Hugh and I dragging her to see various metal bands, my friend Vicky pointed out there were bands of other genres playing that weekend and suggested we go watch The Raconteurs. I'd never been a huge fan of Jack White's output; there were a few White Stripes songs I enjoyed but that was about it. I'd heard of Brendan Benson and that's where my familiarity with this A-list ended.
Anyway, I was amazed when they played. I've never seen Led Zeppelin (obviously) but I swear it was like watching them. The whole set was four slightly-geeky looking guys rocking so hard, a constant flow of pure energy and the songs were brilliant. The metal bands we'd been watching all weekend could learn a lesson from The Raconteurs. They were one of the highlights of the festival. I'd missed the boat slightly with them, but made up for it that summer; we saw them again at Pukkelpop and for a third time at Leeds. Each time they were as good as the last - cracking songs and a great live show.
After all this, I came to listen to the album, and I have never been so disappointed (well, I probably have, but hyperbole works well here). The songs that were mind-blowing and fierce live were tamed to the point of being dull. Sandwiched between them were songs so uninteresting and forgettable I keep having to check the titles to remind myself of them (Together does nothing for me in the slightest). There are some great songs here, but they rely on me remembering how they impressed me so live. For that reason I can still enjoy Steady, As She Goes, Broken Boy Soldier, Level and Blue Veins. Somewhere, hidden in the production maybe, are incredible tunes and if you listen hard enough you can hear the potential. I wish this album was recorded live, or they put out a live album from that 2006 tour.
Despite this, I picked up the LP whilst doing some internet shopping for very cheap. The packaging is lovely (the writing on the sleeve is all in gold foil) and comes with a poster. I knew I wouldn't love it, but I do enjoy some of the songs enough to spin the record from time to time. It reminds me of that summer, of discovering this incredible live band I'd ignored, and of how good those songs were.
I also bought their second album during the Tuesday-record-from-Spillers year and saw them again that summer, but more on that when I come to write about that LP.
Format: 12", gatefold, picture sleeve, 12x24" poster
Tracks: 10
Cost: £6.30 new
Bought: recordstore.co.uk
When: 11/12/07
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no
