On April 19 , 2014, Jack White commemorated World Record Store Day with a bang. In true Jack White fashion, he managed to not only capture the world's attention with a massive publicity stunt for his upcoming album, but also helped bring awareness to a day set aside to help support independent record stores. A record store in the traditional sense had become near extinct before 16 Record Store Days finally brought the culture of sharing, trading, buying, and listening to music inside the confines of an actual store back to life - well, somewhat. Hard to imagine the traditional record store will replace online shopping for music, but with more and more artists, like Jack White participating in Record Store Day events every year, the vinyl record may escape extinction.
The mission was to record, mix, master, press, and release a vinyl record in, well, "record" time. Jack took to the stage at his recording studio/ concert room, The Blue Room, to record a live version of the title track for his, then, upcoming CD
Lazaretto.
The song was recorded direct to acetate which then immediately pressed vinyl into a 45rpm 7-inch single while the sleeves were printed. One finished, all was packaged and delivered to the store in world record time. Fans waited mere hours before receiving the fastest record-to-release vinyl in the history of music.
With the first single of Jack White's latest album now released, the world now had to wait for the rest of the album that would serve as the follow-up to unbelievably successful
Blunderbuss, a record that would debut at Number 1 on Billboard, was the top selling vinyl release of 2012, and garner five Grammy nominations. After a teaser video of "High Ball Stepper", and the release of "Just One Drink", on June 10, 2014, the wait was over as the former White Stripes frontman would release his second solo studio album.
The music on the album is very much in line with previous Jack White work. The difference though, is that a lot of the material on
Lazaretto was written when he was 19 years old and were originally a series of short plays. The music and lyrics were reworked into much of what is heard on the record but the material at its root may actually precede Jack White as we know him now. However, Jack white seems to have a distinctive sound regardless of what age, in which band, or on which medium he is heard. The intense guitar work, blues inspired songwriting, soulful voice, and lyrics about love and passion, are all present and accounted for. Highlights on the record include the title track along with the post-release single "Would You Fight For My Love?"
Interestingly,
Lazaretto set yet another record. In the first week the vinyl LP sold 40,000 copies, which makes it the best selling Vinyl record since first week sales have been tracked. No doubt helping the numbers along, his record company, Third Man Records, released a limited edition blue and white vinyl pressing with hidden tracks underneath the inner label. With such "records" under his belt, vinyl sales numbers, and his involvement in Record Store Day, is it possible Jack White could single-handedly save the vinyl industry? There is no doubt
Lazaretto will play a key role for the time being.
