Vault #46

[chaptertwentyone]

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In 1997 a brother and sister climbed into the third floor attic of their Southwest Detroit family homestead and bashed out a primitive cover of David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream.” In an alternate reality, it’s all they ever do musically. The brother leads a spartan life as a dutiful upholsterer and the sister finishes culinary school and continues to make heartwarming food.

But that doesn’t happen. Something sparks in both of them. They take their simple guitar-drums-voice approach to a local open mic night on Bastille Day. The performance was just good enough to keep them going. In what feels like a whirlwind, they record and release two 7-inch singles for a local indie label. A not-so-local indie offers to put out a full length album.

They start touring. Another album. More touring. Another album. Folks REALLY start to pay attention. CRAZY touring. More albums, accolades, wildest dream after wildest dream coming true. “World-renowned” becomes an appropriate descriptor as does “long-building overnight sensation.”

The fact that people even care about the Vault at all is almost entirely predicated on the hard work and dedication that the White Stripes exhibited from the very onset of their existence. So it is with extreme reverence that we pour that same dedication into The White Stripes Greatest Hits.

We get that the idea of “Greatest Hits” may seem irrelevant in the era of Spotify and playlisting...that an act’s most streamed songs are considered their de facto “hits.” But we also wholeheartedly believe that great bands deserve “Greatest Hits” and that a large part of our successes has been built on zigging when the rest of the “music business” is zagging. The White Stripes are a great band with great fans and it feels like a greatest hits compilation from them is not only appropriate, but absolutely necessary.

With a tracklist traversing the entirety of their career, from late Nineties flashes of brilliance through early 2000s underground anthems, masterful MTV moon man moments, Grammy-grabbing greatness, worldwide stadium chants...the songs here are as wide-ranging as you can imagine. Two LP’s worth of those tracks are precision pressed on glorious red and white discs at Third Man Pressing in Detroit.

But for our most dedicated supporters, the legion, the ride-or-die Vault members...well, you deserve a bit more.

We expanded the collection by adding a bonus LP of largely overlooked, previously scattered b-sides. That disc is pressed on an exquisite red/white/black “detonation” colored vinyl. Of particular interest is the first-ever official vinyl appearance of the Stripes’ stellar cover of the Tegan and Sara track “Walking With a Ghost” coupled with the first vinyl issue of some tracks in over 15 years.

To climb further down the rabbit hole, the Vault version of Greatest Hits features iconic artwork from longtime White Stripes collaborator Rob Jones. Fully displaying why he’s a Grammy Award-winning designer, the Jones artwork is whimsical and engrossing and chock full of Easter eggs that will only slowly avail themselves to the most scrutinous of eyes over the long arduous passage of time.

In addition to the exclusive album art, the Vault package comes with a shockingly breathtaking custom set of three Rob Jones 8x10 silk-screen prints. There are three different sets of prints and they will be inserted into your package at random. Frameable, gallery-worthy, dare we say investible...nothing short of the brilliance that’s become par for the course from Mr. Jones.

As the final little treat for this our 46th Vault package, we’ve got a White Stripes-themed set of magnetic poetry. Yes, all the words you best know from Jack White’s lyrics...home, bone and telephone and SO many more, included here for you to randomize and make your own “little” White Stripes song.

While the standard issue black vinyl version of The White Stripes Greatest Hits will be available for eternity, the Vault version will be the ONLY colored-vinyl or artwork variation. Get it now or if you snooze you lose.

Sign up for the Vault by midnight Central Time October 31st to lock in what is truly a stunning collection celebrating the best recorded moments of the White Stripes.

The White Stripes Greatest Hits

2xLP tracklist - TO BE REVEALED

Vault exclusive red/white/black detonation colored vinyl tracklist:

Look Me Over Closely
Lafayette Blues
Red Bowling Ball Ruth
You’re Pretty Good Looking (Trendy American Remix)
Rated X (Live at Hotel Yorba)
Who’s to Say…
Good To Me
Black Jack Davey
St. Ides of March
Who’s A Big Baby?
Though I Hear You Calling, I Will Not Answer
Shelter Of Your Arms
Walking With A Ghost

[chaptertwentyone]

Well, I love the album artwork, vinyl color and the inclusion of “Walking with a Ghost” to say the least.

[chaptertwentyone]

Oh, and the “My sister thanks you and I thank you” line.

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[ehartsock1991]

[Mick III]

Oh, a best of... I don't know what to think and what to do...

[arewhyehen]

.

[chaptertwentyone]

...the Jones artwork is whimsical and engrossing and chock full of Easter eggs that will only slowly avail themselves to the most scrutinous of eyes over the long arduous passage of time...

One down?

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[Stl_ben]

EZ Pass

[Melon]

Greatest Hits are nice as used CD's from artists you haven't fully delved into yet.

Greatest Hits for a band that has already released a few comps? I'll be stocking up on toilet paper& dried beans for November 3rd instead

[chaptertwentyone]

I’m sure there were complications for the next Vault related to COVID that we’re not privy to so, I’m trying not to be too critical here.

[chaptertwentyone]

...huh.
Somehow I must’ve glazed over this detail when the announcement first went out for the album in general;

The White Stripes Greatest Hits is the first record to be released under an historic new agreement between Sony Music Entertainment, Jack White, and Third Man Records. The new agreement covers the worldwide distribution of a majority of White's recordings with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and his solo work, marking the first time the extensive Jack White music catalog has been available through one label group.

[chaptertwentyone]

Well, I’ll definitely be getting the target edition.
Love the slipmat.

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[Mick III]

Slipmat is beautiful, that's true. I decided to not buy this vault package. 85$ for a best of... Not now. I don't want to regret like I did by the past with VP19 or 38 for exemple. I prefer to save my money, to wait January for something new or more special.

[Stl_ben]

Target out did the vault....bwahahaha.
This wasn't covid making a vault not possible? Im not sure why anyone is thinking that.

[rsimms3]

Extra LP > slipmat