The White Stripes – Icky Thump

This could be my favorite Jack White adjacent album. If not, it’s in the top 5. As stated in other reviews of Jack’s stuff, buying his pressings can be a bit of a crap shoot. When looking into the choices on Icky, to my surprise, I find a Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman cut?! Well holy crap. Immediate purchase! They did not disappoint! Packing is meh, not much to it so my overall score will be pulled down but, I don’t buy vinyl for the packaging. Ok on to what really matters. Huge soundstage, chest thumping bass but with tone and texture intact and all of the raw energy we expect from Jack and Meg. Flawless, dead silent vinyl to boot. Maybe, maybe the UHQR of Elephant sounds better…maybe, but it’s close. This pressing is a must have for any JW fan or a fan of garage, blues rock type shit.

Vinyl Quality - 4.375 stars
Sound Quality - 4.75 stars
Packaging(I don’t really care) - 3.25 stars
Value - 4.75 stars
Overall - 4.28125 stars

Rega P10, Hana SH cartridge, Dynaudio Contour 30i

A masterpiece! A must have for anyone who wants analog in a digital age.

selling my sealed copy on ebay currently for 775$. Original owner.
If you want the shirt and the 45 we can come to an agreement for the whole package. Im not a discogs seller but have been here since 2012, on ebay since '98. Have a look and let me know. Calixa is my ebay name.

This is the White Stripes equivalent of the RL first press of Zeppelin II.

The hype about this pressing is warranted. This thing rocks so damn hard!

On the off chance you're one of those people that actually listens to your records (a bizarre concept, I know!) This remix is a fun little novelty. But it's not exactly a revelation like hearing a Beatles record in mono for the first time or something similar. Don't consider it some holy grail or you'll be disappointed.

Icky Thump: There was an episode of the UK comedy show (early 1970s) The Goodies called "Kung Fu Capers" that featured an imagined martial art called "ECKY THUMP" (Both “ecky” and “thump” are obscure UK euphemisms for hell.) The episode gained notoriety at the time because some guy in the UK died laughing(!) while watching it. I think that's where The White Stripes got the name for the LP.

I found this out in the wild a few weeks ago and just finished listening to it. After comparing it to the TMR reissue and the 2007 original, this one (shockingly) sounds a bit worse than both of those. I wonder if the KG/SH plates are worn out, or if it was just a bad job plating or pressing from Pallas? Either way, I was surprised to hear it not quite as full or open as the original. Meg's cymbals don't shimmer, her snare doesn't quite bite, and Jack's voice sounds a little thinner and "spitty" at times. These are nitpicks, I will admit, but hey - you're reading a review from a guy who owns multiple copies of this album! I'm not a huge fan of the TMR reissue, and I LOVE the original, so suffice it to say, I didn't really love this one. It is passable, and is still leagues better than most of the stuff TMR releases today, cut by WTS. This copy still beats the living snot out of every single digital version of "Icky Thump" out there. They are all plagued by horrific clipping and distortion. (Not the good kind, kids!) So if you find this version in your local record store and don't have the first pressing from 2007, scoop it. Chances are you won't be disappointed.

Pretty good record. Vinyl is nice and quiet. The mono mix is cool, it's fun noticing differences between the stereo version available on Spotify. Good as modern mono records go. The jacket is nice and sturdy. Cool alternative artwork is a nice extra touch. Worth getting if you're a massive White Stripes fan.

This seems to be the version I have, but the back cover of mine doesn't have the barcode printed on the jacket. Rather, the shrink wrap had a sticker with the barcode.