The ultimate qualifier: The artist Jack White thinks all musicians need to relate to
There are countless arbitrary tests and quizzes out there on the internet, looking to qualify you as a particular fan of a certain show or sports team. We’ve all seen them: “Only real fans can answer 15 out of 15 correctly”, they yell from the rooftops ahead of perhaps the easiest quiz of all time. But, if you’re The White Stripes founder and creative genius Jack White, then there is a surer way to ascertain if someone is a true musician or not: play them Charley Patton.
White’s position as one of the most entertaining guitarists of his generation is not up for debate. With The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and out on his own, White has continually charged up his guitar to power through some of the most imposing riffs written this side of the millennium. His music is commanding and creative without ever falling into the realms of needlessly intellectual. White has always conducted himself with the simplicity of a complex man.
For the most part, White’s influences can be found in Americana (outside of his encyclopaedic knowledge of The Beatles). While Detroit is in his heart, and he naturally shares a lot of love for artists like The Stooges, the truth is that White would rather spend his time in the mud of the Delta blues. As the owner of Third Man Records, White has constantly put his best foot forward when trying to re-release some of the classic albums lost to time.
One such recording artist being given a new lease of life by White is Charley Patton. Born in the late 1800s as Mississippi began to hiss with the blues, Patton became an integral voice of the musical movement. His growling guitar provided the hum, while his grit-filled voice punctuated the airwaves. While the musicians he influenced, like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, will take the plaudits, it was Patton who kicked things off.
Over the years, White has made a few claims about what certain musicians represent. He notably said that one shouldn’t trust anybody who doesn’t like Led Zeppelin. He noted of Bob Dylan and The Beatles: “Do not trust people who call themselves musicians or record collectors who say they don’t like Bob Dylan or the Beatles. They do not love music if those words come out of their mouths.”
Quite damning but he went one step further in regards to Patton and suggested that any musician who couldn’t connect with him didn’t have the right to refer t themselves as such. White said: “If a musician listens to Charley Patton and doesn’t hear anything at all, I don’t think they should call themselves musicians, because they’re obviously just looking for fun and kicks and a good time out of it.”
For White, making music is a serious business. It shouldn’t be taken on without the deeply emotional connection Patton put in to his work. He wrote songs with his soul and rarely allowed anything but his heart to play them. His music isn’t complicated by superfluous notes or unwarranted tangents, it is direct and beautifully human. So, if you’re looking for the answer to “are you a real musician?” forget the quick and easy quiz, just play ‘Spoonful Blues’ and find out.
