The “most misunderstood entry” in the White Stripes’ catalog is receiving a special revisit for its 20th anniversary.
As part of Jack White’s Third Man Records Vault subscription series, Get Behind Me Satan XX will be released in a deluxe two-record set accompanied by an additional 7″ record and a Blu-ray, offering a new way to experience the 2005 album.
“Often mistaken as a break-up album, a treatise on fame, or a ‘piano’ album, the record is most accurately described in Jack White’s own words as focused on the truth,” a statement from Third Man Records explains.
“The fact that it was in no way Elephant, Part 2 only further confused, infuriated, and/or beguiled many.”
The label continued:
“Twenty years later and the album still stands out for how fresh and timeless it sounds.
In the face of newfound worldwide commercial success, no other contemporary rock band had the stones to introduce mandolin, tympani, hand bells, and marimba into their arsenal, let alone embark on deep tours of both Central America and Eastern Europe.
But as has long been established, the White Stripes were singular.
They were never like anybody else. What enchants now, upon further reflection, is the disparate threads that all came together to make Satan so refreshing.”
Inside Get Behind Me Satan XX
The first disc in the package features previously unreleased demos and alternate studio takes from the album.
“At the same time both skeletal and enlightening, Jack White’s songwriting demos from 2004 and early 2005 – captured with zero concern for fidelity or thought that anyone else would ever hear them – are of prime excitement here,” the statement adds.
The second disc includes live recordings from the White Stripes’ 2005 tour, giving fans a glimpse into the album’s electrifying performances.
The accompanying 7″ record contains a recording of “Spitting Tacks,” a rare and highly sought-after track in the White Stripes’ history.
On top of that, the Blu-ray provides a behind-the-scenes look at the band’s 2005 tour of Central and South America.
“Armed with a mini-DV camera and free reign to capture whatever caught his eye, David James Swanson tagged along on the White Stripes’ Central and South American tour in 2005,” Third Man Records stated.
“A soundcheck here, rabid fans singing along there—it’s all crystalline visual quality on a handheld scale.
While it would be too grandiose to deem this a ‘film,’ the collection of sequences and behind-the-scenes moments captured here are a striking, complimentary statement of the unique and chaotic time that the White Stripes inhabited in this era.”
Deluxe Archival Booklet
As with other Third Man Records Vault editions, the Get Behind Me Satan XX package includes a detailed archival booklet.
The collection features photos, concert posters, an exhaustive tour date list, and the meticulous details fans have come to expect from these special releases.
The Legacy of Get Behind Me Satan
Originally released in June 2005 as the White Stripes’ fifth studio album, Get Behind Me Satan peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned the band a Grammy for Best Alternative Album in 2006.
While the album has seen limited reissues since its release, Third Man Records’ Vault editions are typically not reproduced. Fans eager to secure Get Behind Me Satan XX are advised to sign up for the Vault before January 31.