For those who felt scorned after buying the "Blue Orchid" single and finding not searing rock through and through, but the quirkyness of "Who's A Big Baby?" and creepiness of "Though I Hear You Calling, I Will Not Answer," have faith. This single is exactly what you want.
It, of course, rocks right through "Fell in Love With a Girl" like it's no one's business--easily one of the Stripes' most appealing songs, at least in the public sense (but I could suggest a dozen more appealing unpopular songs). But the treat here is that the single doesn't slide into the genre experimentation that bugs so many on "Blue Orchid" (it doesn't bug me, but check out that page--all the reviewers go nuts about it). It's a rocker through and through. Both "Let's Shake Hands" and "Lafayette Blues" have the harsh, unpolished sound of "The White Stripes," the album. "Let's Shake Hands" is a straightforward rocker, whereas "Lafayette Blues" is a dabbling experiment for Jack in the French language.
It's wonderful to be able to look back on this single in retrospect, being able to compare it to "Blue Orchid," but it's in no way NECESSARY. This gem stands alone.
