The Black Keys “The Big Come Up” released on yesterday’s date, May 14th, fifteen years ago in 2002. White vinyl on Alive Records. May 14th was also Dan Auerbach’s birthday (b. 1979). The Big Come Up was The Black Keys’ debut album, famously recorded in Patrick Carney’s freezing cold basement on an 8-track tape recorder, providing the recording with a lo-fi grainy quality that mimicked their deep blues influences. They cover a couple of these: Junior Kimbrough’s “Do The Rump” and the traditional blues song “Leavin’ Trunk” (originally credited to Sleep John Estes and recorded over the years by Taj Mahal,  Harvey Mandel, Tedeschi Trucks Band and probably many others). Also: the main riff on “Busted” is heavily influenced by “Skinny Woman” by R.L. Burnside. The Black Keys bring a garage punk inspiration onto the album with a cover of The Stooges’ “No Fun” which only appears on the vinyl release, as well as classic rock on their rendition of The Beatles’ “She Said, She Said.”  The Black Keys’ originals are also stellar, my favorites include the boogie blues “Countdown” and the raucous “Yearnin,’” and the 60′s go-go tinged “Them Eyes.”

With the release of this debut album, The Black Keys helped (along with The White Stripes and other less well-known bands) usher in yet another blues renaissance to popular music. On the back cover of the record, Denise Grollmus writes “…when you place this record on your turntable you’ll suddenly realize that – somewhere, somehow – there are people who are rekindling the life of truly soulful music. At first, the quality of the recordings may force you into nostalgic distance. You may be thinking to yourself that it is impossible for two young white men in 2002 to have made such a recording. Think again.”