The Strokes – What Ever Happened

The Strokes reunited on February 11, 2009 to start working on their fourth album.  To celebrate the return of the best rock ‘n’ roll band in the world, IsThisItX is posting one rare Strokes video per (week)day.  On Monday, Wednesday and Friday these will songs you’ve never heard from my personal collection. On Tuesday, Thursday and (possibly) once over the weekend, this will be a lesser-seen YouTube video.  Any tips? E-mail IsThisItX@gmail.com.

Today’s video is the best version of “What Ever Happened” that I could find on YouTube, though this one in Brazil is pretty good too. It’s from a December 2005 performance in London, which was one of the band’s first in support of First Impressions of Earth.

I must confess that every time I grow a little sick of The Strokes’ track list, I listen to the guitar solo in “Whatever Happened” and I’m re-energized.  The way the entire band builds up to Nick Valensi’s solo is great, and then the rhythm guitar, bass and drums perfectly escort the solo up until frontman Julian Casablancas starts his third verse.

“What Ever Happened” is, in my opinion, The Strokes’ most underrated song.  Its tempo is much slower than “Reptilia” and even “12:51,” and is hurt, from a mainstream perspective, because it doesn’t have a chorus and the lyrics are hard to decipher.  “Whatever Happened” wasn’t ever going to be a single because of these three things, but the band was smart in putting it first on Room On Fire because it sends a message with its opening lyrics of “I want to be forgotten.”

These lyrics are smart because, after the success of Is This It and the quality of Room On Fire, The Strokes weren’t going to be forgotten.  Not with their second album, at least.

Enjoy…

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