The 500 - #191 - Fun House - The Stooges

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #191
Album Title: Fun House
Artist: The Stooges

Genre: Multiple genres: Proto Punk, Experimental Rock, Garage Rock, Punk Jazz 
Recorded: Electra Studios, Los Angeles, California

Released: July, 1970
My age at release: 4
How familiar was I with it before this week: One Song

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at position #94 - climbing 97 spots
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Dirt

Last week, I got another chance to see American rock band The Doobie Brothers perform. The celebrated group, who hail from San Jose, California, are marking their 54th anniversary as a band by  commemorating their 2022 induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The multi-instrumental septuagenarians brought terrific energy to London, Ontario, for a spirited, break-free, two-hour performance.

Beyond their talent, catalogue of hit songs, effortless grooves and four-part harmonies, The Doobie Brothers also dabble in multiple genres. At their recent performance, they played their interpretations of blues, jazz, hard rock, progressive rock, Americana country, pop, bluegrass and blue-eyed soul. Like the weather in Scotland, "If you don't like the sound The Doobie Brothers are making, just wait five minutes, it'll change."

The same can be said about this week’s fare from The 500 list – The Stooges and their second studio release, Fun House, which includes garage rock, hard rock, psychedelic stoner jams and experimental, jazz-influenced noise. It was a precursor to the punk rock genre that exploded a few years after its release. The album is considered  integral to the development of punk and Stooges lead singer Iggy Pop (born: James Osterberg Jr.), is often dubbed "The Godfather of Punk".

Iggy Pop, 1970, at a Stooges concert in Cincinnati. 

Originally billed as The Psychedelic Stooges, the group formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 and they released their self-titled debut record two years later. Initially a quartet, they comprised Pop (vocals), Dave Alexander (bass), Ron Asheton (guitar), and Scott Asheton (drums).

The Stooges album cover (#185 on The 500).

Although aware of The Stooges and a fan of Iggy Pop's solo work and acting career, I only really knew the "hits" that were played on commercial radio or appeared on movie soundtracks. These included, Down On The Street, I Wanna Be Your Dog, and Search And Destroy. So, in preparation for this blog I cued up Fun House for my first extensive listen to their work.

Back cover and track listing for Raw Power by The Stooges.

I was not disappointed. The first six tracks are raw, powerful and undeniably engaging capturing intensity, urgency and even some danger. In his 1981 book, Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums Of The Seventies, author Robert Christgau described it thusly:

"Now I regret all the times I've used words like 'power' and 'energy' to describe rock and roll, because this is what such rhetoric should have been saved for. Shall I compare it (Fun House) to an atom bomb? a wrecker's ball? a hydroelectric plant? Language wasn't designed for the job."

That said, the final track, L.A. Blues, might not be for everyone and, I'll admit, I skipped it a few times on repeated listens. The song features a fifth Stooge, Steve Mackay, on saxophone. L.A. Blues is cacophonous and discordant, featuring a wailing, screeching improvisational saxophone solo punctuated by Pop's unintelligible screams in the background. It could be likened to a shotgun marriage between acid jazz and a torture scene in a horror film.

Steve Mackay with Iggy Pop in 2010.

With the exception of Pop, all the original members of The Stooges have passed on. Much like The Doobie Brothers, however, 77-year-old Iggy continues to perform live. He also continues to bring a raw, unfettered and, frankly, enviable energy that belies his advanced years. It makes me look forward to listening to the next Stooges' record on The 500 in six weeks.