CREEM ONLINE: The Stooges

There was always a battle at the supermarket to see who would get the last jar of Jif!

The Stooges
The Stooges [Deluxe Edition]
Funhouse [Deluxe Edition]
Warner UK

It's the year of the Stooges. Wallowing in legendary status for more than 30 years, everyone is looking to jump on and cash in on the Stooges bandwagon. With the band headlining just about every major UK and European festival this summer, the wise peeps at WEA U.K. decided to release this long shelved project that had been on the boards for years. After the successful release of the Rhino Handmade The Complete Funhouse Sessions box set that sold out 3,000 copies within a matter of weeks, the deluxe editions now feature a second bonus disc in addition to the much needed remastered version of the classics.

Iggy Pop
A Million In Prizes
Virgin

Great title, but might better be served up as Pop For Beginners. A career retrospective that doesn't uncover or reveal anything we don't already know. It stops short on the collectors' front, with only a couple of officially unreleased live tracks from the '90s.

Skimpy on the late '80s, early '90s output, with one track each from some of those albums. Conspicuous in their absence, Iggy's cover collaborations with Steve Jones. Versions of Hendrix' "Fire" and Sly's "Family Affair," remain without an official release. It would have been a nice compliment to "Candy" to include Iggy's first collaboration with Don Was, "Living On The Edge Of The Night" from the soundtrack to Black Rain. Although Iggy had toyed with "One For My Baby" onstage, this was his first foray into the Frank Sinatra via the Peter Murphy school of crooning. Not to say there aren't some nice rarities, his duet with Debbie Harry of Cole Porter's "Well, Did Ya Evar?" is pure camp cheese. Also absent and necessary, "Louie Louie" from American Caesar (or from the same Feile Fest show that the '90s live tracks are culled) and "Butt Town" from Brick By Brick. Convenient, but not for completists.

The Stooges' additional tracks include four of John Cale's original mixes, revealing his intent on making them sound not unlike the Velvet Underground. Alternate vocal takes on "Little Doll" and "I Wanna Be You Dog" are standouts here, with "...Dog's" underplayed deadpan vocal. The real gem of this lot is the unedited version of "Ann," where the original album version fades out around the 3 minute mark, the scorching Stooges jam of "Dance Of Romance" blisters on for another five minutes, reminiscent of the stage performances of that era. Early Stooges' fans have remained hopeful that another stage diamond in the rough might one day surface. Sorry to say, there's no "Asthma Attack" or "Dog Food" here, both seem relegated to mythical status.

Ah, Funhouse, Uber Alles! Das Stooges' masterwerk. Culled from that all-encompassing box set, which contained every note laid to tape, the additional disc pulls 12 tracks that most define the development of that album. Essential for anyone who didn't grab a copy before it went out of print. The piece de resistance? Alternate takes of "Funhouse" with Steven Mackay's improvisational Coltrane-influenced breaks, both transcendental. Avoid the last two tracks, among them, a very sick single mix of "Down On The Street," apparently someone at Elektra felt the Stooges should sound more like the Doors, reducing the Stooges to unintended comic proportions.

Both albums will be released in the U.K. in limited edition double 12" vinyl versions, along with 7" releases with additional B-sides. Skip retail, Amazon.co.uk, here we come.

The Stooges
Heavy Liquid
Easy Action

The sound of the Stooges' falling apart or hanging on? They were so in need of danger, you can feel it on most of these recordings. Robert Johnson sold his soul at the crossroads to the devil and gained immortality, the Stooges tapped into their own darkness at Max's. There is something that still keeps much of this music and Raw Power dangerous. Or as Iggy himself more eloquently described that era "...a bunch of guys with a foot out of line...not going along with the program...in the sway of powerful forces."

This multi-disc set, although much of it previously released, widens the bridge in the Stooges' story. Still heavy into their work ethic, Iggy the task master, apparent in the rehearsal sessions. Brilliant new interviews with Iggy and the Asheton Brothers. For serious collectors only, this with CREEM fingerprints all over it.

For some more Iggy, check out these pieces:

Live San Fran 1981 Live Iggy DVD review
Of Pop And Pies A program for mass liberation in the form of a Stooges review (Dec. '70)
The Stooges: Philosopher Kings And Pagan High Priests Reunion gig review (May '03)
Calling From The Fun House Detroit art show (Feb. '04)
Honey Come & Be My Enemy I Can Love You Too Iggy & the Stooges from the archives (Apr. '74)
Stooge Watch Pts. 1 through 4! (Dec. '01 — Apr. '03)

—Dr. Robert
August 2005

Photos: (top) Robert Matheu; (bottom) Greg Allen