Journey Through The Past 4 : The Stooges Funhouse

Sad to hear the other day that another member of The Stooges has fallen (Drummer Scott Asheton died on 15 March) unbelievably leaving only Iggy and saxophonist Steve Mackay from this incarnation of the band. 

Even though this was released in 1970 I did not get it until about 1977. Like many people my first introduction to Iggy And The Stooges was through the connection to David Bowie.  I first got Raw Power and then the two Bowie produced solo albums and then this and the debut The Stooges.  That is a pretty impressive arsenal in anyone's language. Iggy, then managed the delicate balance between fucked up artist, challenging musician, punk, glam and some sort of cartoon anti hero.

I still enjoy all the albums, with the exception perhaps of the first one which now seems, well, tame. Funhouse however still leaps from the speakers.  It is a weird mix of heavy metal, jazz and maybe a little more of punk.  Certainly closer to the experimental vision the band had when they first formed.  Apparently recorded in an atmosphere of drug addled debauchery it was probably amazing that it was released at all with the record company not wanting to go through a repeat exercise.  Leaving it to Bowie to come in on the first of three career rescue/resuscitation efforts to put together Raw Power (a future post).

Anyway this was and is a great, important and influential album.  Songs like 1970, Funhouse, Dirt and TV eye  are now classics. It is all over in 37 minutes!!

When Iggy reformed the band in the early 2004 I was wrapped that I managed to get to see them as part of the Big Day Out.  That year they blew all the young bands off the stage and played this all the way through.