Iggy Pop & The Stooges
Iggy Pop, named after The Iguanas, the band he used to drum for, moved over to vocals and formed the Psychedelic Stooges in 1967 with the Ashton Brothers (one of whom Ron, was obsessed with Nazi regalia and could hear sieg heils when his mother’s hairdryer was on !). Losing the Psychedelic tag and becoming just ‘The Stooges’ they signed to Elektra and released two poorly received albums of total brutality and brilliance.
Drugs followed…lots of drugs… and the band split till the end of 1972 when David Bowie gave Iggy a kick up the arse and a plane ticket to London and the album Raw Power was born. The album is known for its poor mix by Bowie but like the other albums, it yields its fair share of gems. Around 1974 The Stooges split for good and Iggy became a solo performer of varying quality. A lot of you might know him from Lust For Life used in the soundtrack of the film Train Spotting. The album it comes from -Lust For Life – also features the timeless ‘The Passenger’. Last seen dragging himself along the circuit probably still playing 1969 and so on.
The Stoges with Iggy Pop were the primal side of rock’n’roll .. punks ahead of their time…look at them they look like a bunch of thugs. In an age of peace and love and supergroups, he made rock dirty and dissonant and set to lyrics of nihilism that set the blueprint for later punks. More than that his antagonistic audience baiting created a unique and violent tension and extension of Jim Morrison’s willy-waving antics.
This refusal to respect the audience was again taken up by Punk Rock and the audience artist divide as never the same. Metallic KO is the proof of this, a band on the eve of disintegration being pelted by objects as their singer taunts an audience of bikers !!!! Iggy is a bit of a conundrum.
Like Alice Cooper, he seems to have settled into the stereotype he has become of himself, bare torso etc and settled down to an honest living making rock records, touring and living on past glories. And who can blame him; for 5 or so years he was the performer that lived on the edge. Now his songs accompany the sale of toilet rolls and sports trainers.
All four Stooges albums are essential, though at the time they sold bugger all. The tracks that stand out are timeless and I defy anyone to play Be Your Dog full blast on a decent stereo and not be blown away by the primal energy. The first album is marred by the ten-minute filler of We Fall. Some people will tell you Funhouse is the greatest album ever, that it features the free-form jazz of blah blah blah….these people are elitist w***ers. But it’s still a great album
Who was influenced by The Stooges? Christ where do you start? Sex Pistols, Drones, Vibrators, Magazine, Raped (gold lurex strides anyone?) Damned, Dead Boys, Metal Urbain, Hanoi Rocks, Sisters Of Mercy, Grace Jones, Joan Jett, Red Hot Chilli Peppers…the list is endless….and don’t forget Gaye Advert who used to sleep with a picture of Iggy under her pillow!
Mind you Iggy denies inventing punk rock coz, he thinks it’s dumb but then again this was the man whose first sexual encounter was being taught to give head to a delighted Nico so he’s not exactly on the ball is he? Well he is coz he’s Iggy Pop and that’s all there is to it. Legend!
TalkPunk
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