a review of
The Stooges (Elektra EKS-74051)
The Stooges’ earliest live appearances consisted of the band playing 25 minutes or so of uninterrupted music while Iggy danced, contorted and otherwise acted strange in front of them. They never did the same thing twice. The music was always different. Iggy once covered his body with raw hamburger before he went on stage.
It was impossible to translate this kind of music onto a record, so they did the next best thing. They wrote songs. Songs for 1969. If Ruben and the Jets immortalized the schlock rock of the late ’50s, the Stooges have done the same for 1969.
None of their songs sound much different from any of the others. Their playing is no better than alright, no worse either. But the album as a whole does more than its parts. It captures the spirit of a real cool time for 1969. It’s all the teenage thrills of all time brought up to now.
“I Want To Be Your Dog” is the 1969 reincarnation of “Why Must I Be A Teenager in Love?” “No Fun” is “Satisfaction” complete with the fuzz tone. “Real Cool Time” is all Freddie Cannon hits like “Palisades Park.”
It’s rumored that Iggy prepared for the album by buying a transistor radio and a pair of sneakers and spending his summer nights hanging around street corners. It was money and time well spent.