The Stooges
' first album was produced by a classically trained composer; their second was supervised by the former keyboard player with
the Kingsmen
, and if that didn't make all the difference, it at least indicates why
Fun House
was a step in the right direction. Producer
Don Gallucci
took the approach that
the Stooges
were a powerhouse live band, and their best bet was to recreate the band's live set with as little fuss as possible. As a result, the production on
bears some resemblance to
's version of
"Louie Louie"
-- the sound is smeary and bleeds all over the place, but it packs the low-tech wallop of a concert pumped through a big PA, bursting with energy and immediacy.
were also a much stronger band this time out;
Ron Asheton
's blazing minimalist guitar gained little in the way of technique since
, but his confidence had grown by a quantum leap as he summoned forth the sounds that would make him the hero of
proto-punk
guitarists everywhere, and the brutal pound of drummer
Scott Asheton
and bassist
Dave Alexander
had grown to heavyweight champion status. And
is where
Iggy Pop
's mad genius first reached its full flower; what was a sneer on the band's debut had grown into the roar of a caged animal desperate for release, and his rants were far more passionate and compelling than what he had served up before.
may have had more "hits," but
has stronger songs, including the garage raver to end all garage ravers in
"Loose,"
the primal scream of
"1970,"
and the apocalyptic anarchy of
"L.A. Blues."
is the ideal document of
at their raw, sweaty, howling peak. ~ Mark Deming