The Stooges - The Stooges (1st Album) (1969) - Review

The Stooges - The Stooges (1st Album) - (1969) - Cover

Punked Up Without 'em (5/5)

Self expression is hard to come by when you lack any talent or ability. This album just goes to show that with the smallest bit of ability, a pinch of skill and the simplest of chords and scales, something truly transcendent can be created. Hell, wasn't that what punk was all about?

The bigger question is why do so many of these try hard musicians end up sounding so damn good? Lou Reed, Johnny Thunders, Richard Hell, Alan Vega and yes, even Iggy Pop and Ron Asheton. This album is just the bollocks.

Every song burns with some of the greatest riffs created, lacking anything like the polish of fellow early stalwarts and riff-meisters Led Zepplin. Sounding ten times better also, for all their cruddy roughness. Powerhouse drumming and Wah-Wah noise to fry an egg on.

Worth noting is the producer, none other than Welshman John Cale, bringing his noisy, avant-garde sensibilities on the back of two other seminal, pre punk, Velvet Underground albums.

This album inspired many artists to pick up the guitar, learn a couple of chords and make music, including myself. This album hasn't aged a jot, unlike contempories The Doors, whose music The Stooges took to its logical conclusion, including Iggy's cavorting.

Sound's fresher today than freshly caught fish, taken to the fresh market on fresh day, and sold by Mr Fresh the fishmonger. Bow at the alter of apocalyptic guitar heaven.

David Lloyd © January 2000 - Originally written for Amazon.

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