The Stooges
Fun House

THE REVIEW

The Stooges - Fun House (1970)

It is 1970 and in Detroit and its surroundings, new rock talents are emerging. Besides the masterpieces of fellow citizens MC5, The Stooges, led by Iguana Iggy Pop, after their garage rock/proto punk debut with "The Stooges" (1969), make their mark with a new album; "Fun House" is released.

The album, heavily influenced by leading Hard Rock and Blues Rock groups, offers a dirty and distorted sound, as if it were part of the street. The group, the most authentic precursor of punk, expresses itself in "Fun House" with a solid blues rock harshness, combined with Iggy Pop's delirious voice. The album starts with "Down on the Street", a piece rooted in rock 'n' roll but that holds true punk for future generations. Yes, punk 77, including the Sex Pistols, the early Ramones, and the early Clash, would be heavily influenced by the Stooges. "Down on the Street" is the first example of a nihilistic rock; the very title "On the Street" is the spokesperson for a group of bastards raised on the street with distorted guitars and anger inside; and there's indeed a lot of it in this album. The second track, "Loose" is a hybrid rock reminiscent of The Who from the previous year. Then comes "T.V. Eye", and once again, it's real rock 'n' roll. But it's "Dirt" that opens the dances; the slapped drums, Iggy's kiss, and Dave Alexander's bass intro. An acid blues, with a touching refrain that seeps into the mind with the Iguana's alluring voice. Iggy's lamentations alternate with Ron Asheton's "slo-mo" guitar which reaches peak expression with a remarkable solo. "It's true rock 'n' roll". Once again. After the blues rock of "Dirt", the album moves on to "1970", a mosaic of delirious rock, once again composed of Iggy Pop's nervous and hurried voice, now "gone mad"; the finale sounds like pure chaos to the ear, accompanied by McKay's venomous sax. The track "Fun House", in my opinion the least impactful of the album, although lasting over 7 minutes, suffers a bit from its position, as it is placed between two musical infernos. Indeed, to complete the anger generated by 1970, "L.A. Blues" is added. The name suggests a blues similar to "Dirt", but right from the intro, there's an air of sonic "anarchy"; violent guitars, out-of-tune saxophones, and bacchanalian screams finish the furious proto punk of "Fun House".

"Fun House" is the product of a few guys who want to separate themselves from moralism and conformism and want to show who they really are; in the end, we can say that in this framework of anger, there's little clarity, but there's little to be said: this is an album that sends everyone home, including the competing MC5.