Iggy and the Stooges: Raw Power
This album… This f*%#$ing album… If you haven’t heard it, what are you doing with your life? Go, now, and listen to it. I’ll wait…
Done? Ok. Good. We can begin.
Raw Power was what ended up being the final Stooges studio album. In this, their third album, they perfected the sound and FEELING of their music, which was picked up upon and, only a few years later, would heavily influence the punk scene. It really is “raw” and brings the “power” from start to finish. That statement might seem trite, but you know I’m not wrong… And that opening line! “I’m a street walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm” has got to be the best opening line in an album practically ever. Grab the audience’s attention then take them on one hell of a ride! It was also produced by David Bowie, but his actual involvement varies depending on who you ask…
If it’s not clear by the above, I obviously REALLY like this album. I mean, I own THREE copies! My personal recommendation is to listen to the original mix on vinyl if possible. On CD or digital the distortion lacks warmth and a lot is lost in the translation. In ’97 Iggy tried to remix it for CD to replicate how it sounds on vinyl, but, while adequate, it just doesn’t work as well. Then in the early-10s they re-remixed it BACK to the vinyl mix for CD and it REALLY didn’t work. But now, thanks to the resurgence of vinyl popularity, you can enjoy it the way it works best. (Incidentally, the vinyl version I own includes both the original and ’97 mixes.) There’s also a bootleg of a mix billed as Iggy’s pre-Bowie mix. Admittedly I haven’t heard this version.
So there you have it. This is one of my favorite albums of all time and I feel if I’d be doing it a disservice if I didn’t mention it early on in this new Friday music-blurb-thingy I’m doing. Thanks for reading and keep those ears open!
