(Originally published in Spring 2009)
The cover of Fun House tells you everything you need to know about the album before you even put it on. Here you see Iggy Pop’s head and his leather-gloved hands reaching into the air. No more of Pop is shown, however, because the rest of him has been engulfed in fire. But is he resisting? Of course not, he knows that there’s only one way for a rock star as manic as him to go down, and that’s in flames.
In order to understand how an album like this could exist in 1970 amid the hippie counterculture movement and the whole flower power aesthetic in youth culture one has to know a little about the members of Ann Arbor based Stooges. First and foremost is the band’s frontman. Iggy Pop is one of the most dynamic performers of all time. In addition to his refusal to ever wear a shirt (seriously, if you can find a picture of him anywhere with a top on I’ll be shocked), he pioneered the now cliché stage dive and would often smear peanut butter and raw meat all over himself onstage. He even went so far as to cut himself and bleed while performing occasionally. Having said all that about Iggy, it is important to remember that the rest of the band weren’t exactly in their right minds either. Bass player Dave Alexander was a heavy drinker who often would be so intoxicated that he couldn’t stand up during shows. He died tragically of liver disease related to his excessive drinking in 1975, when he was just 27. In addition to Alexander’s drinking problem three members of the band, Iggy, Dave, and drummer Scott Asheton were pretty big into heroin around the time Fun House was recorded, only guitarist Ron Asheton wasn’t. These weren’t a bunch of happy go lucky flower children, but a group of guys teetering on the edge of self-destruction, and this is clearly evident in the music on Fun House.
The recording of Fun House also presents an opposition to the standard practices of the era. 1966 and 1967 saw the dawning of what can be called modern studio techniques. Gone were the days of getting an entire band into a single room and recording live with few, if any, additional parts overdubbed afterwards. This all changed when The Beatles and Beach Boys decided it was not enough to put out records that sounded like live performances. These groups managed to use multiple recording devices to dramatically increase the number of different tracks that could be added to a single song. The result, most evident on Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, was that albums could suddenly have a very lush feel by incorporating new instruments (like the sitar or the Beach Boys’ famed theremin) in addition to standard rock instrumentation. The Stooges, however, were having none of this. The band enlisted Don Gallucci, already a legend for the famous keyboard part on The Kingsmen’s hit “Louie, Louie” to produce their 1970 album. Instead of loading up the final track mixes with overdubs the producer told Iggy and crew to go into the studio and do what they did best: plug in and rock out. The result is an album that captures the incendiary sound of the bands live shows. And while the playing may not be particularly precise Fun House’s ferocity is a direct result of the band’s approach to recording.
The sheer force of the album is evident in its opening moments. The ragged riff that opens “Down On The Street” lets you know immediately that this is isn’t the sort of record to take acid and put flowers in your hair to. Still, there is a sense of restraint in volume on guitarist Ron Asheton’s part that allows the listener to hear Iggy’s lyrics that paint a picture of paranoia and desperation, particularly evident in Pop’s insistence that he’s a real low mind and later when Asheton kicks it up to eleven for the chorus over repeated shouts of “I’m Lost!” As odd as it may sound this track was the label’s pick for the album’s first single. Then again, hearing the remainder of the songs on Fun House makes it seem like as good a choice as any.
Following the opener is “Loose”. Here Iggy sings that he’s taken a record of pretty music. But he clearly doesn’t put any stock in this sort of music, declaring soon afterward “Now I’m putting it to you straight from hell”, which is the only place Asheton’s guitar part could have come from. The primal fury of the song ceases for a moment while Pop states “I’ll stick it deep inside” (interpret this line however perversely you see fit) before the chaos starts up again with shouts of “’Cause I’m loose” (again, take this to mean whatever you think is appropriate).
“T.V. Eye” is track three on Fun House, and this one doesn’t need any sort of lyrical analysis. After Pop’s invocation of “Lord!” at the start of the track it’s all Asheton’s showcase. While Asheton is one of rock’s all time riff masters this one stands out in his body of work. The driving guitar part that runs throughout “T.V. Eye” is enough to incite a riot while the solo in the middle is sheer sonic insanity. It’s ultimately irrelevant exactly what a T.V eye is because the way Iggy shouts it makes it instantly seem like the most important thing in the world.
The Stooges slow it down a bit on “Dirt”, though the music doesn’t loose any of its intensity. Here we’re treated to a little insight into Iggy’s mental state, and it sure isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. “I’ve been dirt/ and I don’t care” is what we get first, not exactly an uplifting statement. Following this is a sort of justification. Iggy’s been dirt because he’s burning inside. After listening to his impassioned vocal performance thus far on the album it’s hard to deny this statement. Later when Pop asks if you feel a fire when you touch him, it’s impossible to imagine that you couldn’t.
Next is the track “1970”, a song that has become an iconic Stooges recording. The opening line “Out of my mind on Saturday night” is as good a way as any to sum up the band’s mindset during the album’s recording. In addition to this lyric are Iggy’s repeated screams of “I feel alright!” Despite the current state of the band members that would speak to the contrary Pop’s fervor is enough to convince the listener that he does indeed feel all right. This track is also notable because it is the first appearance of Steve MacKay’s saxophone, a theme that continues throughout side two of the album. Just when you’d think that the record couldn’t get any more out of control MacKay’s molten lava sax adds another layer of insanity to an already crazy record.
The title track opens with MacKay’s blazing sax and Iggy’s shouts of “I feel alright”, just in case you didn’t know it from the previous track. This one is also notable for its improvised feel with Pop yelling directions to his band mates, constantly telling them to take it down and let him in. When his band does, after some time, let him in Iggy speaks of his true intentions, namely that he’s come to play and he means to play around. And, like most of his exclamations, there’s no reason to doubt him here.
Finally, there’s “L.A. Blues”. This track is so full of chaos it makes the rest of the record seem almost tame by comparison. Pop morphs from human to wild animal, screaming unintelligibly while his band, sax included, flails around with no attempt to create a structured song. The result is stunning, a piece of brash noise that could tear paint off of a wall. It’s the only way this album could end without making a compromise to the sheer madness that precedes it. It makes the Velvet Undergound’s “Sister Ray” sound like easy listening. By choosing to end the album on such a wild note The Stooges appear to be saying that any sort of structured rock and roll song wouldn’t do justice the fury they have inside of them.
In addition to Pop’s vocals, Asheton’s guitar, and Mackay’s sax the rhythm section is also crucial to the album’s impact. Drummer Scott Asheton plays just what he needs to in order to keep the songs driving. His simple, ferocious playing gives the chaos behind him an anchor without detracting from the performers that are more in the foreground. Similarly, Dave Alexander’s bass playing emphasizes simplicity over showmanship. Whether he is taking Ron Asheton’s lead on tracks like" T.V. Eye" and "1970" or setting the tempo on “Dirt” and “Fun House” his playing gives the tracks a sinister edge while allowing Asheton to work his wild magic in the lead with his guitar.
This record understandably did not sell well upon release. After all, who but mental asylum inhabitants would listen to this sort of racket willingly? This is an album that is raucous even by today’s standards. However, this record would later find favor with punk rockers. The simplistic riffs and bleak subject matter would go on to provide the template for the Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Clash, and numerous other first wave punk acts and continue to trickle down to musicians identified with Alternative Rock. It’s easy to hear a bit of the Stooges in everything from the Pistols to the White Stripes, and Jack White himself has called Fun House America’s definitive rock album. In addition to this praise it both Henry Rollins’ and Steve Albini’s favorite album of all time, and these guys aren’t exactly lightweights in the music business. It is not just the music on Fun House, but also the band’s attitude that has influenced many artists. If Iggy Pop’s penchant for cutting himself onstage sounds familiar it’s because Sid Vicious would later emulate it, paying homage to one of the great showmen in rock’s history.
Fun House has stood the test of time as one of rock’s great records because of the sheer audacity of The Stooges. By refusing to adhere to the current trends of using the studio as an instrument and the idea that virtuosity is a requirement for making good music the band created the template for punk rock and beyond while simultaneously playing more ferociously than any band that attempted to follow in their footsteps. While a detailed look at this album may shed light on just why it has the impact it does on a listener all anyone needs to know it is in the first sentence of this piece; and that it is that it’s fucking awesome.
-Eric Gibbs
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