Being a fan of rock and roll music in its various forms, the Stooges represent, for me, another reminder of what rock and roll SHOULD be: simple and direct in its sound, yet also displaying an atmosphere of reckless abandon and unrelenting aggression upon its impact. When I picked up Funhouse, I felt that I had just collected the ultimate Stooges release and also had obtained a hidden gem of sorts within the rock music genre. Jim Osterberg(Iggy), the Asheton Bros.(Scott and Ron) and Dave Alexander were absolutely a wonder to behold for their time and had come into the support of the MC5(whom they dubbed "Our little brother band") as both groups were Detroit based via the Ann Arbor, MI area. While the Stooges certainly pay somewhat of an homage to the "5", accordingly, they established themselves prominently within the history of rock music;  Iggy, of course, has become known as the "godfather" figure among most "old-school" punk aficionados.

 

Down on the Street begins with a solid rhythm and a menacing guitar melody, accented and punctuated by Iggy's uninhibited vocal style; throughout the song's duration, its obvious that these guys were authentic in their musical delivery. In comparison to their first album, which was produced by former Velvet Underground member, John Cale, Funhouse is a leap forward in capturing the band's true essence of a "rough and ready" dynamic quality. Loose and T.V. Eye are fast blasts of power and speed and Iggy's vocals are completely unhinged and full of reckless abandon. Dirt is a slow, ponderous and menacing number that seems almost paranoid in its delivery with an underlying, seething tone, forthcoming. 

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The second half of the record gives way to the addition of saxophone, courtesy of Steven Mackay, on the record's 3 closing numbers, which have a completely wide-open improvisational quality throughout. "1970" is the answering cousin to "1969" from their debut album and this time, the number indicates that things are getting crazier and more out of hand within the group's collective performance. The title track features some great wah-wah guitar from Ron coupled with Steven's exceptional sax playing; the band really stretches out on this number and I feel is the peak of the record. Closing out is the utter chaos and mind-numbing, ear-shattering piece known as L.A. Blues which centers around a repetitive melody riff, hammered out by the dominating duel of Asheton's guitar and MacKay's saxophone.  

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Overall, I think Funhouse ties with Raw Power, their third album, as the best representation of their recorded output . Even though they have reunited in different factions over the years, the original core of the group is, by far, the most impressionable and timeless era to appreciate. 

 

Rating Grade- A