Iggy & The Stooges - Raw Power

Hi Guys,

Not one I was really familiar with until a mate lent me a copy on CD. This was a version Iggy himself remastered a few years back. Loads of liner notes as to why he remastered it etc. Its an absolutely brutal recording and I love it.

Seeing as how I loved it so much, Auntie (bless her) was in Selectadisc the other day and bought me the Simply Vinyl reissue. Plonked it on the deck and thought ... what's this ... it sounded like the band were playing in next door but one's bathroom. Sound quality truly apalling. The sleeve notes would suggest this was the original master done by Iggy and David Bowie in the early seventies (in a day apparently).

Question - is the pressing a duffer (I'd be surprised all the Simply Vinyl 160g pressings I've bought before have been great) - or did Iggy and David spend all day in pub before spending all of 10 minutes doing the original mix? It truly is awful, whereas the remixed CD is spine tingling fantastic.

 

The original mix is much worse than Iggy's remaster so, no, you haven't got a duff copy.

Great album. You should buy The Stooges and Funhouse immediately. Funhouse, especially, is stonking.

-- Ian

 

Or even sooner. Essential albums.

Tony.

 

Does anyone know if the remaster was released on Vinyl?
If it was, how can you identify it from the other reissues?

 

I've never seen it on vinyl, unfortunately. The CD remaster is clearly marked as such.

-- Ian

 

Raw Power is a superb album. Haven't listened to it in a while, but will be digging it out.

I did buy the Johnny Thunders/Wayne Kramer Gang War CD this weekend, excellent, rough 'n ready rock & roll... some incendiary performances on it, including Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made For Walking... one of the best cover versions I've heard for a long time.

 

Uhuh. Are the vinyl copies out there as bad as Raw Power (can be picked up cheap enough on ebay)? Are there CD remasters I'd be better off going for do you think? ie. I guess I'm asking, are these as poorly mastered as Raw Power.

 

They weren't "produced" by Bowie, which is a plus. They're f*cking awesome records, just buy 'em and bollocks to the production, which isn't too bad, although the first album suffers from a slightly too polite John Cale mix (despite that, it has "I Wanna Be Your Dog", which has a truly evil guitar riff, magnificent. And "No Fun"). The second album just rocks, everything set to 11, maximum sensory overload, the distilled essence of rock 'n roll.

-- Ian

 

Both are hugely better recordings. I've got both as late 70s imports, IIRC the 1st is USA and Fun House Canadian, and both sound great. I've got a UK original of Raw power and find it pretty unlistenable.

One for the completist is Metalic KO, a live semi-official bootleg of the last Stooges gig. The quality is appalling, but it is hysterical and a superb document of the time. Iggy goads the audience throughout and is met by a hail of flying bottles and other abuse.

If you want some history try and find a copy of Danny Sugarman's book Wonderland Avenue (this is Sugarmans autobiography, not a straight biog of Iggy). Sugarman was managing The Doors whilst still at school (well sagging off school) and ended up managing The Stooges for the first two albums. It is probably the funniest rock biog I've ever read, a superbly written account of the most debauched life imaginable. Iggy was a total nutter, but in a really good way. Everyone should have this book.

Tony.

 

Thanks Guys,

A couple of new things to add to the wish list then Had a nother crack listening to the vinyl version of Raw Power again last night - abominable .... sounds okay on the Dansette anyway . but I think I'll stick with the remastered version on that one. Its a tad surprising that Simply Vinyl went for a reissue of an album this badly mauled production wise. The remaster truly does rock like a bastard.

 

Maybe this album will be Simply Vinyl's first re-issue of something on their catalogue? The remaster is so fine, it's a shame we can't have it on vinyl... surely only a matter of time (with any luck!).