1970

This time I’m featuring 1970 by the Stooges. This is probably the least accessible song that I’ve featured so far. I think that I can fairly say, it’s something you’re either going to love or hate. Released in 1970 on the Stooges’ second album Fun House, an album that has been both Panned and praised by critics.

One quote I liked is from Robert Christgau. He said, “Now I regret all the times I've used words like 'power' and 'energy' to describe rock and roll, because this is what such rhetoric should have been saved for. Shall I compare it to an atom bomb? A wrecker's ball? A hydroelectric plant? Language wasn't designed for the job.”

In a funny coincidence, the album was produced by Don Galluci, the keyboardist for the Kingsmen, one of the bands featured in the last post. Fun House wasn’t a commercially successful album upon its release. However since then, it and the Stooges have developed a rather strong following. Both the band and the album are considered important to the development of punk rock.

In 1977 the Damned, the first UK punk band, covered 1970 on their debut album Damned Damned Damned. The Damned changed the name of the song to I feel alright. I’m not really sure why they changed the name, but I think it’s probably a really punk thing to have done. Like Fun House, Damned Damned Damned was not very successful upon is initial release, but has since become popular with modern critics.

The Stooges:

The Damned:

I think the Stooges clearly win. They have the crazy saxophone, and well, really everything about their version is crazy. It’s desperate and wild. It’s rock and roll pushed to the brink. The damned’s version is pretty good. They do some neat stuff, but it just can’t compete with the intensity the Stooges bring with 1970.

Fun House is really best enjoyed as a full album. It really creates an amazing atmosphere. The music is almost tangible. Except maybe LA Blues. That’s really just the band spiraling out of control and self-destructing at the end of the album. I mean it’s the perfect way to end such a fervent album, but it is not for everyone.

Damned Damned Damned is really good too, it has some weak moments, but the strong songs, like New Rose, Neat Neat Neat and Fan Club are great. And let’s face it, not every really good album is really good all the way through.