4 out of 5 Stars!

1970’s Fun House is unquestionably a true classic for anyone interested in the earliest days of American Punk Rock (or Proto-Punk). And as often occurs with many “classics” in the rock world, when this album was originally released back in 1970, it sold poorly. It wasn’t until many years later that the material on this album gained recognition, especially once numerous artists started naming this release as a “chief inspiration” when it came to their own approach to music. Be that as it may, The Stooges, during the band’s actual existence in the early ’70s, never got the plaudits or sales it deserved, yet the material the group created would go on to instigate an entire future genre/movement and gain attention long after it dropped. In fact, I didn’t learn of The Stooges until at least a full decade after the band broke up (not counting future “reunions”), but when I did eventually investigate the group’s back catalogue, I was floored.

On Fun House, the band’s second studio album, Iggy Pop and his cohorts in rocking, riotous, and legendary crime deliver a somewhat-flawed yet nevertheless-commendable example of rude, raw, and rebellious “garage band” music guaranteed to drive the prudish, repressed, Bible-thumping neighbors absolutely freaking ape-sh*t crazy if played too loud.

The sizzling album opens with “Down on the Street,” one of my favorite tracks in The Stooges’s entire catalogue, followed by “Loose,” “T.V. Eye” and “Dirt,” all making for a killer “A” side, while the trashy, jamming, sax-accented title track sandwiched in the middle of the “B” side is worth the price of the album alone. Talk about a punk attitude and under-recognized musical genius!

Yes, those annoying neighbors I mentioned above will hate this particular Fun House with a passion, and probably hate you even more for daring to play it, therefore, at every single opportunity…PLAY IT F***ING LOUD AND WATCH THEIR HEADS EXPLODE!!!

Get The Album Now!