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Iggy and the Stooges
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Rock revisited Living the image of a primitive rock band
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fanatic cult The Stooges
With his outrageous, cathartic and at times dangerous stage antics and the relentless rock and roll that accompanied them, Iggy Pop prefigured both seventies punk and nineties grunge. With his persona as that of the eternal misfit, saboteur of all co
nvention, Pop has parlayed twisted social commentary, an affecting if limited vocal style and unlikely survival smarts into a long career characterised by scant commercial success, sizable critical notice and a fanatic cult.
Raised in a trailer park, James Osterberg played drums as a teen in a local garage band, The Iguanas. He dropped out of the University of Michigan in 1966 and went to Chicago, where he listened to urban blues on the south side. He returned to Detroit as Iggy Stooge and inspired by The Doors formed The Stooges.
Appropriately, frightening onstage, contorting his shirtless torso, letting out primal screams, rubbing peanut butter and raw steaks over his body, gouging his skin with broken glass, diving into the crowd, all the while played raw, basic rock. Some thought the band the embodiment and the future of rock while others were appalled that they were so unrepentantly primitive.
Though a decade later their first two albums would be hailed as seminal punk, they sold only moderately upon release. The band went through various personnel changes following the 1970 album Fun House, eventually breaking up, with Iggy retiring for over a year to kick a heroin habit. Around this time, he ran into David Bowie, who resolved to resurrect Iggy’s career. Bowie regrouped some of the Stooges and produced Raw Power, a critical success.
Through 1973 there was a return to drug addiction and by the next year the band imploded. In 1976 Bowie took Iggy with him on his European tour after which they settled in Berlin for three years. In 1977 Iggy toured the U.S. with Bowie (unannounced) playing keyboards, Blondie was their opening act. With Bowie producing and ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones on guitar, Blah Blah Blah showed Iggy attempting his most accessible music, peaking at 75.
A. GEORGE ANTONY
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