Plan9 Music

Reviews:

Iggy Pop hinted at the possibility of new Stooges material for over a decade. Last year he finally made good on that promise, patching up estranged relations with brothers Ron and Scott Asheton for a mini-reunion on Skull Ring. That record was dominated by the same mind-numbing crap Iggy has foisted on the public since his last decent solo outing, 1990's Brick by Brick. But the four songs featuring the full Stooges complement were undeniably hot; the title track, a keen bridge between Fun House and Raw Power, was enough to suggest the Stooges were back in business.

For a group that derived its legendary status from Iggy Pop's lewd stage antics, the tone of this homecoming performance-featuring material culled almost exclusively from the Stooges' first two records-seems remarkably subdued. Iggy invites the audience to flood the stage during a raucous "No Fun," but the typically inert Ron Asheton seems content to lurk in the corner while replacement bassist Mike Watt sports a dumbfounded expression throughout. And the editing is oddly inconsistent: drummer Scott Asheton actually gets less face time than Iggy's exposed butt crack.

Still, with over two hours of live material, including three different versions of "I Wanna Be Your Dog," Live in Detroit 2003 is a straightforward document of the nostalgia-steeped tour and an excellent reminder of the group's continued influence on the punk scene they helped to shape. The disc also includes a complete in-store appearance at Tower Records where Iggy calmly discusses the meaning behind some of the group's classics and-in a rare moment of actually acting his age-somehow forgets to take his shirt off until halfway through the performance. Go figure.

Awriiiiiiiight! Uhhhhh! Rawk & roll! Recorded last August, Live In Detroit captures one of the few Stooges reunion shows of 2003 and is in a word, incendiary. Joined by the redoubtable Mike Watt on bass and Steve Mackay on sax, the band powers their way through most of the first two albums, "Skull Ring" (recorded for Iggy's last solo disc) and a double dose of "I Wanna Be Your Dog."

This is a no-nonsense, heads-down full-on musical assault. Ron Asheton renders some of the most evil notes known to mankind on his guitar, brother Scott sets up a brutal, but steady rhythm on the drums and Mike Watt's lower lip swings in time to the basslines he lays down. While this may not approach the intensity of Stooges' shows from the early '70s, it's still a kick to see the band together again, especially in front of their hometown audience, many of who eagerly take to the stage (at Iggy's insistence) and mosh to several numbers.

Bonus material is plentiful and includes the Stooges' live appearance at New York's Tower Records. The band perform ten numbers (sans bass) and the Igg-ster is positively charming as he reminisces about acid trips and the stories behind the lyrics in-between songs. Other features include a special "Sing-a-long" section containing four concert vids with on-screen lyrical accompaniment, Watt reading from his journal and a collection of vintage images taken from the Creem magazine archives.