Funhouse [Deluxe Edition]
by The Stooges

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To talk down the musicianship of the Stooges as a point of punk orthodoxy seems beside the point when you listen to this record. The Stooges actually sound good here! The twin lead guitars that dominate the first half of the album do not sound sludgy at all, despite the heavy reliance on fuzztone and good old fashioned psychedelic wah-wah. They bubble and sizzle like a brain on drugs in a skillet; the wah-wah flares and trebles the sound at just the right moment. The rhythm section too is solid, and without it, this record would go nowhere fast.

Iggy, likewise, knows exactly what he's doing. Though he seems at one point to be yelping like a mad dog, and at the next groaning like a psychedelic Frankenstein, his delivery is always well timed and right with the band.

Given what everyone -says- about the Stooges, I have to wonder whether or not Mr. Gallucci deserves much of the credit here. This is one of the better engineered records of its time, with a sound that cuts like lasers. It is a remarkable performance regardless of who should get the credit.

13 of 14 found the following review helpful:

He Came To PlayJan 07, 2002
By David Blakeslee
This Fun House, like the carnival attractions it's named after, is fun but also scary and creepy and not all that wholesome. Back when I first got ahold of this album, on a French import label (late '70's, when all of the Stooges' stuff was out of print in the USA), I tended to spend most of my time on Side 1 (the first four songs, ending with Dirt.) Side 2 (1970 through LA Blues) were just *so* brutal, but when that certain mood hit, I didn't know of any other music that matched it so well. I've become more accustomed to dissonance since then, I guess. What we have here is an amazingly sharp, dense, harsh and muscular sonic attack that really doesn't sound like music from 30+ years ago, at least not to my ears. I don't listen to a lot of new hard rock but I'd like to hear someone outdo these tracks for sheer power in the same amount of time. The songs never drag, actually the whole album is remarkably well-paced. Down on the Street kicks things off with a menacing prowl, Loose kicks things into high gear, TV Eye hints at the craziness still to come, with Dirt providing a slow-burn, catch-your-breath centerpiece to the album, before the out'n'out cacaphony starts with 1970. Once the sax kicks in toward the latter half of that song, it's like the afterburners have been lit and there's no turning back for the rest of the disc. Words don't do it justice. Lyrically, there is some mystery about what exactly Iggy is trying to say but the message comes through in the various grunts, squeals and howls that he cuts loose, adding another cataclysmic instrument to the potent combo that alas only held together long enough to make two immortal albums (the previous Stooges debut and this one. Raw Power, also a classic, featured a different guitarist and a much different sound, despite the impact it made in solidifying Iggy's legend.) Essential...

13 of 14 found the following review helpful:

A modern American classicAug 16, 2005
By S. Jewell "Steve"
A seminal album when it was first released but sadly overlooked. Jack White's notes in this cd reissue pretty much sum up the importance of this album . It defines American rock music -but still sounds years ahead of its time. There are numerous influences buried in here -Sun Ra, John Coltrane, [a hint of] blues, the Doors, Hendrix, Beefheart, etc- but this was, and remains, a unique album that actually sounds better with age. What really stuck me was how well the album flows. Although the Stooges were not particularly noted for their musical virtuosity (nothing wrong with that) these tracks had, by the time of the recording, been finely honed to perfection on the road. This also finds the band on the cusp of self-destruction but at their creative (substance fuelled) peak. Many of the vocals were live takes, but this is vital to the raw sound.

Overall, this is an incredibly powerful album and represents a real hybrid of the free- form acid drenched jamming of the last sixties, whilst looking forward to punk, new wave and grunge!

It would be wrong to use the term "deluxe edition" on a Stooges release! However it is worth mentioning the quality of this cd upgrade. On the second disk we get the cream of the long-deleted complete Funhouse sessions box set. The alternate takes are interesting and, if further proof was needed, confirm that the bad really were "in the zone" during these recording sessions. However it is the sonic upgrade on disc one that justifies the purchase. Rhino gernally do a great job on the remastering side but this is a huge leap from the previous cd version. And thankfully, polishing the sound has not in any way tampered with the original feel of Funhouse. A long overdue release and highly recommended to any rock fan (including Jack White).

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