Originally published at: Happy 48th Birthday to Iggy and the Stooges' Raw Power | Boing Boing
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Still gives me goosebumps every time.
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I dunno, a middleaged dude with posh accent and a fauxhawk/mullet dissecting the mix and explaining the guitar technique seems pretty, well, not-punk. Dare I say.
In the early 80s I bought Raw Power when I was 18 and having a very crappy year. I had the other 2 Stooges albums, Funhouse when I was 16, the first album when I was 17.
It was news to me when I saw that Ron Asheton was not playing lead, at the time I hadn’t heard of Williamson and didn’t know what to expect. I liked the album immediately, just like the other 2.
With my crappy year, the anger and aggression of the music helped to get some of that out of my system. I embraced the dark themes as they were less scary than my real life. I was using the music to comfort myself.
Since then, I listen for the music and still find it comforting when times are tough.
Checking out the video posted, I bought Never Mind the Bollocks when I was 12. To quote a Mick Jones lyric: I turned out a punk.
If anyone cares, the recent Metallic K.O. box is good.
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Another of the reasons for the stylistic jump between Funhouse and Raw Power was that Iggy said Williamson had a dense playing style that didn’t leave any room for the vocals. Iggy said his yelling was just so he could be heard. As for the later re-mix, I never understood why Iggy bothered, but hearing that the record company was going to get someone else to do it if he didn’t makes sense. Personally don’t care for it though. His version is just everything in the red on an album that was pretty much pinned meters as it was.
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The sad fact is that punk is middle-aged now.
I just saw a minivan at Walmart with a license plate that said IGGYPOP.
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Came here to ask if anyone had any thoughts on the remixed version. Never heard it myself. I’m curious, but I thought the original was great as it was.
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It’s obnoxious. Like a tiny speaker turned up beyond what it can handle. And it’s that way all the way through. No dynamics. I love the Bowie mix. I mean, I’m a Funhouse guy anyway, but that’s a whole other argument*. 
*For those who haven’t really listened to the Stooges: If someone says they like The Stooges, the next question is whether they like Funhouse or Raw Power more. It’s kind of like a Beatles or Stones thing and tells you a lot about them.
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I have to disagree on “obnoxious”, I think it’s just a little different, a little louder maybe? To my ears it seem like they tried to get a fullness out of it that the original mix is lacking, like there is really no hard-hitting bass/drums, just really muddy . I’m not sure if they made that much of a difference but it is louder. I guess if anything I heard it went oh so that’s it, OK then 
BTW that remix I heard was on a CD version, so I just stick to my original vinyl when I feel the need to let off some steam 
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Ah but punk is for everyone to appreciate, discuss and dissect, if they want. Part of the ethos, you see.
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