The Stooges Vinyl Records – Fun House, Raw Power & Essential Albums on Vinyl

The Stooges are the band that invented punk. Formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1967 around the singular presence of Iggy Pop — born James Osterberg, drummer turned frontman — with Ron Asheton on guitar, his brother Scott "Rock Action" Asheton on drums and Dave Alexander on bass, they released three albums between 1969 and 1973 that rewired rock music from the ground up.

Their self-titled debut, produced by John Cale of the Velvet Underground, introduced I Wanna Be Your Dog and 1969 — primitive, repetitive, hypnotic, and unlike anything else in 1969. Fun House, the following year, stretched into free-jazz territory with Steve Mackay's saxophone and remains one of the most ferocious records ever made. Raw Power, cut in London in 1972 with new guitarist James Williamson and mixed by David Bowie, is the one that directly sparked punk rock — the Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Ramones and every band that followed took their cue from Search and Destroy.

The Stooges on vinyl is a particular pleasure. Raw Power especially — the Bowie mono mix and the later Iggy-remixed 1997 stereo version are both worth owning. Fun House is one of the finest-sounding live-in-the-studio rock records of the era. The 180g Elektra and Music On Vinyl reissues across the catalogue are consistently excellent.

Best The Stooges Albums on Vinyl

Fun House (1970)
Their masterpiece. Recorded almost entirely live in the studio, with Don Gallucci producing. Down on the Street, T.V. Eye, Loose and the title track build into the free-jazz implosion of L.A. Blues. Steve Mackay's saxophone is the secret weapon. One of the greatest rock records ever made.

Raw Power (1973)
The album that invented punk. Produced by Iggy, mixed by Bowie, played by James Williamson on guitar. Search and Destroy opens with one of the all-time great riffs; Gimme Danger, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell and Death Trip still sound genuinely dangerous fifty years on. The Bowie mix is the classic; the 1997 Iggy remix is louder and more aggressive.

The Stooges (1969)
The debut, produced by John Cale. I Wanna Be Your Dog, 1969, Real Cool Time and the ten-minute We Will Fall establish the template — primitive, insistent, utterly indifferent to contemporary rock fashion. The Rhino reissues sound excellent.

Metallic K.O. (1976)
Recorded live at the band's final show in Detroit in 1974 and released two years later. Not a studio album, but an essential document of the band in full collapse — bottles being thrown at the stage, Iggy goading the audience. Raw, chaotic and sometimes extraordinary.

The Weirdness (2007)
The reunion album, recorded with original bassist Mike Watt filling Dave Alexander's spot and Steve Albini engineering. Nowhere near the classic three, but worth owning for fans — the band sound genuinely energised rather than nostalgic.

If You Like The Stooges vinyl records, check these out:

Sex Pistols Vinyl Records – Punk Rock on Vinyl Sex Pistols The Clash Vinyl Records – Punk Classics & Essential Albums The Clash Lou Reed Vinyl Records – Transformer, Berlin & Essential Solo Albums on Vinyl Lou Reed David Bowie Vinyl Records – Classic Albums & Reissues David Bowie Nirvana Vinyl Records – Essential Grunge Albums on Vinyl Nirvana