Then the world heard Pop's painfully harsh and distorted version of Raw Power, and suddenly Bowie's tamer but more dynamic mix didn't sound so bad, after all.

Sundazed's high-definition vinyl edition of this primal rock 'n' roll beast features the legendary 1973. In time it became conventional wisdom that Bowie's mix spoiled a potential masterpiece, so much so that in 1997, when Columbia made plans to issue a new edition of Raw Power, they brought in Pop to remix the original tapes and (at least in theory) give us the 'real' version we'd been denied all these years. Although this incarnation of the Stooges imploded not long after its release, Raw Power became the LP that launched a million punk rock bands all around the world, leaving its flaming skidmarks on scenes from London to L.A. [After its release, Iggy was known to complain that David Bowie's mix neutered the ferocity of the original recordings. In many ways, almost all Raw Power has in common with the two Stooges albums that preceded it is its primal sound, but while the Stooges once sounded like the wildest (and weirdest) gang in town, Raw Power found them heavily armed and ready to destroy the world - that is, if they didn't destroy themselves first. Whether quietly brooding ('Gimme Danger') or inviting the apocalypse ('Search and Destroy'), Iggy had never sounded quite so focused as he did here, and his lyrics displayed an intensity that was more than a bit disquieting. Vinyl document of the reformed Stooges (Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton, James Williamson, Steve Mackay, Mike Watt) Raw Power performance at All Tomorrows Parties. But the most remarkable change came from the singer Raw Power revealed Iggy as a howling, smirking, lunatic genius. From a technical standpoint, Williamson was a more gifted guitar player than Asheton (not that that was ever the point), but his sheets of metallic fuzz were still more basic (and punishing) than what anyone was used to in 1973, while Ron Asheton played his bass like a weapon of revenge, and his brother Scott Asheton remained a powerhouse behind the drums.

By most accounts, tensions were high during the recording of Raw Power, and the album sounds like the work of a band on its last legs - though rather than grinding to a halt, Iggy & the Stooges appeared ready to explode like an ammunition dump. It would take four years, several jailings, and countless beatings before he would get back on his feet. By this point, guitarist Ron Asheton and bassist Dave Alexander had been edged out of the picture, and James Williamson had signed on as Iggy's new guitar mangler Asheton rejoined the band shortly before recording commenced on Raw Power, but was forced to play second fiddle to Williamson as bassist. After the release of the Stooges’ final album, 1973’s Raw Power, Iggy Pop bottomed out. Raw Power revealed Iggy as a howling, smirking, lunatic genius and found The Stooges heavily armed and ready to destroy the world! In 1972, the Stooges were near the point of collapse when David Bowie's management team, MainMan, took a chance on the band at Bowie's behest.

Iggy and the stooges raw power lp