Iggy And The Stooges "Rare Power" (2018 Record Store Day Black Friday release)
On Record Store Day Black Friday in 2018, Columbia/Legacy issued a vinyl LP titled Rare Power, containing nine rare tracks related to Iggy And The Stooges’ 1973 pre-punk classic Raw Power. Five of the tracks were outtakes from that album’s sessions; two tracks were alternate Iggy Pop mixes of album tracks, and one track was recorded during a 1973 rehearsal. Those eight tracks were previously included on a Limited Deluxe Edition of Raw Power which was only available through the Iggy And The Stooges website in 2010. The other track on Rare Power is a previously unreleased remix of “Gimme Danger” by TV/film/app music composer Josh Mobley. The LP was limited to 3,000 copies. Rare Power will not disappoint fans of Raw Power, as it contains a generous helping of the same garage-based hard rock that pre-figured the punk rock ethos.
The outtakes offer more of the primitive pre-punk nihilism found on Raw Power. “I’m Hungry”, “I Got A Right”, and “Hey, Peter” possess the type of dumb, reckless aggressiveness that the punk movement indulged in five years later. The almost Beefheart-like oddity “Doojiman” finds Iggy uttering countless jungle noises over repetitive grooves. “I’m Sick Of You” is the best of the five outtakes, beginning with a slower early-Stones-like buildup before exploding with garage-psych intensity.
Josh Mobley’s mix of the Stones-like “Gimme Danger” (used in the video game Watch Dogs) has a surprising amount of refinement(!), adding higher-tech layers of sound to make the song more accessible. Iggy’s alternate mix of “Shake Appeal” is also a bit more civilized than you might expect, almost sounding like a late-‘50’s r&b number. It’s harder to guess Iggy’s intentions when you hear his alternate mix of the wild “Death Trip”, which actually sounds murkier than either Bowie’s 1973 mix or Iggy’s 1997 mix. For whatever reason, Iggy’s vocals are mixed lower, to the point of sounding distant, while the lead guitar is higher in the mix. If he wanted the song to sound even more dark and dirty than before, he certainly succeeded, but Iggy’s more evened-out ’97 mix of this song is preferable.
The album closes with a recording of a studio rehearsal. “Head On” seemingly finds the Stooges playing a bit nicer than usual, with an audible piano and a less menacing lead guitar. Iggy does let loose a little bit, but still – it actually sounds like these anarchic beasts may have been practicing to be entertainers!
Iggy And The Stooges “Rare Power” (Columbia/Legacy 19075803531) 2018
Track Listing:
1. I’m Hungry – (outtake from Raw Power sessions)
2. I Got A Right – (outtake from early aborted Raw Power session)
3. I’m Sick Of You – (outtake from early aborted Raw Power session)
4. Hey, Peter – (outtake from Raw Power sessions)
5. Shake Appeal – (alternate Iggy mix)
6. Gimme Danger – (Josh Mobley remix)
7. Death Trip – (alternate Iggy mix)
8. Doojiman – (outtake from Raw Power sessions 1972)
9. Head On – (CBS Studios rehearsal performance, NYC 1973)
The outtakes offer more of the primitive pre-punk nihilism found on Raw Power. “I’m Hungry”, “I Got A Right”, and “Hey, Peter” possess the type of dumb, reckless aggressiveness that the punk movement indulged in five years later. The almost Beefheart-like oddity “Doojiman” finds Iggy uttering countless jungle noises over repetitive grooves. “I’m Sick Of You” is the best of the five outtakes, beginning with a slower early-Stones-like buildup before exploding with garage-psych intensity.
Josh Mobley’s mix of the Stones-like “Gimme Danger” (used in the video game Watch Dogs) has a surprising amount of refinement(!), adding higher-tech layers of sound to make the song more accessible. Iggy’s alternate mix of “Shake Appeal” is also a bit more civilized than you might expect, almost sounding like a late-‘50’s r&b number. It’s harder to guess Iggy’s intentions when you hear his alternate mix of the wild “Death Trip”, which actually sounds murkier than either Bowie’s 1973 mix or Iggy’s 1997 mix. For whatever reason, Iggy’s vocals are mixed lower, to the point of sounding distant, while the lead guitar is higher in the mix. If he wanted the song to sound even more dark and dirty than before, he certainly succeeded, but Iggy’s more evened-out ’97 mix of this song is preferable.
The album closes with a recording of a studio rehearsal. “Head On” seemingly finds the Stooges playing a bit nicer than usual, with an audible piano and a less menacing lead guitar. Iggy does let loose a little bit, but still – it actually sounds like these anarchic beasts may have been practicing to be entertainers!
Iggy And The Stooges “Rare Power” (Columbia/Legacy 19075803531) 2018
Track Listing:
1. I’m Hungry – (outtake from Raw Power sessions)
2. I Got A Right – (outtake from early aborted Raw Power session)
3. I’m Sick Of You – (outtake from early aborted Raw Power session)
4. Hey, Peter – (outtake from Raw Power sessions)
5. Shake Appeal – (alternate Iggy mix)
6. Gimme Danger – (Josh Mobley remix)
7. Death Trip – (alternate Iggy mix)
8. Doojiman – (outtake from Raw Power sessions 1972)
9. Head On – (CBS Studios rehearsal performance, NYC 1973)
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