After releasing The Stooges and Fun House--two LPs of brutally elemental rock--the Stooges split, reforming three years later with the encouragement of David Bowie to produce Raw Power. If, at the time, Iggy's music seemed primitive and crude, it also foreshadowed heavy metal at its best and the energy and nihilistic attitude of punk--an energy somewhat tamed by Bowie's original production on this record, which emphasised Iggy's voice and the tunes at the expense of the band's trademark powerhouse riffs. The celeste line on "Penetration" and the guitar and piano on "Gimme Danger" show how adept the band were at using melodic detail to sweeten the bitter thrill of the songs--but most of the other tracks launch straight into a sublime frenzy, with guitarist James Williamson soloing almost before the first few chords have sounded. The Stooges' first three albums, and the live LP Metallic KO (which captures the band at their most blisteringly confrontational) are excessive, supremely exciting, awe-inspiring rock records. --Burhan Tufail
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