There's not much more exciting than the reunion of a great band. But when that band is The Stooges, a group whose contributions to rock history are utterly priceless and whose discography is one of the most flawless in the business, things get a little more exciting. When the band announced its reunion after 33 years of inactivity and decided to join up with celebrated bassist Mike Watt (of the Minutemen and fIREHOSE) and legendary producer Steve Albini, the knees of rock fans around the globe began to shake in anticipation. They knew that this could be either one of the greatest comebacks or biggest disappointments in rock and roll.
And sadly, as much as it pains us to say it, The Weirdness is quite a disappointment.
But it's not just a disappointment. It's not just that The Stooges' new material doesn't live up to the godlike greatness of Raw Power or Fun House. The Weirdness is actually terrible. It's the kind of album that makes you wish it was just never recorded, and that The Stooges discography could remain as it was.
Interestingly enough, the instrumentals behind the songs are not all that bad, though they stand as sub-par garage rock. What really sinks the album is bandleader Iggy Pop's off-key vocals and asinine blather. The lyrical content on their previous albums could not be said to be poetically inspiring, but the lyrics on The Weirdness fall as flat as Iggy's voice on "My Idea of Fun." Here are a couple of gems for your pleasure: from "Trollin'," "I see your hair as energy / My dick is turning into a tree;" from "Greedy Awful People," "I used to like my neighborhood / It really made me feel good / Until they bought a church and steeple / Greedy awful people." The words come across as exactly what they are -- an old man trying to sound young and badass.
Apparently 40 songs were penned for the album. After hearing the few that made the cut, it would behoove Iggy and The Stooges to destroy all remnants of the remaining tracks and preserve what is left of their dignity.
The title track is one of the few songs that are actually listenable. "The Weirdness" actually recalls the vintage drone of Ron Asheton's guitar work on Fun House and the mumbled incoherence of Pop's best work. The simple guitar riff is given new life by the appearance of saxophone at the song's end. Steve Mackay, saxophonist on Fun House, also drives "Passing Cloud," an almost touching ballad in which Iggy contemplates the harshness of time. "Mexican Guy" is another highlight, a rump-shaking groove pounded out by the aggressive drums. The lyrics on the song are still pretty weak, but they avoid weighing it down.
In conclusion, the music is bad / so bad it makes me sad / The Stooges were such a cool band once / Now they're just old-fart punks. Yeah, now thems is lyrics, Iggy. Let us write your next album.
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