CALLING FROM THE FUN HOUSE

Writing about Fun House is something I’ve tried to do for years now, but it falls short every single time. By this point, I know better than to think my words could do the music justice. I mean, the entire ethos of Fun House is defined by feeling and instinct; you hear the music and understand it. No words can do that for you, especially not mine. But you know, for the album that means EVERYTHING to me, I might as well try again. 

May 1970: The Stooges arrived in L.A. to begin recording their second album for Elektra Records. It was a year since they recorded their debut album, and they had majorly grown as a band in their skills and confidence. They got experience on the road and really honed their sound and act. Even this early on, the Stooges were legendary. With stories of Iggy’s onstage antics and people identifying with their antisocial attitude, there was no band doing it like them. They represented something completely new regarding sound, image, attitude, and performance, which they further defined on Fun House. 

For Fun House, the Stooges had as much creative control that a band could get on a major label. On their debut, they were given some direction and had to compromise a bit, like dropping some early avant-garde songs, John Cale forcing them to turn down their amps, etc. But on Fun House, they completely let loose with very little outside input, which explains the album’s uninhibited sound and attitude. The only person overseeing the recording was producer Don Gallucci, who fully supported the Stooges’ vision for this album and helped facilitate its sound. He recognized the Stooges’ potential, having seen them live months earlier, so he knew exactly what the band was trying to achieve on this album. To do that, Gallucci reconfigured the entire studio and its equipment to make the live-to-tape approach possible. He then stepped back and let the band realize the music for themselves. 

In terms of sound, playing live was the purest expression of the Stooges’ music. They always thought of themselves as a live act, dating back to their ​​early experimental performances. While the nature of their performances somewhat changed, the attitude and chemistry behind it didn’t. The Stooges thrived off each other's playing and energy, and Iggy’s presence as the frontman was both a visual representation of the band’s ferocity, and a catalyst for unleashing it. On Fun House, the Stooges were at a musical and creative peak, operating on their own prowess, chemistry, and instinct. 

While the music is completely feral, the recording process itself was quite disciplined and ritualistic. The Stooges had enough studio time to realize the full potential of these songs by playing each one over and over until they got the take. They instinctively knew how each song should sound, they just had to put it into existence and have the take to prove it. And that was it, what you hear on the record is what they did in the studio in a single take. 

It’s interesting that despite the Stooges being so close-knit and the chemistry between them being essential to their sound, adding another member benefitted the band considerably. Saxophone player Steve Mackay was brought to L.A. as a last minute decision, and he ended up majorly shaping the sound of Fun House. He increased the momentum of the music, making it sound even more wild, and shifted the band into free jazz territory. Can you imagine “1970” without the saxophone? Yeah, that’s how essential Mackay is to Fun House. 

For Fun House, everything went right. It wasn’t just the band being in perfect form and the music was strong: it was the right time, place, label, producer, and so on. The Stooges were later plagued by conflict, unsupportive management, and chaos. But at this moment in time for Fun House, everything was perfect. To think, what if the Stooges only had five days to record Fun House, rather than two weeks? Or if Steve Mackay wasn’t available to do the album? What about if Elektra assigned a different producer? What if the studio session was booked a few months later? Any one of these possibilities coming true would have been to the detriment of the album. 

Now here’s the part I loathe to write: what Fun House means to me. How could I possibly articulate something that is so essential to my existence and my relationship to music!?

There’s absolutely no way I could understand music without having heard Fun House. Well, I guess I did for four years, but those four years were preparing me to hear Fun House whether I realized it or not. You wouldn’t have Black Flag, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, or any other punk or alt-rock band without the Stooges, obviously. Everything I was drawn to from those bands, the aggression, intensity, noise, and attitude, comes from Fun House. I was identifying myself and my music taste with those aspects during a formative time. And combine that with hearing Fun House worship from every single musician I looked up to; it was always Fun House this, Fun House that. There was no other album as hyped up for me as Fun House. 

I was actually intimidated to hear Fun House since I had no idea what to expect, or if I’d even like it. It took me a while to check it out since I always thought I wasn’t ready to hear it, like I hadn’t heard enough music to properly understand it; maybe if I checked out one more Sonic Youth album, I’ll be ready for Fun House. Eventually, I exhausted my 80s punk and 90s alt-rock albums and knew it was time. 

I heard Fun House and knew my life changed. I would never listen to music the same way again, it put everything into perspective. It was this powerful realization of understanding my favorite bands and how Fun House influenced them, and also realizing that this was the greatest music I’ve EVER heard. It was such a revelatory experience, I literally call it my “Stooges enlightenment.” To recognize Fun House as the through-line that connects everything fundamentally changed how I engage with and understand music. It’s the source material. It’s  the purest example of everything I’m drawn to in music: it’s exhilarating, aggressive, hedonistic, intense, noisy, and high-energy. I just heard Fun House and knew. I’ve never had such a powerful moment with music than when I “got” Fun House. 

Since that moment, I’ve been a Stooges-obsessed freak: a Stooges historian, a Stooges disciple, a Stooges superfan. I’m not subtle about it whatsoever. Whether it’s the pins on my tote bag, the posters in my room, or the inevitability that I’ll bring it up in conversation, everyone associates me with the Stooges. Because of Fun House, I’ve found my music vocation. I was always meant to be a Stooges fan. I think it’s in my DNA, or something. Everything was leading me to this band and album, and once I heard it, everything made sense. I’m forever in debt to the Stooges. By being a fan, I’m not just paying my respects to the ultimate band, I’m also paying my respects to all the music that was later inspired by them. 

Simply put, Fun House is the greatest album I have ever heard and nothing will change that!