488. The Stooges, "The Stooges"

 


The big day is finally here.  After all the angst, the worry, the sadness, the hope, the optimism, we have finally arrived.  It's time for the Stooges' eponymous album.

This thing can be jarring to listen to TODAY so imagine it dropping on you in August 1969.  The #1 song when it came out was "In the Year 2525," a zany sci-fi novelty song.  Hearing this after that would be like watching Requiem for a Dream after Toy Story.  Not only is there the sheer force of the classic "I Wanna Be Your Dog" or "Real Cool Time," there's also the terrifying "Ann" and the inscrutable "We Will Fall," a proto-drone song mixed with Gregorian chants.  I mean what the fuck.

This came out around the same time as Woodstock happened which is too bad because it just have been timed to coincide with Altamont.  Instead of the trippy, flower power 60's, this is the dark, heroin through dirty needles 60's.  

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