The Stooges- Triumph Of The Will

Ron Asheton takes aim, 1995 (photo by Gillian McCain)

Iggy Pop-- "We Won!"

Stooges: Alive & Dead: Scott Asheton, Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, Zeke Zettner, Bill Cheetam, 1971. (Photo by Peter Hujar).

We went over to Danny Fields' apartment to watch the Stooges get inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Blowhards, a few thoughts on the subject:

* It was nice that Iggy gave a shout out to Danny Fields (the cheap pricks who run the thing wouldn't give Danny a free invite). Danny had to tell Iggy before hand not to mention his last name as whenever he gets mentioned in full, his name gets beeped out. I guess somebody up there doesn't like him.

Proof positive he's the coolest guy in the world.

*It was great to see Kathy Asheton in the audience, I hope she got a free ticket!

* It was very cool that all four dead Stooges were mentioned-- Ron Asheton, Dave Alexander, Tommy "Zeke" Zettner and Bill Cheetam.

* It was also nice to that the little twerp doing the inducting gave a shout out to Please Kill Me (Gillian McCain & Legs McNeil, Grove Press, 1996), still the book with the best Stooges stories.

* They sounded fantastic! It was a first for that particular line-up-- Scott Thurston was back in the piano slot for the night, I don't think he's ever been onstage with Steve McKay and Mike Watt before. I've never heard Williamson play I Wanna Be Your Dog before, and he did a fantastic job, a real tribute to Ron Asheton's style.

* There was one short piece of film footage in the introductory montage I don't think I've ever seen before. I hope it's included in its entirety on the "Making Of Raw Power" DVD that comes with the Raw Power Deluxe box (release date: April 15th). You can read my thoughts on the Raw Power box from last months entry here.

* More Stooges rarities on the way. Rhino Handmade has the first Stooges LP with more alternate takes and the never heard before tune Asthma Attack on its release schedule. Twenty six tracks in all! Can't wait!

* Write to Rhino Handmade and demand they release the Stooges Live at Ugano's tape that they purchased last year!

* I loved Iggy's comments to the audience! What a dead assed, lame crowd that was.

* The first half hour of the show was taken up by a band called Phish, whom I've never heard before. They are without a doubt the worst and ugliest excuse for a rock band I've ever seen.

I wanted Rock Action to push that singer's smarmy, chinless, face through a glass door!

* If you've been hiding under a rock, the 4 CD set You Want My Action, which consists of four live sets of the late '71 Stooges line up (Iggy, the Asheton brothers, James Williamson and Jimmy Recca) is a must have, even though the sound quality isn't so great. It's still a great package done by a class label, and the music is fantastic, including many tunes never heard before in any form. My posting on the subject from last October can be found here.

* Iggy should run for president.

ADDENDUM: More death. Here's Richard Williams obit for Charlie Gillett from today's Guardian, author of The Sound Of The City (The Rise Of Rock'n'Roll) the first really great book on the subject and host of many BBC radio shows. He will be missed. As will Alex Chilton about whom I don't have much to say, I didn't know him really well but we always got along, and had some fun together, until small town politics forced us into opposing corners of New Orleans small social world. I've always loved Big Star's Sister Lovers and parts of Flies On Sherbert. The last conversation I had with him he was raving about how great Avril Levine is.

I think he enjoyed being perverse.

Here's Alex's obituary from the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Alex was paid tribute from the floor of the House Of Representatives today, you can watch the C-Span tape of it here.