Opinions on The Stooges playing solo Iggy songs?

I really don't want to hear Lust For Life or The Passenger by The Stooges. Give me She Creatures of the Hollywood Hills!

Im with the stooges purists on this. Far too many lost classics from 72/73 that should be played rather than the solo stuff ive seen loads of times over the years. Understand why they are doing it, but still wish they werent..

I'm a semi-purist. I'm actually happy to hear 5'1", which has enough of a James connection for me (and is probably one of my favorite solo songs anyway - what a riff!), but I think the 2 Bowie-era songs are just wrong for this band (I might feel different if I thought they did great versions of them, but they're the weak points of the set for me).

I sure hope all of Raw Power is in the set by the time they get down to serious gigging.

Yeah, the Bowie stuff will hopefully get bounced, but maybe it's just a sop to the festival crowd. I'm hoping for some deeper cuts on a proper tour. At least they didn't do 'Candy'.

jneilnyc wrote:

I'm a semi-purist. I'm actually happy to hear 5'1", which has enough of a James connection for me (and is probably one of my favorite solo songs anyway - what a riff!), but I think the 2 Bowie-era songs are just wrong for this band (I might feel different if I thought they did great versions of them, but they're the weak points of the set for me).

I sure hope all of Raw Power is in the set by the time they get down to serious gigging.

I agree, 5 foot 1 was great and those kill city songs were great...i have no probleam with Iggy doing solo stuff - if the band can play them right. They didnt do " Fun House" that well either...they had to stop and start it...but hey - let's face it - first gig is always the first...I'm sure they will get it better with time.

Having now had a few days to absorb the performance, I thought "Five Foot One" sounded great but I could have done without "The Passenger" and "Lust For Life". I don't think those two quite fit The Stooges style and the performances were a bit plodding. But they made me realize that I don't mind Iggy solo songs at all as long as they fit The Stooges style.

This poll has pretty much been neck and neck all the way through...

Chazz Avery wrote:

Having now had a few days to absord the performance, I thought "Five Foot One" sounded great but I could have done without "The Passenger" and "Lust For Life". I don't think those two quite fit The Stooges style and the performances were a bit plodding. But they made me realize that I don't mind Iggy solo songs at all as long as they fit The Stooges style.

To my ears, stuff like Skull Rings and My Idea Of Fun sound more like Iggy songs than Stooges songs - the Stooges may have played them, but the songs themselves sound like things that could have showed up on any recent Iggy album.

So I'm a little more prepared for the idea of Iggy & The Stooges doing the occasional Iggy solo track than I might have been if they'd only done vintage tracks during Ron's tenure.

I agree they just dont get the feel of the passenger right and shouda left it out altogether. I dont say this cos I dont like the idea its just a reaction to the performance and the way James et al play it. To be fair it could be that they simply played that and Lust as a crowd pleaser as James has made the point about playing material that audience recognises in recent interviews.

Whatever when I see them in London I wanna see them play stooges related material from the Raw Power set through to the scene of the crime/I gotta right/gimme some skin. Also maybe try some of that material I have heard on the 1971 boxset as well as some Kill city


btw my names adam and I been lurking here for a while - great forum- the Stooges have needed a web presence like this for quite some time.

@harmonia: pretty much my point of view as well. enjoy the london show! i hope they will come over to germany as well ... they must
this for sure is the best for stoogeianers in the web - i always like to see that there are other "infected" all over the place.

It's kinda cool for novelty value to hear Passengers etc. but when u can only fit so many songs on a setlist - i'd rather hear post-raw power/kill city stuff. and lose the weirdness stuff, really Iggy I won't mind!

but lets not get annoyed about this.
when i remember how gutted i was at the start of january past...
we've certainly come a long way, people.

i never thought i'd get to see my favourite band again!

Now that we've all seen footage of that AMAZING concert in Brazil, I think we can see they are performing solo Iggy stuff, and it is fucking awesome. Thank god JW is back!

EDIT: And now I'll buy tix when they tour, since they wont be performing the same setlist day after day after day after day...

it shouldn't come as a surprise that they played some of iggy's solo songs. it was said in this article that they were rehearsing material from the stooges records, raw power, kill city and solo material.

it is what it is.

Joecephus wrote:

For my first post I would just like to say, "Let the band play what they want to play"..damn

For my first post I would like to say ditto that.

emanon wrote:

Would anyone rather hear more Madonna covers instead of Iggy solo tunes?

Uh, yeah... Watt. She's his favorite singer.

I think the Stooges doing Burnin Up worked somehow, the lyrics also fitted.
When they did Ray Of Light it wasnt that good, its not an easy song to sing I guess.

And welcome to the forum harmonia and forgotten boy

Five foot one, The Passenger & Lust for Life are some of my favourite Iggy tracks. But this is Iggy & The Stooges and they did not play Head On, Open up and bleed, Wild Love, Penetration, I’m Sick of You, Wet my bed, Rich Bitch, Gimme some skin, The scene of the crime, I need somebody, Hard to Beat, No Fun, You don’t want my name, Big time Bum and a lot more. Even Dog Food are rumoured to a Stooges leftover and should squeeze The Passenger out of the set list. I would like to hear this stuff – Not Iggys lather hits!

Cato

I think it was more a Brazilian show pleaser.

Cato, I think you're spot on! Couldn't agree more...!

By the way, are you still into acting? Been a long time since I saw you in those Pink Panther movies... :-)

Well – you know – not all careers last for millenniums...:-)

Cato

hahaha

Waaaahhh...the Stooges reunite AGAIN and play what they want to! Waaaahhh....not fair! NOT FAIR!!

mg196 wrote:

Waaaahhh...the Stooges reunite AGAIN and play what they want to! Waaaahhh....not fair! NOT FAIR!!

Oh shit! Now THAT'S funny. Hell, I'm thankful for anything!

all of those who says that iggy & the stooges "should play this song" or "souldn't play this song", remind me the managment around the stooges in the 60's and the 70's; at that time mainstream music company always says that kind of stuff "can you record a 2mn single for airplay", "can you talk about love", "would you sound like simon and grafunkel?"(cf clive davis said it when iggy signed the columbia contract for raw power).
The one and only thing to understand about the stooges is they'll do what they want and they don't give a fuck about what the others think; they always did it in the past and there's no reason to stop know !
so, what? just because you've been brillant during five years you'll be condemned to play the same [excellent] stuff 30 years later with no extras?
i seriously dont give a shit if they covered iggy'songs or bloody rudy valentino's; that's the stooges and i just expect them to play their way !
would you guys (if you had been there at the time) had complained in 1971 when iggy maid a cover of sinatra with the shadow of your smile?
this debate is stupid, about to know what is the stooges, what should they play ...it's stupid because it's just living in the past.
THE STOOGES ARE THERE, we all were waiting for a raw power-reunion since so many years so enjoy it now

I'm happy they play at all

I would most like to see Iggy and The Stooges in a small club where they played Iggy & James songs, but people like me (or better all of us) are in the minority and Iggy is not a rich rock star.
Most people want the song as: Lust for Life, The Passenger, Candy, Real Wild Child ...
A song like: She Creatures of Hollywood Hills, Head On, Rich Bitch or Wet My Bed are totally unknown for them. Sorry, but this is show business.

I made a short interview with James for my column about the concert in Brazil, Scott Thurston , set list, solo album after The Stooges ...
One my question was:
Why you playing songs from „Lust For Life“ record (Iggy/Bowie)? I think more people would like to hear Iggy and The Stooges songs. Is it Iggy initiative?
James replied:
"We choose the set list for Sao Paulo from a wide range of our collective material. We're all very sensitive to filling the requests from the audience and while there are many stooges fans who want "all stooges, all the time" there are even more fans wanting to hear some of the well know songs the Iggy did...its a mix...anyway, there's nothing set in stone and the our live set will evolve."

Goran