The Stooges' first album was produced by a classically trained composer; their second was supervised by the former keyboard player with
the Kingsmen, and if that didn't make all the difference, it at least indicates why
Fun House was a step in the right direction. Producer
Don Gallucci took the approach that the Stooges were a powerhouse live band, and their best bet was to recreate the band's live set with as little fuss as possible. As a result, the production on
Fun House bears some resemblance to
the Kingsmen's version of "Louie Louie" -- the sound is smeary and bleeds all over the place, but it packs the low-tech wallop of a concert pumped through a big PA, bursting with energy and immediacy.
The Stooges were also a much stronger band this time out;
Ron Asheton's blazing minimalist guitar gained little in the way of technique since
The Stooges, but his confidence had grown by a quantum leap as he summoned forth the sounds that would make him the hero of proto-punk guitarists everywhere, and the brutal pound of drummer
Scott Asheton and bassist
Dave Alexander had grown to heavyweight champion status. And
Fun House is where
Iggy Pop's mad genius first reached its full flower; what was a sneer on the band's debut had grown into the roar of a caged animal desperate for release, and his rants were far more passionate and compelling than what he had served up before.
The Stooges may have had more "hits," but
Fun House has stronger songs, including the garage raver to end all garage ravers in "Loose," the primal scream of "1970," and the apocalyptic anarchy of "L.A. Blues."
Fun House is the ideal document of the Stooges at their raw, sweaty, howling peak. ~ Mark Deming