Funhouse (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered]

iTunes Review

Studio albums rarely capture the raw excitement of a live band, but Fun House is one of the few that manages to exceed all expectations. Recorded live in the studio by producer Don Gallucci, Fun House features one elementary riff after another brilliantly punctuated by a singer, Iggy Pop, who whoops and hollers along in spirited defiance to all convention. These primordial cuts became the reference encyclopedia for what emerged later in the decade as punk rock. But this Detroit foursome had hit Los Angeles at the turn of 1970 not to discover a new genre but to blend their loud, freaky visions with the shocking freedom coming out of the free jazz movement. From the opening, chugging romp of “Down in the Street,” the elliptical propulsion of “Loose,” the blistering chaos of “T.V.Eye,” the somber, dispirited buzz of “Dirt” through the atonal riot of “L.A. Blues,” Fun House deserves its place as one of rock’s most essential recordings. While a six-CD complete sessions boxed set exists, the deluxe 2-CD version of the album features enough revealing outtakes (three takes of “Loose” two apiece of “Down in the Street” and “Fun House” and two unreleased tracks) to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding for the process that sculpted these tunes to perfection.