The Stooges

The Stooges occupy a curious niche in rock history, because few decent live recordings have survived to capture the visceral wallop that ignited countless 1970s-era punk bands -- in an era when live taping was an often cumbersome, clumsy exercise. Issued as part of Bomp's Iguana Chronicles series of unreleased live and studio material, Double Danger seeks to impose a sense of coherence on the oft-copied, multiple-generation Stooges concert tapes, which have gone mostly unheard outside collectors' circles. The results are as perversely hit-and-miss as the band itself. Latin Casino is a highly-combustible November 1973 show from Balltimore that is bedeviled by 65 minutes of rickety sound, yet rightly regarded as a crown jewel. Lead guitarist James Williamson flails with trademark abandon on lightning raids of "Search & Destroy," and "Raw Power," while Ron Asheton's insistent, overdriven bass, and younger brother Scott's scrappy drums, never stop pushing the beat. Latin Casino reveals a fiery outfit sharpened by relentless gigging, even if some songs end on their own sprawling, leisurely terms -- such as the nearly nine-minute "Rich Bitch," where vocalist Iggy Pop rambles about what he detests in well-off girlfriends (who often served as his only lifeline between record deals). Just when matters nearly fall apart, however, the band rises to the occasion, whether through Williamson's quicksilver high-end leads, or keyboardist Scott Thurston's ragtag splashes of barroom-style piano on unheard classics like "Heavy Liquid." Taped in New York only one month later, on New Year's Eve 1973, the only similarity between Academy Of Music and Latin Casino lies in the setlists; otherwise, the second half of this affair only merits attention from Stooges completists. While the band is seasoned as ever, Pop's utter lack of vocal coherence trashes standards like "Search & Destroy," leaving both sides sounding utterly distanced from each other. Against such odds, the 45-minute gig still ends on a high note with a thunderous barrage over "Gimme Danger," and "Heavy Liquid." Double Danger is unlikely to convert anyone immune to the Stooges' molten charms, but makes a fascinating companion to their official albums. More of a documentary exercise than a musical one, this release provides an accurate snapshot of the peaks and valleys experienced by one of rock's most unrewarded yet influential bands. ~ Ralph Heibutzki, All Music Guide