The Stooges - The Weirdness

It's unreasonable to expect the reunited Stooges of 2007's The Weirdness to match the power, intensity, and attitude of their 1969 self-titled debut or 1970's Fun House. And they don't. However, this disc has much to offer. These aren't the drug-addled, knuckle-headed burnouts who changed the direction of rock-&-roll in one visionary swoop. Rather, this is an older, wiser, and more accomplished set of musicians having fun. Iggy and the Aeshton brothers (with Mike Watt replacing Dave Alexander on bass) know they have a reputation to uphold, and it's clear from note one that this is a Stooges album. Ron Aeshton's guitar burns with vintage fury, and while it's not as revelatory as it was in the early 1970s, it's still one of the most distinct guitar sounds ever. Iggy's lyrics are less blunt here, but just as wry and bizarre, with "Trolling" and "My Idea of Fun" sounding about as close to old Stooges outtakes as one could hope for. Scott Aeshton clearly wants to show off his new chops, but never at the expense of the band's essential primitiveness. Frankly, The Weirdness could have been a bloated disaster, but the boys kept things simple and made a record that doesn't necessarily build on the legend, but doesn't tarnish it either.(DF)