Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Iggy & the Stooges - "Unrough Powder: The Trueborn Raw Power Mixes" (WAXEP001)

Well, well, well... Is there anything about "Raw Power" that hasn't been said or written yet, especially after all those previous years re-mixes, re-masters and re-issues? Quite honestly, no. I just deleted a 3000 words piece cause it had nothing utterly new to tell... Lester Bangs did it first and it sucked too some times. Come on, feel free to abuse me for the previous line but the best thing ever wrote (and it sums perfectly the punk rock attitude) was this Troggs appreciation (RIP Reg Presley) on Who put the Bomp... I hate the 'Funhouse' review!
Include ourselves of course to the above, cause if you can recall almost two years back to this day, we have tried to give you some of our postures on the subject by posting the rare original UK CBS vinyl. So?
So, we had absolutely nothing to discover hither, at least the we way did with "L.A.M.F."  and we knew that from the very start. It was however the natural next step for us to try something with "Raw Power". I mean, the similarities with "L.A.M.F." are spotless. A hugely influential rock & roll record, a blurry history/mythology, a long lasting 'bad production' debate, a 'Revisited' like attempt (Iggy's 1997 remix) and the most important thing, is 'the other' fave ever record for the Bobcat Twins (JP must own 20 different issues)!
What we also knew was that CBS was no Track at all. There were/are many bad pressed or bad transferred "Raw Power" editions around through the years (the first ever CD edition is a very good example) but if you're looking for secretly different mixes to be found somewhere, I'm sorry no such thing here (with the only known exception of "Search & Destroy" of the UK press). Actually what we had on our hands and deserved to be used for WAX-ing was the "Original Bowie mix" in some pleasant pressings, "Iggy's remix" which btw lead us to some arguments with JP (a VERY infrequent situation - I like it, he hate it) and the often bootlegged "Original Raw Power Mixes" again by Iggy, which in most cases were barely audible but never altogether compiled. Bomp's "Rough Power" had 'em all of course if you want to object, but this WEIRD reverb/echo storm throughout the songs presence, destroyed everything and makes us STRONGLY believe now that 'some hand' added these ridiculous and totally extraneous effects just to sound 'different'. Don't get us wrong, WE LOVE Bomp and you know it well BUT this is clearly some cook kind of thing.
There was no motivation for us to deal actually with the first two well known foresaid mixes and it's easily understood the reason why of this. All of them are in print now and most of the 'different' pressings have been posted on internet many times before. If we had to touch our hands somewhere there was only one path for us to cross. The one of the 'Original Mixes'.
So why an EP this time? Cause after countless conversations my buddy convinced me he was right. Quality over quantity as he wrote me! The often recycled WABX radio broadcast has a crappy sound in all cases/releases and any thought on using it, abandoned immediately. There's no need to represent something's not worth a shit (and it ain't won't worth a shit!). On the other hand what through the ages surfaced as what was Iggy's original essay that annoyed all the jerks at MainMan, were only four songs (Search & Destroy, Hard To Beat, Raw Power and Shake Appeal). We couldn't do much except to find the best ones. And that's what we did. Look no further, these are actually the best sounding survivors, scattered in four different and very hard to find now bootlegs plus the rare as hell "Search & Destroy" version of the UK press, for the first time all gathered in one!
We found A LOT entertaining the way we created the covers with this 'hostile to Bowie' approach. After all we're not his biggest fans, he-he... We sure like what he did at times, and as you perhaps, we both grew with his mix, that's what we learned to like and love but hey, this is an Iggy and the Stooges 'release', dedicated to the most furious rock & roll ever commited to tape, so a hate note and a sour feel it is incumbent upon, right? RIGHT!!!
And, oh! One more thing... The 'badly produced/recorded Ashetons' steam engine or the 'visionary' Bowie mix are in questioning with these tapes...Hear for yourself, and let us know!


"It wasn't about production and it wasn't about being popular. It was about this gut-level expression, almost like a soul singer. And it's no accident that it comes from Detroit". 
Rod Firestone, 
Rubber City Rebels 

28 comments:

  1. Lossy Version: http://netkups.com/?d=188735cc10ff7

    Flac Version: http://netkups.com/?d=9cc1551b5f4f8

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    1. Please reupload. (netkups.com is now a scam site that redirected me to a porn site.)

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  2. Must dig out my vinyl copy of this and give it another listen... UK version of course! Thanks very much for this!

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  3. Always loved that version of Raw Power with the "OOooOOOos" in the background. Where did you end up finding this one in such excellent quality? I've always come across shite versions. Thanks!!!

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  4. Awesome. Your comps (and detective skills)never cease to amaze me. This short goodie is the missing link between the I Got A Right / I'm Sick Of You demos and the Raw Power Bowie Mix. Any word on the sources of these mixes? The first S&D sounds like the Mantra version.
    But please don't talk too harshly of Lester Bangs. 3000 words on the Stooges nowadays seem kind of safe and redundant but in 1970 3000 words on the Stooges were well deserved, visionary and important. He was on the ball, who else was?

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    1. We found that the best sounding versions of the original mixes were on two Iggy Pop bootlegs LP: 'Garden Of Evil' and 'Duet At The Mantra'. Those stooges tracks were recorded in 1972 (and not at Mantra studio in 1977 with Bowie). Another bootleg ('Shake Appeal' 10") have the same tracks but with a lot of hiss and a skip on Search & Destroy -on every copy-. The same skip can be found on Bomp 'Rough Power' CD.
      Jean Philippe

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    2. Thanks for the info, and of course for your continuous efforts.

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  5. I was so sure WAX CD's next goodie would have something to do with Iggy... I can't wait to hear this EP! I must admit I like Iggy's "New Mix" of Raw Power and I Got so used to Bowie's Mix that I can listen to both mixes with (equal?) pleasure ... I think a long Raw Power & Beer Night is on the way! Thanks

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  6. Awesome as always, thank you so much for the words & the music!
    I grew up with the Violent Mix and a healthy skepsis for anything Bowie, but really learned to love the Bowie Mix as well.

    I'd really love to see an ultimate Stooges Orphans Mix by you guys, all these outtakes and rehearsals that were scattered over a million different releases. I've got the Heavy Liquid box and some other stuff, but have failed yet to come up with my own disc of favorites...I'd bet you'd do a much better job anyway!!

    Cheers,
    MLP

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  7. Loved the stooges post on your great site. How about posting the classic power pop album Liverpool Echo s/t from 1973? Its as good as the Groovies shake some action for sure!

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  8. Y'all gone done it again! Earning top marks in the bad motherfucker department! Love this place.Thanks-drwatts

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  9. Hello, Mihaleez. I was wondering if you could either shoot me a link for the original CBS UK vinyl or direct me to a place that has it. I've got the original LP from '73 (a lot of pops & crackles), a UK LP version that I think I bought in '77 (CBS Embassy) and the Iggy remix on CD. I like the UK LP better than the CD and was going to try and record it but thought I would see if someone already had a good version recorded. Thanks

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    1. Hey Tommy!
      D'you mean the one we posted back in 2011? If yes, there's no need for re-post, cause the only difference is the "Search & Destroy" version we added as bonus to this CDEP.

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  10. raw power can not be produced

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  11. Just wanted to throw my thanks-yous into the comments mix - you guys do some amazing and exciting work, and something vitally different from the usual onslaught of R&R obscurities that clog up the blogs these days.

    Keep up the good work and thanks for making my iPod a little louder today!

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  12. As an old fan of 'Rough Power', I thank you!

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  13. hi, i've been trying to download the stooges EP for months off & on, but all i get is ERROR please try again later ?, is there any otherway to download it ?, cheers chris

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    1. Don’t know man, first time I hear for such an error.
      Did you tried as well the torrent download?

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    2. Error still exists. I'm starving for the flac-version! a reupp would be really nice!

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    3. At both links I got the same error. Also i didn't found the torrent link. Am I dumb or blind? A reupp would be a great pleasure!
      Greetings
      Alex

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  14. This shit is dead as nails

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  15. Hello,
    I am a long time devoted Williamson devotee and I've just discovered this, but the links are dead. I BEG you - I BEG you to reupload the flac version.
    The WABX version of Search and Destroy on 'Rough Power' features a 2nd lead guitar track which cannot be heard on ANY other mix so if this is a cleaner version of that broadcast please, please reupload it.
    I beseech you!
    David.

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  16. Please, please, please re-upload this.
    This comp sounds like it must be the best version of these tracks ever created.
    Cheers.

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  17. Please Re-up this and LAMF, thank you!

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  18. "There were/are many bad pressed or bad transferred "Raw Power" editions around through the years (the first ever CD edition is a very good example)"

    In the case of the first CD edition I'm wondering how you reach that conclusion?

    I've heard early CDs of other albums which were mastered from damaged or the wrong tapes, treated with deadening noise reduction or just horribly EQ'd, I even own a couple which were not particularly well transferred from vinyl, none of which applies to the first Raw Power CD.

    Aside from not being a vinyl mastering, I certainly can't hear any major flaws with the first European CD. Sure, it doesn't have the depth of vinyl, but it sounds pretty much like an average CD transfer from the same period. There's really nothing about it which screams "foul up!".






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  19. We need a re-up for this hellish 2020. Please & Thank You!

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