The Stooges “Fun House” released 50 years ago today, July 7th, 1970. Elektra Records, original pressing, gatefold. (Note: as I was writing this, Wiki was literally editing itself to change the release date to August 18th 🤷‍♀️ but every other source says July 7th) The Stooges second LP, Fun House – like their debut The Stooges – is, in retrospect, considered a massively influential release and influencer of punk and alternative rock but at the time of its release was not well-received commercially or critically (“inaccessible,” “a muddy load of sluggish…rubbish” and “exquisitely horrible” – though that last review quote makes Fun House sound somehow more appealing). It definitely wasn’t accessible for most ears in 1970; Fun House was far ahead of its time for sound: The Stooges, for all intents and purposes, recorded live, setting up as if on stage with Iggy singing through a hand-held mic which allowed for improvisation musically but no sense of pristine-ness sonically.  It’s bluesy, dirty…scuzzy: a glimpse into the feel of the urban 70′s decade. I love “T.V. Eye” and “1970″ is a great follow-up to “1969″ (side-note: punks Radio Birdman got their band name from “1970″ with a great misheard lyrics accident) and “Down on the Street” (which I guess was released as a single, but with a different take and extra organ), plus the title track “Fun House.”