THE STOOGES: THE STOOGES

SCORE: 89/100

Punk rock before it was punk rock, The Stooges' debut album was a groundbreaking one, with impact that would help to shape the rising punk scene of the 70s with snappy, spunky songs that are catchy and full of gritty, murky instrumentals that give the album a striking hollowness - but not in a way that lacks depth, in a way where depth is created through the pulsing layers of the project.

The heavily psychedelic sound of 'The Stooges' is something truly mesmerizing, with drool-worthy guitar riffs and simple lyrical approaches that let the album ride out through its instrumentals, it's a stunning debut that is more impressive than any debut album has the right to be. It's clear that the band knew what they were doing, and they did it well from the very start with this landmark of an album.

It's a stunning showcase of the rock trends of the 1960s onwards, and The Stooges' debut album is an absolute rock essential based on influence alone. The instrumentals are easily the most impressive feat within the album, with stunning compositions, gorgeously layered instrumentals with great usages of effects, and striking vocal performances that are potent when they need to be. Everything combined leads into one gorgeous rock album full of sounds you would crave from any other release under the same subgenres.

'The Stooges' managed to be a punk album before punk was even a classifiable genre, and you can hear their influence as well as their influences throughout this album alone. They're considered pioneers for good reason, and this album is an essential proto-punk project with good reasoning to back it up.

There are some weaker moments, particularly in the form of the over-ambitious 10-minute 'We Will Fall' that lacks much substance at all (apart from some gorgeous basslines), but the album itself comes together very impressively, with a groove that keeps going and an atmosphere that is stunningly catered, 'The Stooges' still manages to stand out heavily from other psychedelic rock releases. It does drag slightly, but it's more than worthwhile.


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