The Weirdness

Infobox Album
Name = The Weirdness
Type = Album
Longtype =
Artist = The Stooges


Released = March 6, 2007
Recorded = October 7 - 30, 2006 at Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago, Illinois
Genre = Hard rock, Detroit Rock, Punk rock
Length = 40:04
Label = Virgin Records
Producer = Steve Albini
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:tq98b594tsza link]
* BBC Music Online [http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/n2jw/ link]
* The Boston Globe [http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2007/03/06/same_old_stooges_same_old_sound/ link]
* Entertainment Weekly B- [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20012450,00.html link]
* NME (7/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/iggy-and-the-stooges/8278 link]
*Pitchfork Media Rating-10|1 [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/41684/The_Stooges_The_Weirdness link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thestooges/albums/album/13502342/review/13711225/the_weirdness link]
* Slant Magazine Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1067 link]
*Twisted Ear Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.twistedear.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=615&Itemid=31 link]
Last album = "Telluric Chaos" (2005)
This album = "The Weirdness" (2007)
Next album =

"The Weirdness" is the fourth studio album by influential American rock band The Stooges.

The album features founding members Iggy Pop (vocals), Ron Asheton (guitar), and Scott Asheton (drums) along with new band member Mike Watt (bass guitar, formerly of The Minutemen) and Steve Mackay (saxophone, who appeared on the Stooges' 1970 album, "Fun House".) It is the first studio album of new material the Stooges have released since "Raw Power" (1973).

Recording

The album was recorded by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, Illinois during October 2006, and was mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, England in December of that same year. [http://www.mikewatt.com/hoot_wattstooges2006record.html] Watt posted a day-by-day diary of the recording sessions on his website, but this was deleted without explanation. Watt referred to the album's title as "Secret Plan" in his diary entries.

According to Watt's online diary, the songs recorded during the sessions included a finalized version of "My Idea of Fun" (first heard on the live CD "Telluric Chaos") and a cover of The Beatles' "I Wanna Be Your Man" (more faithful to the Rolling Stones version), while a November 20 article on the album, derived mainly from an interview with Pop, also gives the following song titles as appearing on the album: "Trollin'", "ATM", "You Can't Have Friends,", "The Weirdness" and "Greedy Awful People." Further titles were announced in December after the album was mastered, and the final track listing was announced by Virgin Records on January 30, 2007.

Two singles for "My Idea of Fun" and "Free & Freaky" were released on the iTunes Music Store on February 20, 2007.

The album was also released as a vinyl LP with four bonus tracks.

Track listing

"All songs by Iggy Pop/Ron Asheton/Scott Asheton, except where noted."
# "Trollin'" (3:05)
# "You Can't Have Friends" (2:22)
# "ATM" (3:15)
# "My Idea of Fun" (3:17)
# "The Weirdness" (3:45)
# "Free & Freaky" (2:39)
# "Greedy Awful People" (2:07)
# "She Took My Money" (3:48)
# "The End of Christianity" (4:19)
# "Mexican Guy" (3:29)
# "Passing Cloud" (4:04)
# "I'm Fried" (3:44);Bonus tracks
#

"O Solo Mio" (Japanese edition and Vinyl edition-only Bonus Track)
# "Claustrophobia" (Vinyl edition-only Bonus Track)
# "I Wanna Be Your Man" - Lennon/McCartney (iTunes and Vinyl edition-only Bonus Track)
# "Sounds of Leather" (Vinyl edition-only Bonus Track)

Personnel

*Iggy Pop - Vocals
*Ron Asheton - Guitar
*Scott Asheton - Drums
*Mike Watt - Bass
*Steve Mackay - Sax
*Brendan Benson - Harmony vocals on "Free & Freaky"
*Steve Albini - Recording engineer
*Nick Webb - Mastering
*Chris Wujek - Technical assistance
*Rob Vester - Assistant engineer
*Henry McGroggan, Eric Fischer - Production coordination
*Sean Mosher-Smith - Art direction and design
*Chapman Baehler - Photography
*Robert Matheu - Photography of The Stooges live at the Hammersmith Apollo, London

References

External links

* [http://www.mikewatt.com/hoot_wattstooges2006record.html "Secret Plan" - Iggy & The Stooges record an album] at Mike Watt's Hoot Page, accessed October 12, 2006
* [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003410331 Stooges Sounding Like Themselves On Reunion Album] - Billboard.com, posted November 20, 2006
* [http://www.punknews.org/article/20972 Iggy Talks About New Stooges Record] - PunkNews.org, posted November 21, 2006
* [http://music.ign.com/articles/750/750358p1.html Iggy and the Stooges Return!] - IGN.com, posted December 11, 2006; accessed December 12, 2006
* [http://www.punknews.org/article/21987 The Stooges Detail "The Weirdness"] - PunkNews.org, posted January 30, 2007