The Weirdness | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 5 March 2007 | |||
Recorded | 7–30 October 2006 at Electrical Audio Studios, Chicago, Illinois, United States | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:04 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | Steve Albini | |||
the Stooges chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 44/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Alternative Press | 0.5/5 [3] |
BBC Music | (very favorable) [4] |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [5] |
NME | 7/10 [6] |
Pitchfork | 1.0/10 [7] |
PopMatters | 3/10 [8] |
Rolling Stone | [9] |
Slant Magazine | [10] |
Uncut | 2/10 [11] |
The Weirdness is the fourth studio album by American proto-punk band The Stooges. Released on 5 March 2007, [8] it was the first Stooges album of new material since Raw Power in 1973, and is also the final album to feature guitarist Ron Asheton, who died in early 2009. Founding members Iggy Pop (vocals), Ron Asheton (guitar), and Scott Asheton (drums) are featured, along with new band member Mike Watt (bass guitar), formerly of Minutemen, and returning guest musician Steve Mackay (saxophone), who appeared on The Stooges' 1970 album, Fun House .
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. Bassist Mike 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.[ citation needed ]
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 20 November 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 30 January 2007.
Two singles, "My Idea of Fun" and "Free & Freaky", were released on the iTunes Store on 20 February 2007. The album was also released as a vinyl LP with four bonus tracks.
"My Idea of Fun" was performed on the reality television show Bam's Unholy Union .
As of 2009 it has sold over 30,000 copies in United States. [12]
According to the aggregate review website Metacritic, the album received a score of 44, which indicates mixed reception, from 32 critic scores. Pitchfork gave the album an exceptionally low 1.0/10 rating, writing that it "hideously disgraces the band's original work." [7] PopMatters wrote "Like every other inferior album by a defunct cult band that has unexpectedly reunited, it is a danger to the band's legacy. Every assessment or endorsement of the Stooges must now be made with The Weirdness somewhere in the equation, and most fans will no doubt reference it with either apology or dismissal. Exactly why was this album made?" [8] Drowned in Sound wrote, "Devoid of inspiration, lacking in any edge, this is pathetic." [13]
BBC Music, on the other hand, wrote "Fast, tight, and ready for action, [The Weirdness is] entertaining, exuberant and fun." [4] Mojo called the album "a brash, modern-sounding rock record that also sounds more vital than most bands 40 years The Stooges' junior." [14]
All tracks are written by Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, and Scott Asheton, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Trollin'" | 3:05 |
2. | "You Can't Have Friends" | 2:22 |
3. | "ATM" | 3:15 |
4. | "My Idea of Fun" | 3:17 |
5. | "The Weirdness" | 3:45 |
6. | "Free & Freaky" | 2:39 |
7. | "Greedy Awful People" | 2:07 |
8. | "She Took My Money" | 3:48 |
9. | "The End of Christianity" | 4:19 |
10. | "Mexican Guy" | 3:29 |
11. | "Passing Cloud" | 4:04 |
12. | "I'm Fried" | 3:44 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "O Solo Mio" (Vinyl edition and Japanese edition-only bonus track) | 6:18 | |
14. | "Claustrophobia" (Vinyl edition-only bonus track) | ||
15. | "I Wanna Be Your Man" (Vinyl edition and iTunes editions-only bonus track) | John Lennon/Paul McCartney | 3:42 |
16. | "Sounds of Leather" (Vinyl edition-only bonus track) |
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [15] | 89 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [16] | 78 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [17] | 37 |
French Albums (SNEP) [18] | 53 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] | 65 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [20] | 88 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [21] | 35 |
UK Albums (OCC) [22] | 81 |
US Billboard 200 [23] | 130 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [24] | 47 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [25] | 3 |
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, and also known as Iggy and the Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexander. Initially playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll, the band sold few records in their original incarnation and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances, which often involved acts of self-mutilation by Iggy Pop.
James Newell Osterberg Jr., known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited many times since. Often called the "Godfather of Punk", he was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR. In 2010, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Stooges. Pop also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 for his solo work.
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band the Stooges, released on February 7, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album departed from the "groove-ridden, feel-based songs" of the band's first two records in favor of a more anthemic hard rock approach inspired by new guitarist James Williamson, who co-wrote the album's eight songs with singer Iggy Pop. Pop produced the recording sessions himself and David Bowie assisted with post-production work, though the team were allotted only one day to mix the album and the resulting fidelity was poor. Later reissues have attempted to either correct or enhance the original mix, most notably Pop's 1997 remix, which became notorious for its extreme volume and compression.
Soldier is the fourth studio album by American rock singer Iggy Pop. It was released in February 1980 by record label Arista.
Ronald Franklin Asheton was an American musician, who was best known as the guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter for the rock band the Stooges. He formed the Stooges along with Iggy Pop and his brother, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexander. Asheton, once ranked as number 29 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, is currently ranked at number 60.
Fun House is the second studio album by American rock band the Stooges. It was released on July 7, 1970, by Elektra Records. Though initially commercially unsuccessful, Fun House has since developed a strong cult following. Like its predecessor and successor, it is considered an integral work in the development of punk rock.
The Stooges is the debut studio album by American rock band the Stooges, released on August 5, 1969 by Elektra Records. Considered a landmark proto-punk release, the album peaked at number 106 on the US Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. The tracks "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "1969" were released as singles; "1969" was featured on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs" at number 35. In 2020, it was ranked number 488 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
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David Michael Alexander was an American musician, best known as the original bassist for influential protopunk band The Stooges. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 as a member of The Stooges.
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Telluric Chaos is a live album by the reunited Iggy Pop & The Stooges. It chronicles the closing date of the band's first ever Japanese tour, which took place on March 22, 2004, at the Shibuya AX in Tokyo. The album documents a typical reunited Stooges set, primarily drawn from the band's first two albums with no material from the James Williamson era. This live set also includes some of the first live performances of three of the four Stooges reunion tracks from Iggy Pop's 2003 solo album Skull Ring plus one brand new song, "My Idea of Fun".
Radios Appear is the first full-length studio album by Australian punk rock band Radio Birdman. The album was recorded at Birdman's Trafalgar Studios, Sydney, during 1976 and 1977. Trafalgar initially distributed the album via mail order and by sales from the backs of friend's and band members' station wagons. This laid the groundwork for future DIY punk bands in Australia. Radios Appear was hailed by many as a breakthrough album in Australian rock and a decisive change from the uneventful early mid-seventies scene.
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The discography of The Stooges—a Detroit, Michigan based rock band founded by "The Godfather of Punk Music" Iggy Pop as singer, Ron Asheton as guitarist, Dave Alexander as bass-guitarist and Scott Asheton as drummer—currently consists of five studio albums, twenty-four singles, four live albums, and three box sets.
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