Published on Jan 21, 1999
A few days ago, I brought up the rhetorical question of who was
the father of heavy metal: Blue Cheer, Steppenwolf or Black
Sabbath. Today, I plan on asking what I think is a new rhetorical
question. Who were the fathers of punk rock: MC5, Blue Cheer or
Iggy Pop And The Stooges?
I don’t know if that’s the type of a question that could spark
some discussions (as well as a fistfight or two), and I don’t claim
to know the answer. But like Black Sabbath was to metal, I believe
that Pop and crew were the godfathers of punk (or, at least,
American punk). The compilation of outtakes, rehearsals and radio
gigs
Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell is evidence enough of
this. And, despite its occasionally raw audio quality, it is a
pretty good listen, as well as a good primer of just who this band
really was.
Audio purists, be warned – the quality of some of the tracks on
this disc is not the greatest. Bordering occasionally on bootleg
quality normally would bother me, but in the case of this album, an
almost home-spun sound to some of the songs actually adds to the
mystique of this band. I will admit, however, that the quality of
some of hte studio outtakes surprises me – how can “I Got A Right”
sound so pristine while “Death Trip” sound like something that was
recorded on a cheap squawkbox?
Also be warned that to get to the advertisment for the concert
at the start of the disc, you’re going to have to back up past
track one on the disc. Is it essential to this set? Not really –
but it is kind of fun to listen to.
You don’t need to be a diehard Stooges fan to appreciate what
Pop and crew were doing at the time of
Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell. Tracks like “Raw Power”
might be more familiar to some, but others like “Rubber Legs” and
“Pin Point Eyes” (during which Pop exclaims, “This better be on
tape or I’ll kill somebody.”) show both the unrestrained emotion
and the melody that this band tried to exhibit. “Head On”, the
disc’s opening track, is the one that seals the deal for me. Pure
and simple, it’s fun to listen to, even if the sound quality is
lacking in some ways.
But there are some disappointing moments on this disc. “Cock In
My Pocket” doesn’t develop the way it could have musically (though
it’s strong lyrically), while “Johanna” stretches about four
minutes too long.
If you can live with the not-so-pristine sound quality, then
Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell isn’t a bad way to get
acquanted with the birth cries of punk rock, as well as The
Stooges. Even the diehard Pop fans will want to check this one out
for a few giggles.