VIA PRESS RELEASE | Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MoFi), the renowned leader in high-fidelity audio reissues, proudly releases the definitive audiophile treatment of The Stooges’ primordial self-titled 1969 debut as a Numbered-Edition 180g 45RPM 2LP set, reissued in celebration of Elektra 75—order HERE. A Hybrid SACD will be released at a later date.
Sourced from the original master tapes (1/4” / 15 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe), pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, MoFi’s numbered-edition 180g 45RPM 2LP set marks the first time Iggy Pop and co.’s (Dave Alexander and brothers Ron and Scott Asheton) groundbreaking John Cale-produced statement is available at 45RPM speed. Fueled by the raw power of Detroit’s industrial soul, The Stooges laid down a sound that tore through the peace-and-love era with confrontational minimalism and primal force. This definitive-sounding copy benefits from the extra groove space by delivering enhanced definition, greater separation, and more lifelike presence than prior versions.
Few albums inspired the reactions or registered the impact of this groundbreaking record. Originally deemed “loud, boring, tasteless, unimaginative and childish” by Rolling Stone, it was later included in the magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time register. The Stooges established the template for myriad styles and the snarling attitude that would be define the still-years-away punk scene. Time further proved the band’s stomping, clattering rock ‘n’ roll way ahead of the curve, given the work is now cited on endless “Best Album” lists.
The best-known cuts include the steamrolling “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” ranked the 314th Greatest Song of All Time by Rolling Stone, with “1969” also being hailed by the magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time, and the scuffed and scraping “No Fun.” Decades on, every moment of The Stooges remains a real cool time.
