Gimme Danger - Gimme Some Good Rock ’n’ Roll

Legends within a certain genre of music are known everywhere, be it Led Zeppelin or AC/DC in hard rock, N.W.A. or Tupac in hip-hop, and the Sex Pistols or the Ramones in punk rock. But what is actually even more rare and essential for the development and shaping of a special style are the unsung heroes and heroines who never—or only several decades later—reap the attention and the deserved praise and the accompanying appreciation.

The Stooges are a seminal example of this phenomenon—so seminal that cult indie director Jim Jarmusch took it upon himself to capture it on celluloid, and in 2016 he released Gimme Danger, an incredibly stylish and insightful rockumentary told primarily from the point of view of iconic frontman Jim Osterberg, aka Iggy Pop, But the rest of the band also have their say, including old high school acquaintances, creating an intimate portrait of a group that was light years ahead of their time, only to be met with ridicule and scorn from all sides during their active career.

The Stooges - The Greatest Rock and Roll Band Ever

Unlike other documentaries about rock bands, Jarmusch's film begins in 1973, a year that marked the personal nadir of all the Stooges, primarily because of rampant drug addiction. Often such documentaries work their way chronologically through events until they reach their respective highs or lows. Here, however, the low point serves as a prologue to tell an intangible story that by no means ends there, but actually continues nearly forty years later by officially naming them one of the most influential rock and roll bands of all time through their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

The Stooges were a four-piece band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, composed of Jim Osterberg (Iggy Pop), brothers Ron and Scott Asheton on guitar and drums respectively, and Dave Alexander on bass, formed in 1967. The band name was a suggestion by Ron, which refers to the famous Three Stooges, a U.S. comedy troupe that appeared in various lineups in slapstick comedies from 1925 to 1970. The essence of the reference is that the guys from Michigan, as well as their comedian likenesses, mean no harm to the people, but still get picked on from all sides.

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Iggy Pop and The Stooges - Anarchy in the form of music

Iggy Pop's musical beginnings started humbly as the drummer in a high school band called The Iguanas, he revels in pleasant memories. He recounts in his signature jovial manner how he got on his parents' nerves for so long with his drumming in the living room of his trailer at home that he was allowed to swap his tiny childhood room for his parents' bedroom, where his drum kit also fit. These and many other absurd anecdotes are reproduced in stylish and funny animated scenes within the film.

However, he quickly grew bored with the petty assembly line music and, having been interested in strange sounds from a young age, wanted to go out into the wide world and create true art. When the band got together, the original name was still The Psychedelic Stooges, as they produced sounds far from any conventions, partly from homemade instruments and oriental sounds, which from the beginning caused confusion rather than enthusiasm. Later the title was reduced to The Stooges, and the music evolved into a raw, primitive form of rock 'n' roll. At that time, the four Stooges all lived together in one house. According to filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (who is, himself, a self-confessed rock 'n' roll devotee), they were true communists, having shared everything together fairly, as well as claiming joint authorship of their songs.

The Stooges - Pioneers of punk rock

The band's cultural and musical impact—even with their small discography—is undeniable: crazy, wild outfit creations like the iconic dog collar, which Iggy Pop often displayed on his neck, matching the song of the 1969 debut "I Wanna Be Your Dog," which earned little praise from critics and was a commercial failure for the band.

A flamboyant frontman, who seemed to be completely insane during gigs (and sometimes was, due to drug abuse), sporting provocative Nazi paraphernalia in the form of armbands... the list goes on. Various performers and interpreters of rock history (for example Sonic Youth and even the Sex Pistols) clearly and openly cover Stooges songs and pay tribute to the pioneering artists from the Midwest region, which carries the director's message about the band: Derided then, idolized today.

Long Road to Rock´n´Roll

Following an extensive period of boundless freedom—especially in terms of heroin consumption—the band gradually fell apart. By this time the first two albums had been released. After Iggy went to London and reoriented himself, with help from none other than David Bowie, among others, the band's third and final album "Raw Power" was released in 1973. It featured Ron Asheton now on bass and newcomer and childhood friend James Williamson on guitar, but the personal circumstances of Iggy's heroin addiction could not improve and so the band finally threw in the towel in February 1974.

In 2003 there was the now legendary "Reunification" of the band (a term Iggy Pop vehemently insists on instead of reunion) with the remaining surviving members, where the band, as they existed on "Raw Power," chose the name Iggy and The Stooges. This reunion would last until 2016: the year of Gimme Danger's release. At that time, in addition to the death of Dave Alexander, Ron and Scott Asheton died Ron died due to a heart attack in 2009 and his brother Scott with the same diagnosis in 2014. The year 2015 saw the death of live saxophonist Steve Mackay, who lent his skills to three songs on the album Fun House and supported the band live from 2003 until his death.

It's quite incredible what Jim Jarmusch brings to the surface with his rockumentary a multitude of unknown facts about the band, despite their decades-long career. The documentary can be seen in full length on Amazon Prime, which has a very good flow and makes the nearly two hour runtime fly by. First and foremost, the charismatic narration of the frontman captivates and entertains throughout. Director Jim Jarmusch wisely chose to use him as the main narrator. Iggy Pop neither condemns nor glorifies the experiences that he and his comrades-in-arms have had over the years with excesses of a sexual, violent and drug-induced nature, but soberly and charismatically tells how things happened.

It would be extremely hypocritical to wave the raised index finger and pretend to be a moralizer when you yourself have made human mistakes throughout your biography, and Iggy Pop is intelligent enough to recognize that. He ends the documentary in an elegant, lyrical way, which is in direct conflict with the accusations of erstwhile critics who accused him of being lyrically completely untalented and infantile. He says he doesn't want to be hip-hop or punk, or any other identity limited to a subculture, but to be pure. That would be an ideal worth striving for, not some dictated identity made up of work or other status symbols.

Iggy Pop - Boundless diversity

Are you like Iggy Pop and want to broaden your musical horizons and not simply think in categories when it comes to music? Then check out what the mukken blog has to offer in terms of variety: from features on bands, such as the short examination on Kvelertak or an insight into one of the longest running US - death metal bands Immolation, to informative discussions on music programs and helpful hints on various playing and singing techniques. More articles on documentaries, films and books such as autobiographies are already in the works to establish mukken as a format for boundless musical diversity because music brings people together. To put it in Iggy Pop's words, "Music's life and life is not a business."