In the summer of 1970, after a shambolic set at the Goose Lake Rock Festival in their native Michigan,
the Stooges
put together a new lineup as they prepared to hit the road in support of their second album,
Funhouse
.
Zeke Zettner
, previously part of
' road crew, became their new bassist, and second guitarist
Bill Cheatham
was brought aboard to reinforce the primal guitar work of
Ron Asheton
. With vocalist
Iggy Pop
, drummer
Scott Asheton
, and sax player
Steve MacKay
joining the new recruits, the band headed to New York City for a three-night stand at Ungano's, a rock club in Manhattan.
Danny Fields
, the legendary behind-the-scenes figure who signed the band to
Elektra Records
, brought a portable tape recorder to the show on August 17, 1970, and
Have Some Fun: Live at Ungano's
is a suitably raw document of
in full flight. Sounding taut and feral, the band rips through six songs from
before bringing the set to an explosive conclusion with the spontaneous "Have Some Fun"/"My Dream Is Dead."
Have Some Fun
is one of the few live recordings documenting
during the period when
was lead guitarist. While the fidelity leaves something to be desired, the force and intensity of the performance make this a must for anyone wanting to hear
when they were the most dangerous band in rock. ~ Mark Deming