Search & Destroy (The Detroit Studio Out-Takes) - The Stooges

Iggy Pop & the Stooges post-Raw Power recordings have been released in so many different forms by so many different label, both legit and bootleg, that's it's nearly impossible to tell which collections are good ones. While it's far from perfect, Cleopatra's Search & Destroy: The Detroit Studio Out-Takes is one of the better collections, at least among those released on CD in the late '90s. The most frustrating thing about the collection is that it relies a little too heavily on reworkings of Raw Power material at the sake of unreleased songs. Then again, these versions, while not radically different, are so brutal and raw, that they're worth hearing by any dedicated Pop fan. Similarly, the unreleased songs are simply vicious, with "Rubber Legs," "Johanna," "Cock in My Pocket," "Born in a Trailer" and "She Creatures of the Hollywood Hills" standing as some of their greatest work. This music may not be as flat-out noisy and chaotic as Fun House, but in many ways, these unreleased sessions and outtakes are the nastiest music the Stooges ever cut -- primal three-chord rock & roll delivered by musical primates. But be forewarned: these aren't necessarily the best versions of these unreleased songs, simply because there was no official final take of any of the songs. Hardcore fans don't mind testing out the various discs, simply because if you're collecting Iggy and Stooges music from this era, it's a given that you'll be duplicating certain recordings in your effort to complete your collection. For those listeners, Search & Destroy doesn't really offer anything out of the ordinary. However, it's a good basic primer for those just about to get their feet wet. It may not be definitive, but it's certainly reprsentative. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide