The Stooges – Fun House

The sound of this pressing is insanely good, I have only heard a few other versions, but this has got to be the best one so far. Get that record like your life depends on it, maybe it does!

Sounds amazing. I was shocked at the clarity of some of the off script vocal sounds from Iggy. The balance is great, it’s punchy. Record came clean and the gatefold is fantastic.

I just purchased what I presume is the 2021 repress of Fun House, including a second disc of outtakes. This store recently stocked this sealed album and it looks brand new, with zero shelf wear, so I presume it’s a 2021(?) repress, not the 2013 2-LP. Evidently, Disc 1’s matrices (British engineer Pete Norman’s initials and same numbers) also match those of the 2017 repress on orange w/black smoke vinyl, made for US, UK, and European markets. So the 2013, 2017 and 2021 issues are the same, all cut by Pete Norman.

(Discogs entries for the 2005 for-UK and the 2005 for-EU reissues, however, do not indicate matrices. So ‘not sure if Pete Norman cut those, too.)

I really wish they would just release this version of the album alone.

My god, this pressing sounds fu#king amazing. Bought mine new at Penguin Feather in DC in ‘85.

In case any prospective buyers haven’t read the notes on this pressing, this is the 2017 reissue except on black vinyl. I’ve read the reviews on both pressings and you can buy this one with confidence. My copy of this sounds excellent front to back.

Would highly recommend picking up the German 1st pressing if you can. Superb playback

I have these thoughts on the sound of this version of the LP and the recording of Iggy's vocals here in general.

1) I've always noticed (whether on this or the original European CD or Rhino 2LP set) that there is a lot of sibilance and also plosives... on the letters 't' and 'p' for example on his microphone. This 100% suggests one of two things to me.

(a) They either couldn't find a pop filter when they came to record or (b) He was holding the mic in his hand

These things make it very hard to get a correct level on the mixing desk and prevent overloading/distortion. I know that from experience! :)

2) My the amp in my 70's record player (not anywhere near high end, granted but it's revealing in certain ways to me and what I generally enjoy playing music on) is very sensitive to sibilance (which is after all, a type of distortion) and often I have to set the treble control low. I am playing this actual LP now with its lowest setting and still the hi-hat and cymbals sound fine to me... not muted.

So I think it's a combination with the choices on how the vox were recorded and the LP is mastered with too much top end.

Longshot, I know, but let me know if anybody wants to part one out.

The copy I preordered (almost 4 months prior to release) had a pressing defect on LPs 3 & 4, causing the first song on each side to skip. After first telling me that they had a quantity of replacements, Rhino got back to me a few weeks later and instead offered a discount on the purchase price, or the option to return for a full refund. I held onto it, but ownership is bittersweet, and I hardly bring it out to play because of it.

I've waited 3 years to listen to Fun House. Such a legendary album and I wanted to wait till I got it on vinyl. This pressing sounds great. The music is astonishing. I wanted a long time and it didn't disappoint. It's proto punk but taken to an extreme. Iggy sounds deranged. The guitar is fantastic and the rhythm section is ace. The drums and the bass are fantastic. The bass is mixed so you can actually hear it and it's just killer. Love Fun House into L.A Blues. Real free music. The sound of a band at their peak. Just really pushing what they can do.