The Stooges – The Stooges (John Cale Mix)

Wow. People talking shit about this The John Cale Mix really don’t know shit about rock n' roll do they? They should probably review Steely Dan or Dire Straits records and just skip The Stooges. It’s obvious they prefer polished plastic sugar coated sounds. Though there’s nothing wrong with that either.

i saw this used today, and i did what i said i wouldnt do. i bought a copy of this LP. it sucks. no, it really S.U.C.K.S.!!!

i can believe that this is a "working tape" thrown together by John Cale cos it sounds like it was quickly thrown together to resemble the absolute train wreck of a dumpster fire that is the first Velvet Underground (clear my throat and spit) album. no drums, narrow clunky sounding bass, guitar coming and going in all the wrong spots at only the wrong times, and vocals that sound extremely dry even though theres an enormous amount of plate reverb on them. this has got to be a tape that John Cale took home to listen to after slapping together an "on the fly" rough mix to try and see what he needed to do in the final mixing process. if this was actually submitted as a final mix to Elektra, its no surprise it was rejected because it sucks beyond belief. there's a reason why the actual released LP sounds like it does. its a perfect piece of visionary art that has a certain sound that was found, created, recorded, and properly presented in the finished form that it has been for the last 55 years. this revisionist piece of crap that is presented here as a "rejected" mix is just a tarted up take-home tape that should have hit the dumpster after the record was released because theres no need for it to exist after that. and for how much of a Stooges freak i am, im fully of the opinion that there was no need for this to be released, even as a bootleg. i smelled a rat 3 years ago (see my review/response from october 2020 down below) before i ever heard it. and now that ive heard it, its arguably worse than i could have expected.

This pressing sounds clean/quiet in a digital way. Like it was a DAT recording pressed to vinyl. Obviously, I have no idea what the original tape sounded like. It just sounds like a lot of effort was put into boosting the loudness and taking out any and all original hiss. I don't know. I would have to hear the original tape to know if that's how loud the solo on "No Fun" was on Cale's tape or if it was made louder later for modern tastes. I'm one of those people who think that original Elektra pressings of this album sound amazing. It has always been one of my favorite Elektra records sound-wise and there are a lot of great-sounding Elektra albums. I think I'll stick with my original copies but I could see playing this again. It's definitely more fun to play than that CD-era horror of a remix that Iggy did for Raw Power all those years ago. There were people who liked that! So, there is no saying what people will enjoy as far as alternate mixes go. One of the big thrills of my life - I don't get out much - was when Rhino put a quote of mine on the cover of one of their 21st century vinyl reissues of this album. From an RS album guide review I did. In the end, you can't really screw this album up even decades later. The original album is art that does not need fixing. (I think the same is true for Raw Power as well.) All the best, Scott Seward

This remix... it makes the original sound too bright and commercial; as if it were originally mixed by drunken Keebler elves. If you like the original mix better than this one, it's probably because you stood too close to the speakers at a Toto concert in 1985 and fried your ears. Only a complete novice that knows very very little about "real" music could possibly find the original mix better than this one. In his secret diary, Frank Zappa wrote that this elusive John Cale remix is one of the three best things he ever heard in his entire life.

Seriously, I do like this John Cale remix a lot. I find it different than the original - it's a bit "less inn your face."

I have a copy of this and personally, I prefer the John Cale mix and track sequencing. It's a lovely, quiet pressing and the glossy, high-quality cover is awesome. My only complaint is that when I took the record out of the sleeve I was positive that it was totally black vinyl and not the red/black marbled vinyl as promised. Upon holding it up against a really strong light I could just make out a couple of small patches of very dark red marble... hardly noticeable It looks nothing like the record in the above picture. Disappointing because I have a handful of VMP titles and all of the vinyl looks absolutely gorgeous complimenting its cover art. This one just looks ordinary... BLACK.

I think i might even prefer this mix tbh. Certainly the quality of press and the mastering helps, glad to have got one before the inevitable price inflation!

I like it. Definitely an alternative, for me, even if it's the original intent. I like the abrasiveness of it, which foreshadows Raw Power more than either the released remix or Fun House. This is harsh and loud, occasionally even unsettling. Marvellous!

Anyone saying this is thin mix with no mids needs to get a better system. This is a wonderful pressing in every way.
(VPI,Soundsmith Cart)

I was confused the first time I heard this mix years ago . But after getting this VMP reissue, I feel like discovering the Album in another way . This Mix becomes my Favorite , it has more SOUL to it . And the Pressing sounds Phenomenal .... Everyone should get this , indeed ! A++++

You just gotta get this release if yoúre a true Stooges fan. This is a lovely release made in HQ and it just looks beautiful in a laminated sleeve with new photos on it.