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Total Chaos: The Story of the Stooges as Told by Iggy Pop - Updated and Revised
The first book telling Iggy Pop's story of The Stooges from his own words. Features a treasure-trove of unseen photos. Updated paperback version features a new chapter of photos plus a new interview with Henry Rollins by author Jeff Gold about The Stooges.
Updated paperback version features a new chapter of never seen photos plus a new interview with Henry Rollins.
TOTAL CHAOS: The Story of The Stooges As Told by Iggy Pop is the first time the story of this seminal band has been told entirely in Pop's own words. Hundreds of full color rare photos illustrate Pop's story. Author Jeff Gold and contributor Johan Kugelberg, noted music historians and collectors, spent two days with Pop at his Miami home, sharing with him their extensive Stooges collection and interviewing the legendary singer. Pop's candid, bare-all responses left them with the almost unbelievable tale of the band he founded-the alternately tragic and triumphant story of a group who rose from youth, fell prey to drugs, alcohol, and music biz realities, collapsed and nearly 30 years later reformed, recording and touring to great acclaim. In 2010 The Stooges, credited with having invented punk rock, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Their continuing influence can be felt today in the shape and sound of rock-n-roll music.
Updated paperback version features a new chapter of never seen photos plus a new interview with Henry Rollins.
TOTAL CHAOS: The Story of The Stooges As Told by Iggy Pop is the first time the story of this seminal band has been told entirely in Pop's own words. Hundreds of full color rare photos illustrate Pop's story. Author Jeff Gold and contributor Johan Kugelberg, noted music historians and collectors, spent two days with Pop at his Miami home, sharing with him their extensive Stooges collection and interviewing the legendary singer. Pop's candid, bare-all responses left them with the almost unbelievable tale of the band he founded-the alternately tragic and triumphant story of a group who rose from youth, fell prey to drugs, alcohol, and music biz realities, collapsed and nearly 30 years later reformed, recording and touring to great acclaim. In 2010 The Stooges, credited with having invented punk rock, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Their continuing influence can be felt today in the shape and sound of rock-n-roll music.
372 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2022
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495 people want to read
About the author
Iggy Pop
47 books46 followersJames Newell Osterberg, better known by his stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer, songwriter, and occasional actor. Although he has had only limited commercial success, Iggy Pop is considered an innovator of punk and related styles. He is sometimes referred to by the nicknames "the Godfather of Punk" and "the Rock Iguana," and is widely acknowledged as one of the most dynamic stage performers of rock. Pop began calling himself Iggy after his first band in high school, The Iguanas. His direct influence extends to the present day: a Cadillac ad in rotation since February 2007 features his vocal performance on the song "Punkrocker", recorded in 2006 with the Swedish band Teddybears.
Iggy Pop was the lead singer of The Stooges, a late 1960s/early 1970s garage rock band who were influential in the development of the nascent heavy metal and punk rock genres. The Stooges became infamous for their live performances, during which it was not uncommon for Pop to consume narcotics, self-mutilate, verbally abuse the audience, expose himself and leap off the stage (thus being among the first to "stage dive"). Countless subsequent performers have imitated Pop's antics.
Pop has had varying degrees of success in the course of his subsequent solo career. His best-known solo songs include "Lust for Life", "I'm Bored", "Real Wild Child", the Top 40 hit "Candy" (with vocalist Kate Pierson of The B-52's) and "The Passenger". A film about Iggy Pop's life and career titled The Passenger is currently in development.
Iggy Pop was the lead singer of The Stooges, a late 1960s/early 1970s garage rock band who were influential in the development of the nascent heavy metal and punk rock genres. The Stooges became infamous for their live performances, during which it was not uncommon for Pop to consume narcotics, self-mutilate, verbally abuse the audience, expose himself and leap off the stage (thus being among the first to "stage dive"). Countless subsequent performers have imitated Pop's antics.
Pop has had varying degrees of success in the course of his subsequent solo career. His best-known solo songs include "Lust for Life", "I'm Bored", "Real Wild Child", the Top 40 hit "Candy" (with vocalist Kate Pierson of The B-52's) and "The Passenger". A film about Iggy Pop's life and career titled The Passenger is currently in development.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 17, 2017
Total Chaos is a serviceable interview/visuals hybrid that makes for a good coffee table book. Iggy is a natural interviewee, even in print, so the conversation yielded some cool gems. Having read a lot previously about the Stooges and Iggy Pop, there really wasn't anything revelatory in here. The photography, coupled with shots of the author's collection of Stooges promotional paraphernalia, is really the standout. Not for the casual fan, but then again is there such a thing as a casual Stooges fan?
March 29, 2017
This is the story of the Stooges through archival objects chiefly collected by Johann Kugelburg (Boo Hooray curator, Cornell Hip Hop archives). Iggy meets with the editors and responds to the objects and the editors' related questions. There's some great stories. Despite the book being coffee table-sized, not all of the objects were reproduced large enough to be easily read.
This book also fills in the gaps in Stooges history related to James Williamson (Kill City too) that I don't recall from the Jarmusch doc on the Stooges and elsewhere.
This book also fills in the gaps in Stooges history related to James Williamson (Kill City too) that I don't recall from the Jarmusch doc on the Stooges and elsewhere.
April 21, 2021
Great book. Awesome pictures and gig posters. A must for all Stooges fans - fuck the cost!
February 4, 2017
In some sense, this feels like a bit of a rush job -- typos, fucked-up syntax, etc. On the other hand, the depth of information presented here is impressive, especially when you consider this is more or less a(nother) coffee table volume on a cult rock band. Felt much of the same excitement reading this as I did paging through "Please Kill Me" in my teen years. Much of the same ground is covered, of course, but stories are elaborated upon, loose ends are tied, and the rarely- or never-before-seen photos and ephemera are something else. Recommended.
February 5, 2017
Everything you wanted to know about Iggy Pop during the Stooges years.
December 15, 2016
A side from some shitty editing because grammar errors, very informative and personal! Tons of sweet never before seen pics n things! Loved it!
July 22, 2017
Gold first saw the Stooges perform at the Whisky-A Go Go in June 1973. What he remembers most was Iggy Pop singing about Hollywood buttfuckers. Gold didn't know what to make of it and wouldn't see the Stooges perform again until 2003 when they reunited to play the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. However, in between those two performances, Gold became a huge fan and collector of the Stooges. This book is a reflection of that fandom.
Gold's book is an interview oral history with Iggy Pop tracing the career trajectory of the Stooges from their inception, recording their first three albums, fading into obscurity, and reuniting decades later. Gold presents photos and memorabilia from his own collection that Iggy comments on to add further context to stories and legends surrounding the Stooges. Despite being known for rampant drug abuse and getting knocked out at shows, Iggy is still quite eloquent and has a strong memory about his life with the Stooges.
While Iggy goes into the stories behind recording the first three albums, the main narrative thread surrounds their break-up, reunion, and obscurity in between. When the band broke up in 1974, it garnered very little attention. The first two albums quickly went out of print and were nearly impossible to find. "Raw Power," their third album, survived a little longer because David Bowie's name was attached to the album as being the mixer. The Stooges sold poorly, were relatively unknown, and if you wanted any of their music, you had to find bootlegs.
However, somehow, the next iterations of punk rockers like Joan Jett and the Germs carried on the Stooges' legacy by appropriating their sound. As time went on and this was carried on from band to band, from the Germs to Nirvana, the Stooges were garnering an increasing amount of underground respect. So, when the Stooges performed at Coachella in 2003, it was a surprise to everyone in the band just how beloved they had became after being unappreciated and dismissed for decades. Now, the Stooges are getting the respect they deserve through proper album reissues, better sales, music licensed in media, and even an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Beyond the oral history with Iggy, the book also includes interviews with people influenced by the Stooges including Joan Jett and Josh Homme. Included also are issues from various people including Jack White's tribute to "Fun House," a analysis on the city of Detroit being an official member of the band, and Iggy's impact on fashion.
Gold's book is an interview oral history with Iggy Pop tracing the career trajectory of the Stooges from their inception, recording their first three albums, fading into obscurity, and reuniting decades later. Gold presents photos and memorabilia from his own collection that Iggy comments on to add further context to stories and legends surrounding the Stooges. Despite being known for rampant drug abuse and getting knocked out at shows, Iggy is still quite eloquent and has a strong memory about his life with the Stooges.
While Iggy goes into the stories behind recording the first three albums, the main narrative thread surrounds their break-up, reunion, and obscurity in between. When the band broke up in 1974, it garnered very little attention. The first two albums quickly went out of print and were nearly impossible to find. "Raw Power," their third album, survived a little longer because David Bowie's name was attached to the album as being the mixer. The Stooges sold poorly, were relatively unknown, and if you wanted any of their music, you had to find bootlegs.
However, somehow, the next iterations of punk rockers like Joan Jett and the Germs carried on the Stooges' legacy by appropriating their sound. As time went on and this was carried on from band to band, from the Germs to Nirvana, the Stooges were garnering an increasing amount of underground respect. So, when the Stooges performed at Coachella in 2003, it was a surprise to everyone in the band just how beloved they had became after being unappreciated and dismissed for decades. Now, the Stooges are getting the respect they deserve through proper album reissues, better sales, music licensed in media, and even an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Beyond the oral history with Iggy, the book also includes interviews with people influenced by the Stooges including Joan Jett and Josh Homme. Included also are issues from various people including Jack White's tribute to "Fun House," a analysis on the city of Detroit being an official member of the band, and Iggy's impact on fashion.
September 26, 2023
Everything you ever wanted to know about the early years of Iggy Pop and the Stooges and probably lots of stuff you don't.
It's kind of amazing that a publisher would invest in creating a $50 coffee table book that would appeal to such a select audience. I agree that Iggy's influence on music is pretty profound, but I wouldn't go so far as to call The Stooges "The greatest band of all time" as at least one person has called them in this volume.
In the form of a long interview with James Osterberg, aka Iggy Pop, he recounts his introduction to the musical world and the drugs and debauchery that followed.
It focuses exclusively on The Stooge's years rather than his solo career, but those who are hardcore fans of Iggy, and punk in general will probably love this book.
It's kind of amazing that a publisher would invest in creating a $50 coffee table book that would appeal to such a select audience. I agree that Iggy's influence on music is pretty profound, but I wouldn't go so far as to call The Stooges "The greatest band of all time" as at least one person has called them in this volume.
In the form of a long interview with James Osterberg, aka Iggy Pop, he recounts his introduction to the musical world and the drugs and debauchery that followed.
It focuses exclusively on The Stooge's years rather than his solo career, but those who are hardcore fans of Iggy, and punk in general will probably love this book.
December 30, 2017
As perfect a telling of the Stooges story as you could want.
September 19, 2020
So much more than the pretty coffee table book I expected. A terrific oral history of the band side by side with an remarkable collection of photos and ephemera.
May 9, 2024
Search and Destroy
January 18, 2017
Lots of fun. Nothing earth-shattering if you know the general outline of the Stooges as covered elsewhere, but interesting perspective on Iggy as a result of the extended, in-depth interview format. Sort of sloppy editing and somewhat thrown-together ending essays, which surprising given the great production quality and all, but overall much enjoyed.
November 27, 2016
If you are a fan, then you will enjoy this book. It tells the story of The Stooges through an interview with Iggy Pop and memorabilia.
April 4, 2017
Fantastic overview of the musical career of Iggy Pop and The Stooges, complete with an incredible feast of photos, pictures of old flyers, magazine reviews, you name it. The book is primarily an interview conducted by the author, who is a Stooges expert, peppered wth the always informative and entertaining responses by Iggy. I would warn that this book will be best appreciated by Stooges fans; not sure it will make any new converts. A must-read for any punk-rock aficionado and those seeking an answer to the question "Who invented punk?"
April 18, 2017
Fucking A!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews