6 tracks that prove the genius of The Stooges drummer Scott Asheton
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Iggy Pop describes the brilliance of Scott Asheton’s drumming
Normally, when people think of proto-punk legends The Stooges, attention centres around frontman Iggy Pop, and, failing that, the guitar work of Ron Asheton and James Williamson. However, despite the individual brilliance of the aforementioned, the glue that held the whole operation together was drummer Scott Asheton, and in many ways, it was he that put the power in Raw Power.
Asheton passed away in 2014, but his work on all of The Stooges’ five studio albums is brilliant. The energy and skill he poured into their first three, 1969’s The Stooges, 1970’s Fun House, and 1973’s Raw Power, were key to them being hailed as some of the most consequential records of all time, with their influence still alive and well today. He was the no-nonsense ballast that The Stooges needed, and without him, they would not have been the same, something that all the band’s respective members made clear over the years.
Asheton first met Iggy Pop when the latter was working at Discount Records in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to make his drumming better. Quickly the two hit it off, with Asheton bugging Pop to teach him how to play the drums. Before too long, they were playing together, and the basis of The Stooges was formed.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2014, not long after Asheton’s death, Iggy discussed working with his old friend and described the extent of his musical aptitude, revealing that he picked the drums up very quickly.
He recalled: “Things didn’t get very far until I realised it would be better for me to work with a good drummer rather than continuing as a drummer myself in blues bands. Also, you could just look at this guy and tell that he had it. He was just a likeable and attractive person, and he picked the drums right up. I gave him my kit and showed him a couple of things. I’d be like, ‘Here’s how you do a Stax Volt beat. Here’s a Bo Diddley beat. This is a Middle Eastern one.’ He got it very quickly. I didn’t have to show him much.”
Describing his late friend’s iconic style of drumming, Pop continued: “Scott played drums with a boxer’s authority. When he wanted to, he had a heavy hand on the drums. He hit the drum very hard, but there were never a lot of elbows flying. He wasn’t showy. He didn’t have to make a physical demonstration to get the job done. When he played with you, it was always swinging. He brought a swinging truth to the music he played and extreme musical honesty.”
The ‘Gimme Danger’ vocalist then turned his attention to the impact Asheton had on The Stooges, and how he influenced the likes of Flea and Chad Smith, one of the most lauded rhythm sections of the contemporary era. Pop revealed that the key to Asheton creating an “authority” and “trance” was by playing just slightly behind the beat.
He said: “The thing that Flea and Chad Smith always understood is that Scott always played a little behind the beat, always a little back. He would hold the band back, just very slightly, from where it might have gone if it was going to rush ahead. It gave authority and a kind of trance to the music. He always, always, always played the song. He never got up there and started playing the kit to show everyone what he could play.”
