Raw Power KEXP: Q&A with Barrett Martin

On Sunday, August 23, KEXP proudly presents Raw Power KEXP, an all-star tribute to proto-punks Iggy and the Stooges. Every day for the rest of this week, we’re asking the members of the Raw Power band - Mike McCready, Duff McKagan, Mark Arm, and Barrett Martin - why they love the Stooges.

Today, drummer Barrett Martin (Tuatara, Screaming Trees, Mad Season) hops in the hot seat.

How did you discover the music of the Stooges?

I discovered the Stooges when I was a kid in the ‘70s because my aunt (the rock & roll aunt everyone should have) was playing me records by The Who, The Rolling Stones, and Elton John, and The Stooges got mixed in there, too. I liked the rawness of The Stooges the best, although no one called it punk rock back then, it was too early for that term.

Later in my youth I investigated The Stooges again because they were clearly one of the most influential bands in the alternative rock movement, especially in Seattle. Their sound is classic, unique unto them, and it stands the test of time.

What’s your favorite record by the Stooges?

Raw Power.

Why’d you pick that one?

Because it’s got “Search & Destroy,” “Penetration,” and “I Need Somebody” which are genius songs. Although I have to say that Iggy's standalone single, “I Got a Right,” is probably the greatest American punk song of all time. That song, just by itself, kind of obliterates everything that came before or after it.