Live at Goose Lake, August 8, 1970

Goose Lake gives a strong sense of the band’s and Pop’s ability to create the same unhinged blues in a live setting.

As a time capsule, Live at Goose Lake documents and cements the legacy of the Stooges. No one really questioned this, mind you, but it’s nice to have even more evidence to show that the praises heaped on this band aren’t supported by fandom as much as they are supported by white, hot recorded proof.

Here is The Stooges Mk I's answer to the James Williamson-era Metallica KO - ferociously exciting on the brink of collapse. [Sep 2020, p.99]

While not a must-own for non-fans, it is the truest testament possible to the finale of The Stooges original lineup.

With ‘Dirt’ and ‘Funhouse’, we find a similarly expressive Pop in action, wrenching every ounce of feeling from the words. Iggy as a seer not a sucker. It’s refreshing to hear. The only sad thing about the whole experience is not really registering the rumble of Dave Alexander.

This is more than a revelatory, historical document. While it signals the beginning of the end of the original band, it also confirms that when rock’n’roll is at its best, it pushes forward into new territory and has the power to change how we think and how we feel. Live At Goose Lake is effectively a testament to sonic liberation.

The impressionistic and imperfect sound quality of Goose Lake ultimately feels fitting for a record that captures some of the band’s less performative and more human moments.