02.07.73 Raw Power Released, Life Made Tolerable.

Released 49 years ago today.

Brutal, simple, and boogie-free, Raw Power forgoes melody instead relying on the visceral power of the guitar riff to drive the songs forward. Although hardly noticed when released in 1973, the album would serve as the "how to guide" for aspiring guitarists of the nascent punk scene. Without it, players such as Cheetah Chrome, Johnny Ramone, Steve Jones, and countless others would likely have never made it out of the basement. For that we are eternally grateful.

Produced by David Bowie, the original mix was polarizing. Several attempts have since been made to "improve" it, which at this point is a bit like trying to punch up the Ten Commandments for a more casual feel. But before the masters were committed to vinyl, a few early mixes were leaked to WABX, Detroit's premier FM rock station at the time. Listen here as Mark Parenteau and Dennis Frawley discuss and play the tracks during a live broadcast.