Albini has never met any of the Stooges — so far he’s just had a couple phone conversations with them — and only knows Watt casually. "I got a call out of the blue from Ron Asheton," he says. "They basically expressed a desire to set up and play live. We’ll see how that goes. I’ve yet to see the reconstituted Stooges, but by all accounts they’re playing like champions." In a recent Spanish-language interview, Iggy says hiring Albini was something Ron pushed for, in part because Albini has said he arrived at a lot of his ideas about recording by listening to Fun House. Iggy also praises Albini’s no-nonsense blue-collar approach, comparing it to a plumber’s.

One rumor that’s been following the project is that Jack White will play on the disc or produce it, but Albini has heard nothing either way. "I really have no idea. . . . There may be a point where an Edwardian carriage pulls up in front of the studio and Jack White and his footmen step out," he says. "By the way, I’ve never used the word ‘footmen’ in conversation before."