Pop goes Iggy

Iggy Pop "Lust for Life" 1977 


 Weird Intro: I remember being young and seeing a picture of Iggy Pop somewhere and being really confused and afraid and not knowing why. Though I later became a fan and was no longer frightened, I think I have always carried around the guilt with me that I once thought he was a ‘scary man’. He is a great musician and so I can rid myself of this guilt, I would like to do him a solid and give him a proper review of his album Lust for Life.

 Iggy Pop’s 1977 follow-up to The Idiot, found the artist moving in a much different direction than where he left off only five months prior.Lust for Life reminds the listener that Pop once fronted the Stooges and is not just another outlet for David Bowie to express himself. Being his second album with Bowie, Pop sounds more comfortable and focused than before. He has also stepped up his writing game as not to lose himself in his partner’s ideas- something he fell prey to in the past. The result is an intelligent, neatly written record with Iggy Pop’s signature shrieking, stream of conscious howling stamped on each track.

The record starts with an ageless drumbeat that has been recycled thousands of times, sitting right up front in the track’s mix. The title-track pummels the listener’s ears the moment one hits play, capturing your attention, and readying you for the rest of the tracks. This song could not be placed anywhere else on the album and have the same effect. It’s something that must be experienced right off the bat, and plays wonderfully into the following song, and my personal favorite “Sixteen,” the only song credited to Pop. 

Plenty of people enjoy Iggy’s previous work with the Stooges, and take refuge in the fact that they were, debatably; one the first punk rock bands to exist. I feel that because of his association with Bowie, and for the lack of aggression found on The Idiot, not everyone makes it to Lust for Life. It is here Iggy finds himself again. Jangling tracks such as “Passenger,” and “Tonight,” start off in a way that would disinterest most people- they consist of simple chord progressions with classic rock melodies slapped in the middle. But once one takes the time to fall into the hypnotic verses, they find sometimes Pop takes a little while to warm up, and can burst at any moment into an improvised rant, howling and sneering. This reminds the listener of the Stooges, a distorted, catchy, pissed off madness. It also reminds the listener that although he may not always be one hundred percent on where he is supposed to be going, Iggy Pop always finds his way back home.
 Track Listing *= personal favorite
 1. "Lust for Life" – 5:13*
 2. "Sixteen" – 2:26*
 3. "Some Weird Sin" – 3:42*
 4. "The Passenger" – 4:44
 5. "Tonight" – 3:39
 6. "Success" – 4:25
 7. "Turn Blue" – 6:56
 8. "Neighborhood Threat" – 3:25
 9. "Fall in Love with Me" – 6:30