Reviews (page 3 of 8)
"Nightclubbing" was in mijn puberteit al een klassieker die gedraaid werd op de momenten dat we allemaal echt compleet naar de kloten waren (wellicht een beetje uit Trainspotting gejat). De rest van de plaat is ook uitstekend, uiteraard erg Bowie-achtig. 4 sterren, neigend naar 4,5.
An album mostly in collaboration with David Bowie. Iggy's Berlin times.
Pretty good I think, even though David Bowie probably deserves as much credit for that as Iggy.
20/08/2025 Iggy Pop is better than I thought. Spotify listeners: 4.8 million
I really enjoyed this record. Iggy is doing his Iggy thing (that is, talk-singing in a satisfying blend of Bowie and Cocker), only this time it’s over some supremely cool 70s psych rock and even some early hard rock. There’s nothing too experimental here, just some great rock and a fun soundscape. I’d give this a 4.5, if only because a few songs overstay their welcome by just a hair.
Listened in the truck via YouTube music. Love Iggy and Bowie. Love this record. Never put together the Dum Dum Girls band name connection till this listen.
Great
Loved this album, but I get the references to it being sooo David Bowie.
Awesome the whole way through. Loved the Bowie production. Strong 4*
This has some amazing songs, primarily Nightclubbing and China Girl. I prefer Pop’s version of China Girl over Bowie’s. Funtime is also a highlight. It’s definitely a departure from his previous stuff. But it kind of falls apart at the end. The last track sort of cokes across as though he was trying to see if he could get away with putting it on there.
The Idiot is a pretty darn good album. Of course with it being an Iggy Pop album, it has all the positives and negatives of all his other albums. The songs here can be pretty enjoyable even if they are pretty weird as Iggy does seem to enjoy experimenting with whatever sounds he can use. The production is also a little weird but considering this was produced by David Bowie, that should be expected. At least the production here is better than that of Raw Power since this album doesn't sound like it was recorded in a dumpster but Iggy's vocals still seem to highlight the rather odd production. While Lust For Life was better at it's best, i feel that this album was a fair bit more consistently good so it gets a 3.5. Best Song: Tiny Girls Worst Song: Mass Production
I like the little Iggy Pop I have heard, and I love Bowie. I enjoyed this collab, particularly for the goth sound. I haven’t gotten a goth-y album from the generator yet and I think was fun
Now that was a very cool album. I knew that Bowie and Iggie worked on an album but since I’m not huge fan of Bowie’s 70s albums I just never listened to this before. I especially liked Sister Midnight", "Nightclubbing" and "Funtime". Now I really like Bowie’s early 80s stuff so I’m much more a fan of David’s version of China Girl. Definitely will give this some more listening time.
Experimentative. Not super interesting, but not bad.
3.5
Good but short
Very experimental for his debut album. Inspirational and mainly was due to David Bowie's masterful songwriting and production on it. Really stands out at the time but Pop's second album has more of the hits.
A good Iggy Pop album with lots of Bowie influence. More a 3.5 for me, but I'm rounding up
Jim and Dave go to Europe to get clean and record one of the best rock albums. Everything about it is delightful
Always had a soft spot for Iggy Pop. Hence...
Dark, guttural, dripping with Bowie's influence, and pretty amazing. Never really listened to Iggy Pop a lot so held no expectations and i have really enjoyed this.
A réecouter ! Tres bon !
I liked the sound and vibe, but I feel like a deeper analysis would require more attentive listening. It also unlocked my memory that Iggy Pop performed the intro song to the french cartoon Space Goofs.
VERY interesting. I'm listening to it thinking "This song is almost exactly like "Red Money" on Bowie's Lodger album!" And it in fact is. Down to the Carlos Alomar guitar drone. This is a lost Bowie album with pal Iggy Pop on vocals. It's also excruciatingly weird in places, making it all the more excellent. Iggy Pop has a Lou Reed style in places, and often sounds like he just woke up or is about to go to sleep. Glad to hear he finally got his shit together (?). Methinks the list rates him as a little more important than he really is, much like they do with Sonic Youth. But this album was an undiscovered gem of Bowie esoterica that I never knew about!
It ran out of steam slightly towards the end, but I enjoyed this sleazy stomp a lot. I might prefer Iggy Pop’s version of China Girl to Bowie’s.
#10 The Idiot ~ Iggy Pop Iggy is definitely a bit of an acquired taste with his rough, unrefined vocals and general personality, and The Idiot is not necessarily in his style, being produced by Bowie under mostly his writing, but this is an album that sounds very very good. In it, Iggy swaps out an untamed drug-induced wildness with a more wistful irony, whilst maintaining a growling bite to his vocal delivery, more noted in that excellent rendition of China Girl, which I like more than Bowie's version. And speaking of Bowie, he does an excellent job at crafting the songs of this album. Each song feels like a truly creative process unfurling, and they add real kick to Iggy's vocals, or portray one of his many moods that he reveals throughout the album, from perverted lust in 'Sister Midnight' and 'Funtime' to sardonic mockery in 'Dum Dum Boys' to cold paranoia in 'Mass Production'. The Idiot is a strange album in the Iggy discography, rather it's a blend of Iggy's rawness with Bowie's more reflective eclecticism. And some people will say this is not a Iggy album because of all the Bowie prints on it. That's bullshit. Without Iggy the music would have none of the things that make this album have personality. And this is what this album is. A more personal moment in Iggy's evolution. Verdict: Dostoevsky goes night-clubbing
Fine Iggy Pop album. Later night listening than Lust for Life. Better behaved than the Stooges stuff. The original China girl has more punch than Bowie’s.
Loved Nightclubbing, Funtime and China Girl and Tiny Girls - although lyrics show their age - but timeless. Pulp, LCD and many others could release Funtime now… hence 3 out of 5
Iggy brings the best into this Bowie ladden project. Works better than what I would've expected. I thought my headphones died on the intro to Mass Production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdQASuZN8BA
I love the feel of this album. Sometimes I think it might be my favorite Iggy Pop.
Fascinating album. You can feel the smoke, the haze with the production. Still relevant to this day.
6/4/25. Was surprised this wasn't more of a simple punk sound, but once I realized Bowie was involved it made sense. Good set of songs and the production is top notch.
If you only own one Iggy album this is it. Dave and Ig get off heroin in Berlin and getting clean never sounded so good.
fun stuff...more familiar songs than I realized
I liked this one so much I listened to it twice. It wasn't until the second pass that I realized Bowie was so heavily involved with the creation of this album. This is a completely solid album that I will come back to in the future, for sure. 4.5* Standout track: Funtime
Better than I was expecting, China Girl is Bowie-esque and a standout. Will listen to more Iggy past the singles.
Not fully my thing, but listenable! Very Bowie Influenced.
I listened to this early last week, but am only getting around to reviewing now. Based on what I remember this is easily a 4 / 5. Released in the same calendar year as the other album on this list, and also produced by Bowie, this one has a certain looseness and experimental nature about it that I love. Opener Sister Midnight doesn't really go anywhere -- just mood setting. Nightclubbing has a dilapidated quality to the synths that feel similar to some of those used by LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy. I really enjoy this song. Funtime is another standout to me that feels well ahead of its time. Did not realize that Iggy Pop was the first to record China Girl and that Bowie later put his own glitzier spin on it. Certainly has a different, almost more conflicted air about it here Love the degenerating, lopsided feel to Mass Production to end the album. For some reason I always find myself drawn to music that feels like it is trying to tear itself apart. This is a 4 and a high one at that.
Pretty wild album so far I'm digging it. Crazy interpretation of China Girl. Dum Dum Boys sounds like Jim Morrison.
Iggy and Bowie make a great combo
Mijn favoriete plaat uit het hoofdstuk Berlijn in de carrière van Bowie en Iggy (en Brian Eno natuurlijk). Niet perse omdat het een plaat is die veel replay-value heeft, maar wel omdat het die kille, minimalistische, spaarzame vibe van de Berlin underground het best weet te vertalen naar een 'pop' album. Iggy is een instrument van Bowie geworden in dit werk, en dat pakt fantastisch uit. Het is allemaal veel subtieler en sensueler dan zijn werk met The Stooges en ander materiaal uit de 70s, maar op de goeie momenten horen we toch die losbandige punker in hem. Die uithaal in 'China Girl' is iconisch. 'Nightclubbing' is met zijn drones, onheilspellende toeters en trage hypnotiserende ritme de ultieme Berlin-song, en 'Dum Dum Boys' is de hidden gem op dit album. Tuurlijk is het soms ook echt unlistenable, zoals tijdens fases in de afsluiter. Maar dat is dan ook wel weer de magie van dit koppel, die gek genoeg lieten horen dat avant garde en pop vrij dicht bij elkaar kon liggen. 7,5/10 Highlights: Nightclubbing China Girl Dum Dum Boys
Good stuff it you're into it. Definitely worth a little time to listen to.
Pretty great - much better than I expected
Fell asleep to this and it did make a nice ear worm. Will have to listen to when I’m awake. His frantic vocals, the energy he exudes through the speakers.
Iggy Pop - the Berlin years. Yeah, this is essentially a Bowie album, but Pop takes the sound to a place that Bowie couldn't reach. 4/5
Hadde æ skjønt at David Bowie va involvert helt av mæsjøl? Definitivt nei. Burde æ skjønt det? Sannsynligvis ja. Eneste albumet så langt æ har hørt på to ganger med vilje.
Stand out solo debut from Iggy..that version of China Girl was awesome. I loved the overall vibe
Iggy Pop is someone I've always heard of, but could never place anything he's done to his name. Didn't recognize any of the songs on this album, but I really enjoyed them all. Apparently Bowie helped produce this one, and I can certainly hear that influence here. The B-Side kind of lost me a bit though. "China Girl" will be making it to my 1001 best of playlist. ~ 4 stars
Strong album, can clearly hear Bowie's input. The closer Mass Production the highlight
3.5/5
You can hear a lot of the Bowie influence in this album!
A fantastic collaboration between Iggy and David Bowie. This album still sounds innovative and pretty strange even after all these decades. I like that Iggy took a different path after his Stooges years and started to make something so different. The influence on later bands, for instance Joy Division is clear.
A bold, innovative piece of rock that remains interesting and very weird at times. It might be too strange at times, and Iggy's singing, while unmistakable, is also very imperfect. But on the good side, it just works when leaning into rocks weird side, with instrumentation that would clearly influence a lot of the future of the genre. "Mass production" is the standout track for me.
I knew of Iggy Pop but only from Passenger, and had heard the David Bowie version of China Girl first. This version is decidedly more raw. Not a fan of the first song but the rest is pretty cool in that gloomy post punk way. In heard it’s influential for the development of post punk and I guess deservedly so.
Brilliant
Nice album with an interesting story behind the making of it. Lovely guitar playing too. I added 4 songs from the album to my '1001 albums favorite songs' playlist
At first I wasnt sure I was gonna like it because the title track wasnt what I expected. But as it went on I loved it, the back to back of China Girl and Dum Dum Boys is a highlight to me. Especially the latter, thats my type of song. I appreciate drone music with good bass.
Iggy Pop, produced by David Bowie—on paper, it sounds like a dream team. And honestly? It delivers. The Idiot is a fascinating listen, drenched in the moody, experimental vibe of Bowie’s late '70s Berlin era. Right from the opening track, Sister Midnight, it’s clear Bowie’s fingerprints are all over this. The production, the atmosphere, even the phrasing—this could easily be a Bowie track, and that’s not a bad thing. Songs like Dum Dum Boys and Funtime carry that same twisted glam energy. And then there’s China Girl—Iggy’s raw, haunting version is nearly as good as Bowie’s later polished take. It's cool to hear the original in all its gritty glory. Standout Tracks: Sister Midnight and Nightclubbing are absolute highlights. Both are hypnotic, weird, and utterly iconic. Least Favorite Track: Honestly, there isn’t a weak link here. The album flows in a strange, compelling way from start to finish. Album Artwork: The cover perfectly matches the music—striking, offbeat, and undeniably cool.
I kind of enjoyed this. Something between Black Sabbath, The Clash, Talking Heads and some other things I can't think of. Lots of nice sounds. Downsides? There's nothing especially memorable about it all. It's all a bit of nice noise, and then you finish the album and you go on with your day. I'm not humming the tunes or really thinking deeply about places I've been taken to. So this album is something in the middle. A high 3 or a low 4. It's a nice day and China Girl is really good. So it's a 4. Just.
Its a great album my favourite together with Lust for life, It’s also the last album Ian Curtis listened to before he comitted suicide
I know the name, but wouldn't have been able to point to anything he did. My initial reaction upon seeing the album cover was, "Is this a Bowie copycat?" It was surreal to then listen to Sister Midnight and hear Bowie's influence so strongly. And then to read that he had a huge hand in the album's development. Wild. Honestly, I actually like this more than several of Bowie's albums.
As much as I'm aware and attuned to Iggy Pop, my knowledge of his discography is limited (he's got a ton of albums), and I went into this with only a vague idea of what lay in store. From the opening notes, I figured David Bowie produced (a read of a review after I listened confirmed this), and while it sounds like the fourth album in Bowie's Berlin series, Iggy brings a whole new slant to the proceedings. Notably, I didn't realize "China Girl" was originally on this album, and I was struck by how this version felt dark and dangerous and gave me a whole new interpretation of its meaning versus the smooth cool of Bowie's released six years later. This was such a rich period of musical creativity, and this album contributes to that legacy. I also recognized "Funtime" from the movie The Hunger (Bowie, Sarandon, Deneuve), released the same year as Let's Dance, which includes Bowie's version of "China Girl." Really liked this album!
Not really listened to Iggy Pop before but I already knew Nightclubbing. Enjoyed it. Easy to connect the dots to groups who followed and were clearly influenced by him ie Joy Division, Depeche Mode
Iggy, goes to Europe ending in Berlin with friend David and Brian, in 1977 they release 4 bloody albums, taking the German urban industrial electronic sounds, Enos infuence and their rock and soul background and made glorious, inflencial music, here we are. 4.25 Stars, on the right day 5, especially with its sister Lust.
3/4
Me at 19: “I’m a Stooges Guy.” Me at 36: “I’m a Solo Iggy Pop Guy.”
toch een klein meesterwerkje
Fav: China Girl Least Fav: Sister Midnight They named an album after me
Really good album bit dark at times, loves the david Bowie bits
Iggy og Bowie, það getur ekki klikkað. Góð plata í heild, nightclubbing fannst mér best. 4,2
Man, wat heb ik een hekel aan valse zang en zang die helemaal niet samenvalt met de muziek. En toch: ergens past hier die rare zang juist wel perfect. Soms weet hij het zelfs catchy te maken, zoals bij Nightclubbing. Nightclubbing toont ook gelijk dat hij niet alleen zijn stem laat vervormen, maar ook de instrumenten. Ik lees mijn eerdere tekst over Iggy en herken dat ook nu weer. Het is een soort Praga Khan uit de tijd met minder morderne mogelijkheden. En ook dit album is flink gevarieerd, zonder zijn kernkleur te laten verbleken. Ik vond Lust for Live fijner, maar ook hier wil ik afgerond wel vier sterren aan geven.
Het hele album ademt een soort duisterheid uit. Pop en zijn kompaan Bowie zaten in die tijd veel in Berlijn. En het lijkt alsof ze zo'n duistere stad beschrijven, waar de zon nooit schijnt en het altijd regent. Gruizig en schmudzig, bijna een soort Gotham City. De gitaren geven dat gruizige Gotham city gevoel. De opname en de drums zijn dof, alsof je in de club staat, tot je enkels in het bier en vanaf je oksels in de rook. Een soort cyberpunk is het. En dat sfeertje vind ik toch wel tof. Soms lijkt het ook wel op the Doors, als de nummers traag en meeslepend worden. Iggy Pop klinkt dan als een Jim Morrison, die uit zijn graf op Pere Lachaise is opgestaan en nog even een paar nummers voordraagt. Ik kan hier prima van genieten. Het is dat ik hier niet mee ben opgegroeid en dit niet grijs gedraaid heb, want ik ga hier nu (na 3x luisteren) 4 sterren voor geven. Maar het heeft potentie voor 5 misschien zelfs wel.
I of course know a fair bit of Iggy but had not ever listened to this. I was really surprised by the restraint on the album, I was expecting something far more bombastic for lack of a better word.
83% Best: Sister Midnight; China Girl; Dum Dum Boys Must-Hear? Sure
Album 657 of 1001 Iggy Pop - The Idiot (1977) Rating : 3.75 / 5 Good album. David Bowie's producing influence is pretty strong here. While I like the album, I think one could get more of "Iggy Pop" by listening to another. Still...a good listen.
iggy ymmärtää
Good solid album
3.5/5
A few duds, but overall an incredibly influential album with a couple stand out tracks
Eno is to Bowie as Bowie is to Pop. If I owned a scuzzy record store I would definitely subject my patrons to this. Maybe that makes me "woke" or something like that. Iggy is really good at offering the listener some strange gothic post-punk into that Berlin sound.
Hey little China Girl
I understand why Ian Curtis killed himself listening to this album. All jokes aside it was actually pretty solid and idc for iggs all that much but I enjoyed it. Definitely see the influence it had on joy divisions sound
paita pois iikka, vittu näytä nännitn näytä nännit pikku iikka pikkupoika näytä ne vitun nännit missä on nännnnnnnnnnnnnnnes pliispliispliis miten miten voi olla ettei nännit paista albumkoverissa... VITTTTUUU.. moking until he good tterthan lane smoking once outs o everyth you cant do that sunlightyou feel ove to smoke the airport and stick it to pick her smoking shit fine until as the good better than roplane smoking patience outside ja muut lerpsakat luikautukset. siinä on sulle pähkinä purtavaks. mä oon tälläne ihan tavalline käyny ton levyseppähitsaajakoulutuksen ja muuta... sano mummo ku pikkase liukastu... röpöttää röpöttää mutta ei voi mitään masss production
It’s Iggy :) man could shit in some vinyl and I would still be genius :) early stuff but still awesome :)
Pretty killer, a few tracks that didn’t click with me but otherwise great
I loved this album! A bit raw, but well… 77s Iggy and David, who knows what was going one in their bloodstreams! The compositions sound somehow timeless, the sound definitely not… but the overall vibe was great. Will come back to this album later.
Awesome album and collaboration with his good buddy Bowie. Short and sweet and suitably Iggy! Love nightclubbing!!! Interesting to hear the first iteration of ‘china girl’ before Bowie took it to popular culture. This is iggys second album in the 1001 challenge. It sounds very different to the first so I will allow it 😂
I really enjoyed this album! It lost a bit of energy towards the end, but that was just part of the journey. I didn’t read anything about the album before I listened to it, and kept thinking how much it sounded like Bowie! All makes sense now after reading the description! Fave track: nightclubbing (which I’d heard before, such a banger!)
Songs i knew:0 Songs i liked: most of em Loved this album, sounds great and I imagine for the time there was nothing around like this. Will deffo visit this album again. Mid 4.
Clearly our Iggy was doing a lot of coke with Bowie during this period. And that’s a good thing, great drug. I’ve never been that into Iggy Pop, always thought his solo stuff was just a derivative of The Stooges. This is pretty surprising though, more Bowie than MC5. Nowt wrong with MC5, but it’s good to know he’s got a few more strings to his bow. This is more post punk than punk, and all the better for it. China Girl is proper vibes once it gets going - so good I stuck it on repeat for a bit. Best Tracks: China Girl, Tiny Girls (questionable titles aside), Nightclubbing Worst Track: Mass Production is a bit of a slog
Belting album this with a backstory as interesting as the album itself. When you know they recorded this in Berlin to escape their addictions in LA but didn't realise that Berlin was chocker with smack you can hear it in the music. Especially the slow, stompy, zombie sound of Nightclubbing, Dum Dum Boys and Mass Production. It's as much a Bowie album as an Iggy Pop album and at times sounds even more like a Bowie album. Has that same swagger. Highlights: Sister Midnight Nightclubbing China Girl Lowlights: If I was being picky I'd say Tiny Girls. Bit dodgy that mate but I liked the Lou Reedy vibes.
I liked how loose this was.
A unique sounding album. I was thinking one of the songs sounded David Bowie-ish, then I heard China Girl, which I didn't know another version existed, then I found out Bowie co-wrote this album. Anyway, I certainly wouldn't say that I loved the album, but it's different, somewhat catchy, and I wouldn't mind hearing it again.
This is great - I like Iggy the best when he’s David Bowie. I’m not sure China Girl would pass today, but it’s the best song on the album
I totally understand However, because Bowie largely created it, fans do not generally consider the album as being representative of Pop's output because this is definitely a Bowie album through and through. It's got his hands all over it, and even includes a song he'll later release as a single himself. Iggy's voice over Bowie's music creates a very interesting sound, and can definitely hear the Kraftwerk influence on Mass Production. I enjoyed listening to this quite a bit.
My first impression was, did I accidentally put on a Bowie album? Then immediately realized no, Iggy impersonated Bowie for a minute. Regardless of who deserves the credit for The Idiot, it’s a great album. Most accessible of the Berlin era, China girl might be my favourite for the 3 this era 8.5/10
7/10…
This feels like as much a Bowie album as an Iggy Pop one, but that's not a bad thing at all. I liked Iggy's stuff with the Stooges, and while this is quite different, it's also very much to my taste. I liked his version of China Girl as much as Bowie's. A strong four.
mid-70s Bowie-influenced, another LP from my collection
One of Iggy's two great collaborations with David Bowie that revitalized his career, in my opinion it's a little inferior to Lust For Life. It's very good though, and an album best consumed as a whole. My one knock on it is that it doesn't really have any standout tracks, but it's cohesive, darkly weird, and sounds great. Like Lust For Life, Bowie's fingerprints are all over it. At times I have to remind myself that it's an Iggy record and not a Bowie album (to be clear, this is a good thing). Overall it's an excellent album that is essential to Iggy's career and to Bowie's late 70's period.
7/10 Love the Jazz influence Beautiful sax solo near the end
Quite good
Wow... Not what I was expecting from the guy who recently left The Stooges and is regarded as a punk icon. Front half sort of answers the unasked question "What if Bowie wrote and produced a Devo album?" I like it, but it's obviously and entirely a Bowie album that Iggy just sings on.
Ok. 3.5. This is a good album. Hadn’t heard it before but enjoyed it. I had heard Iggy pop. Just not this one. Probably his best work. Very strong.
Only a genius would call themselves an idiot. But he is standing in the snow inappropriately attired. Probably Berlin. Not far from Mr Bowie he made this with or for. Making art together must be the best way to solve an serious drug addiction. What an odd pair. But gives the lyrics a new meaning. The results are pretty good. Meanwhile this Prince Myshkin sounds ok, hmm, mayabe I should read some Dostoevsky.
A fine album to get Iggy's solo career off and running. Much more nuanced than anything from The Stooges and of course doesn't have The Stooges raw, visceral energy but the songs are good and the lyrics thought provoking. Not the punch to the gut that the Stooges were but this one seduces in other ways. 4 stars
Iggy and Ziggy work very well together, but I have to say, this feels so much more like a Bowie record than Iggy's, and I'm pretty okay with that. I'll also say, this album contains the superior version of China Girl.
Du bon Iggy Pop de qualité, comme d'habitude
This really was a gem.
The David Bowie involvement is obvious as it sounds more like a Bowie album than a The Stooges album. The proto-punk sound is gone and replaced by Bowie's art rock style. If you like David Bowie you'll probably like this album as well.
Rating: 7.5/10 Very good album overall. The incorporation of electronic and dance elements was very well done, this album is so interesting sonically while also being quite catchy. Iggy Pop is able to be his quirky self without going overboard with the experimentation to create a very enjoyable album (for the most part). Favorite songs: Sister Midnight, Nightclubbing, China Girl, Dum Dum Boys, Mass Production. Worst song: Tiny Girls.
Somewhat amusingly, this is the best David Bowie album that this list has served up for me so far, the others being Low, Heroes, and Station to Station. Having not heard this album before, I was expecting something a lot more like The Stooges since this is Iggy Pop's first solo album since they split. Surprised and delighted.
Really cool album. Standouts songs: Nightclubbing Dum dum boys Mass Production
They may have been two of the coolest people on the planet at the time but can you imagine how annoying it would be to watch Iggy Pop and David Bowie detox together in Europe?
feels like its own unique experience and i like that
An album rich with history tying in neatly to Bowie’s own struggles with Drug Addiction and the music history being made in mainland Europe from 1976-1978 with this Bowie/Pop collaboration.
Solid album. Does this count as classic rock yet? Like have things shifted enough? or that’s just in my head?
There's 3 stooges albums and 2 Iggy albums on the list. I think it's too much, but this record is different enough. Punk was still brand spanking new and this was already post-punk. Favorite song: Baby
Kanske feber men det här bir fem stjärnor
With late ‘70s David Bowie production, a tinge of Lou Reed vocally, and a curiously mystifying charisma, Iggy Pop creates a wholly unique record that vastly separates itself from the loud, energetic sound of The Stooges and the solo “Lust For Life,” yet creates the perfect dichotomy of his character in doing so.
This is a lot of fun. Iggy does Bowie. Sounds a bit like Bauhaus. And, honestly, it still sounds fresh. Good song writing. Good band. Unique talent.
Iggy is just a guy that does what he wants
Shades of Bowie
This is exactly my kinda album. It makes you wanna dance like a weird background character in Twin Peaks. I loved this. It falls short of a 5 star masterpiece, but I seriously thought about it. Album cover: B+ It's nothing special visually, but extra points cause I like photos of Iggy looking like a goober. It definitely matches the title.
To quote NME’s review of this album, it is “totally rivetted and fettered to a thoroughly unhealthy aroma of evil and twilight zone zombie-time unease.” Yes, agree. I definitely felt that sense of unease listening to this, Iggy’s voice is so cold and robotic, like a needle with a microphone. The interesting thing about this album is it’s more a Bowie album than an Iggy album. “The Idiot” in this case can be interpreted to be Iggy, acting as the jester in Bowie’s dystopian court. Bowie puppetmastered this whole thing, appearing to “help” his friend by writing these songs and having Iggy sing over them while subsequently ensuring his album Low was released first so as not to give the impression that The Idiot influenced it (although to his credit, Bowie did use Low as leverage with the record companies to get The Idiot released, ensuring financial success for his friend, something he would do again by releasing his own version of China Girl). But to me this album is really about codependency, Bowie needed Iggy and this project as much as Iggy needed him, to help pull each other out of addiction. It’s also about the breaking of Iggy’s codependency on The Stooges, as elaborated on the Dum Dum Boys, proving he could be a solo force without them. I would also agree with another reviewer who noted this is an album that was “more respected than loved”. It is an important entry into both Bowie and Iggy’s catalogs, an intersection during a friendship that proved fruitful for both of them.
If I had to describe it in a word, it's cool. Instruments sound great, the bass tone especially. I don't like all the early songs, but Funtime works for me and China Girl is exceptional. Followed by another strong one in Dum Dum Boys, built around a bluesy but quite heavy riff. The last track Mass Production is slow and also heavy, gradually building with pounding bass and psychedelic effects. It's a trip.
Yep, this is cool. A nice surprise. Didn’t realise Bowie was so heavily involved which is right up my street. Added to the library
Strong David Bowie and Lou Reed vibes on this one. Interesting album.
Very strong solo debut, with big Bowie influence it seems. Really not much to criticize but just not convincing enough for full marks.
Ikke super spesielt men ikke dårlig heller liksom
This is my first full iggy album. Its not what i was expecting. You can tell it has bowie written all over this. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, just not the style i associate iggy with. I enjoyed sister midnight. Nightclubbing was a standout. China girl was good too. Overall a pretty good album. I think its a grower, not a shower. Will take a few more listens for me to really appreciate it.
Another album that I was surprised I liked as much as I did!
Weirdly enough, I wasn’t really a fan of the first two songs, but then it just got better and stayed better from ‘Funtime’ onward. It’s kind of like a David Bowie album, just a bit different, which makes sense considering the fact that he produced this, not to mention the fact that he’s basically as important as Pop in the backstory and production of this album. Anyway, pretty good. I think Lust For Life is generally considered better than this one, so that could be 5 stars, but I’ll have to see.
This sounds more Bowie than Iggy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I like the rawness that Iggy brings to this.
"The Idiot" is the debut studio album by American musician Iggy Pop. Musically, Iggy called it "James Brown meets Kraftwerk." That leaves a lot open. I'd say post-punk is more accurate. David Bowie produced and wrote the music while Iggy wrote and sung the lyrics for the album. Bowie also played most of the instruments. The recording took place after the break-up of the Stooges and a period of drug addiction where Bowie and Iggy moved to Europe to kick their habit. The album had largely positive reviews and, commercially, hit #30 in the UK and #72 in the US. "Sister Midnight" opens the album in a funky way with the bass and a droning synth. Nice underlying guitar. Iggy talking and yelling in a deep voice. This song sounds a lot like Bowie's "Fashion." It's about a cipher who could send Iggy to the moon or fall back to earth. "Nightclubbing" introduces instruments one at a time: electronic drum, synth, bass, piano and a distorted guitar. It's electronic, Krautrock if you will. Iggy singing in a cold, emotionless tone. It's about hanging out every night (clubbing) with Bowie. I believe it's a xylophone that's creating an Asian melody in "China Girl." Guitar background, clear bass and drums. A very nice mixing job. Great guitar bridge. It's about unrequited love and an actual Asian woman. I like this version better than Bowie's remake in 1983. Side two begins with "Dum Dum Boys." Iggy's talking about his ex-Stooge's bandmates. Slow drums, a wah-wah guitar and a repeating piano. The album closes with hypnotic and industrial "Mass Production." Synths, horns and guitar are featured. Iggy's vocals are fully throttled. This album is electronic, cold, experimental and droning. This has to be a singular entry in the Iggy Pop catalogue. It sounds more like a Davud Bowie album. And actually, some people consider it part of his Berlin trilogy set of albums. "The Idiot" was recorded before "Low" and, for some, connects the musical dots from "Station to Station" to "Low." I'll buy that. Overall, this is very good album and a must listen for all Bowie and Iggy fans.
Iggy being icky aside, a great album.
Good album for a guy who slept with a 13-year-old and seems to be incredibly okay with that. For shame! I'll rate this on music alone even though it's hard. I'll try to do the same for Kanye, Bowie, Led Zep, but can't promise anything.
I wish I was more familiar with this part of Iggy Pop's career. I need to allocate more time.
I like Iggy.
Iggy Pop sounds like a dangerous and sexy version of David Bowie. It seems like everything he sings is really cool. He could be singing about farts. I don't care. He's so cool! I honestly don't know much about his work. I know some songs but I've had some of their albums on my list for some time. It was a pleasant surprise.
I'm at about a 3.5 with this. I don't always love his singing and sometimes think he sounds a little ridiculous. Knowing that David Bowie is involved somehow seems to make more sense now.
Iggy Pop and David Bowie, whom Iggy worked with deeply here, go hand in hand at this point in their careers. They may as well just be considered the Hall & Oates of the 70’s, only more inventive of a world unique to them and not necessarily following others (no shade to H&O…I love them). The Idiot is a fantastic escapade into art dance and club music. The astounding thing about Iggy is that he was a pioneer of punk music in the late 60’s with his band The Stooges, and later became a pioneer of electronica music with his work here with Bowie. This music, along with bands like Kraftwerk led to the electronica and goth explosions in the 80’s and 90’s. This album is definitely a very important historical document and worth every second of a persons attention.
crazy album, nooit naar Iggy pop geluisterd maar wel erg vet, leuk om te horen, goeie David Bowie vibe ook wel, snap wel dat zij dit samen tijdens hun drugsverslaving geschreven hebben, lekker doen joh, niks mis mee
“I’m going to copy David Bowie. To prove it, here’s David Bowie” Yes, this album is a tad derivative, but it’s also pretty fun. Most of them have some feeling in them. “Dum Dum Boys” could have been better in a variety of ways. Seems like filler to me. Overall, though, very nice. 4/5
Sounds like a Bowie album. I love Bowie. What’s not to like?
What I'm about to say sounds super reductive, but I'm not sure I've ever heard an album before that sounds like the audio version of puppetry. That being said this is some great stuff, just with that strange story to it's production. Is the song Funtime a distant relative of the Monster Mash-verse of songs? "last night I was down in the lab (Fun) talkin' to Dracula and his crew All aboard for funtime" The bass on Dum Dum Boys is great, tho sounds like something else I can't place that came before or after... I think this a solid album with some awkwardness.
A disembodied David Bowie - who influenced who, that is the question? Enjoyable from that perspective alone.
this is fun
It’s just iggy. Good album not really my listening.
Pure and simply this is a classic album, it's a shame it's so short. It is similar to a number of other artists albums- Bowie (obviously) but also I hear bits of Transformer (also produced by Bowie). It's so dissolute. A sad thing of beauty.
I had never listened to an Iggy Pop album, and that's on me. Man, I've been missing out. AMAZING record.
favourite song: nightclubbing pretty sure this is the first album ive gotten with a song that features in the trainspotting soundtrack, based on that alone it deserves a 4
Solid. Love Iggy's version of China Girl. Much more sinister than Bowie's version but I detect sadness instead of anger inside that sneering veneer. The album is a bit more downbeat than I anticipated but Iggy and Bowie were trying to clean themselves up so I understand the darkness in the album.
not listened to much by him before but i really enjoyed this
This was a weird and unexpected journey into the mind of Iggy Pop. As everyone else pointed out, the Bowie influence is palpable throughout. This makes for a FANTASTIC journey through weird and wonderful soundscapes. Truly enjoyable and may be my favorite Iggy Pop album. Standout Tracks: Sister Midnight, Nighclubbing, Dum Dum Boys
I liked it! pretty good debut album. you can really hear the Bowie influence in a few songs. its pretty varied too, the sax in Tiny Girls is great. also doesnt overstay its welcome.
Really enjoyed this album. I’m guessing this is one of the Bowie produced albums because it just straight up sounds like a dirtier grungier Bowie album.
Probably fairer to consider this as a Bowie/Iggy collaboration album, as it is so far from The Stooges and so close to what Bowie was doing. The only issue there would be that I would expect more from Bowie! It is a good album with plenty of light and shade, and some very odd lyrics, but it just doesn't hit home in the same way as plenty of his other work (both solo and with The Stooges) - so I can't give it full marks. I enjoyed it and found it interesting though, so it came close!
Classic album with quite a bizarre atmosphere
This is great, fucking love it
Venga, 4. China Girl.
Excellent but not bowie
Classic Britpop / Punk
The start of the Iggy/Bowie era. A change to the usual Iggy wanna be your dog approach
57/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
I can't lie the way Iggy Pop sings is a bit creepy, but this album is very well made. Stand-out: China Girl
Venga, 4. China Girl.
Not at all what I was expecting from an Iggy Pop album. Solid post-punk that gets extra consideration for being pretty early to the genre.
I've never really known the music of Iggy Pop - other than a couple of songs on Lust for Life that I didn't actually know were his - but it turns out I l really like him. The funny thing is that I reviewed David Bowie's Low a couple of days ago, which was made right after The Idiot. I didn't really like Low all that much but this album much better. Had to listen to it on YouTube though because it's no longer available on Amazon.
The intro had me worried that I'd be thinking more of Kraftwerk than Bowie whilst listening, but by the middle of the album I was very much enjoying myself, and by the end I would consider this an extremely solid album, full of those long, dreary songs that I tend to love, and this oppressing atmosphere that I believe only David Bowie's production could pull off so well for another artist. Do I admittedly believe this album would be all the better were Bowie singing here, and at the end of the day is it more Bowie than Iggy? Perhaps, but that isn't to discredit Iggy Pop, because I believe his lyrical additions suit the music well, and give it this of punkiness that I think others would struggle to grasp. In that way it feels like a remix album of Stooges songs, where someone with killer production skills completely flipped Stooges songs on their head, and I think that really works in its favor. I still don't think too much of those first two tracks, and on a short album that can really kill it, but the rest of the album is top notch stuff. Could see this being a higher score someday, for sure.
Really enjoyed this record
It's moody and a bit unsettling. One hell of a debut album.
Cure for my hangover
Expecting punk (of which I'm not a fan), I got something that sounded like Bowie. Oh, this album's music was entirely composed by Bowie. Oh, he and Iggy were super close friends and collaborators. Oh, "China Girl" came out a full 6 years before on this album. So anyways, with the feeling of having lived under a rock, I'm now diving into The Stooges. See you on the other side. 4/5
I don't think any of the songs on this quite reach the song lust for life but nevertheless this was a really interesting album. It felt like David Bowie does post-punk Kraftwerk and the wiki says that's pretty much exactly what it is to the point that people just consider this to be another David Bowie album I guess. It even sounds like David Bowies voice in parts. Regardless of who made it, it was a good listen and I especially liked sister midnight and nightclubbing.
Good tracks. You can tell David Bowie and Iggy Pop hung out a lot together in the late 70's but it's difficult to say which was the dominant influencer. Elements of this album showed up on later Bowie works but with a lot more polish.
Bowie's arrangements are excellent on this album. And Iggy's voice and lyrics fit the music wonderfully. And interesting topic, I now know where Marilyn Manson (Brian Warner) got his vocal inspiration from.
Nice punky vibe.
While not my favorite album that Iggy's had a hand in, I've always liked this one. It feels dark, almost dangerous. It also wouldn't sound out of place had it been released in the '80s, so in that way it's ahead of its time. Lyrically, it represents Pop at the crossroads between eras, and you can hear him actively shaking off his demons in these songs, or at least doing his best to ignore them. If it's not his best work, well, it's certainly a respectable one.
Very Bowie. For obvious reasons. I dug this album, I was surprised to hear China Girl. 4
Good mid-period Iggy collaboration with David Bowie.
This is a cool one, I don’t think I’ve heard it before. A lot more subdued and structured than I expected in comparison to the Stooges stuff. Can definitely hear Bowie’s influence, pretty neat
Venga, 4. China Girl.
Will be blasting this in my 2001 Ford Explorer with my dum dum boys.
What an intense and vicious bastard. Great musician and still rockin’! Who’d have thought?
Prefacing everything I’m about to write by saying that this was a STRONG start to this music challenge. The bar has been set, and It’s definitely pretty damn close to the ceiling. Anyways, Calling Sister was the perfect start to this album. Mixed really well through headphones and I really enjoyed the techno / dark funk feeling. China Girl was by far my absolute favourite song. So much emotion, the chimes in the song, agh. After reading the history of the album, I absolutely hear David Bowie in this. Some of the songs could have a bit of fat trimmed off, such as the final song of the album. Otherwise, the album itself was a great listen. I have never given Iggy Pop much of a chance, but after this, I definitely will be adding to my playlists.
I knew some songs but had never listened to the album. Good.
Okay... let me give this a try... I typically like Iggy more as a character than a musician... let's see about this offering... Apparently Ian Curtis (Joy Division) committed suicide while listening to this? The Bowie influence is very obvious. Kinda crazy for Iggy and Bowie to release The Idiot, Lust for Life, Low and Heroes in 1977. Kinda messy... but I like messy... this is much better than I expected!
I wanted to like this one better than I did. It's not bad but nothing really stood out to me, will listen again in the future. The stories behind the album are cool but the music just didn't do it for me as much as I wanted it to.
If this list has taught me one thing it’s that Iggy and Bowie were tight. I liked this. Pretty rough around the edges but it’s interesting to hear something between Fun House and Lust For Life. But I guess this is more of a Bowie record than Iggy record. China Girl was great and Dum Dum Boys.
Mostly excellent
This album really does sound like David Bowie had his hands all over it, and that’s a good thing. Often eerie, dark, loud, and raw.
I remembered this as a five-star album. I guess I’d forgotten about a few mediocre tracks in the middle. It’s still got a lot of good stuff, and I like how Bowie helped Iggy go from unrestrained wild man proto-punk front man, all hot and heavy, to detached, cold post-punk crooner. It makes me want to listen to Lust for Life again and see if it’s still a five star album for me. I always liked that one better anyway.
Its great for a David Bowie record. Not as much for an Iggy one kkk
Very good! It has more Bowie than Iggy
I love the music here, once again questionable content with the young girls
Very progressive for the time. Great handful of tunes.
My favorite iggy album is lust for life but this one is still great. what happens when your creepy uncle and his cool bestie make an album together?
I've never really listened to a full Iggy Pop album - this is such a great album. Classic. Some songs are similar to David Bowie's stuff.
Un tanto flojo para ser de Iggy Pop. Un 4.
No annoying songs, overall a good vibe that's more chill than expected. Thankfully no screaming. 3.5 or 4, will listen to again
I think the first side is excellent, but the second side let it down a bit.
Interesting music. Liked it.
Very noisy and industrial with its version of new wave. Almost like a proto-no wave album! Im very digging it
Wacky album pretty much just David Bowie with a different voice. Fav song: China Girl
There is this slow, unassailable, confident energy enveloping this whole album. And it's all a night energy--literally the first four songs directly reference nighttime. This confidence of an idiot who doesn't know any better is just so darned attractive, especially when the person in question is not an idiot. Oh, and I prefer this version of "China Girl". I wonder what it was like to walk the streets of Berlin at night in the 70s. With Bowie at your side. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to hear that his ghost still walks there, moseying along to the warped electronics of "Mass Production". And one last thing: if you're going to get your strings pulled by someone, you could do worse than Bowie.
It's 1977. Punk is in full swing. It is by and large stealing sounds Iggy Pop was making five years earlier. Meanwhile, Iggy is making a record that sounds five years ahead of its time.
That was an unexpected burst of joy.
On his debut, Iggy pop sounds like a Bowie clone while wearing a shirt for what I can only assume was the first and last time in his career. A damn good short-wearing Bowie clone.
Pretty good
A nice Bowie collaboration album that leads nicely into Bowie’s Low.
Was okay
Iggy soundtracks the uneasy interval between after-midnight and the fall of fitful sleep. While the uncomfortable middle is scenario-accurate, I didn't love the presence.
Like the lost transition from the Glam to the Berlin Trilogy, a brilliant inward look at a rocker.
I've never really been interested in Iggy Pop, but I am a David Bowie fan. I have never listened to this album before today, but after reading the writeup on the album and Bowie's involvement, I was intrigued. After listening through twice, I agree with another reviewer's comment that this can be considered the 4th Bowie Berlin era album. Sounds so much like Low and Heroes. I believe this one will go into regular rotation for me. Favorite Songs: Tiny Girls, Mass Production, Sister Midnight
I guess there are folks who don’t consider this a true Iggy Pop album because Bowie is all over it, but whatever. This album rules from start to finish. Love Nightclubbing and Dum Dum Boys in particular.
4.25
this is a cool album. Exactly what you’d expect from a Pop/Bowie collab. Must have been really jarring for fans of the Stooges to listen to this when it came out though.
Faltava-me sagacidade para conhecer esta parceria do Bowie.
Pop and Bowie really had a spark here
dinner shagger.
Excellent first album. David Bowie collaboration. China Girl! Listened to album twice.
Did you guys know that Ian Curtis died listening to this album
Without knowing Iggy’s sound, one would most likely find this bad, but I know the Stooges and love the sound. Sister Midnight, Funtime, China Girl, Dum Dum Boys, Tiny Girls and Mass Production. Great Saxophone by Bowie in Tiny Girls. I don’t like the synths in Baby and the only song I didn’t really like.
Awesome post-punk album.
Queens of the Stoneage but 30 years earlier
i like stuff like this
Töff og svolítið drungaleg. Bowie pródúcerað gott stöff.
This album certainly does have a David Bowie flavor, and I might have always thought that "Nightclubbing" was a David Bowie song. Then, to hear a really rough version of "China Girl" was a big surprise! I found that I quite liked Side One, but Side Two not as much. All in all, though, it's an interesting journey that I enjoyed today.
I really appreciate having such easy access to the vast streaming library of music out there so that I can explore artists such as Iggy Pop that I was always a bit curious about. This album was pretty good for me, although I was more captured by the first few tracks than the later.
Enjoyable, but not as compelling as the Stooges records that came before it, or the Iggy records that came after it. Remarkable as his comeback, and as his first collaboration with Bowie. I recently listened to his interview on Broken Record podcast, and Rick Ruben asked him about his introduction to Bowie. He described the music as not his cup of tea (it was probably Hunky Dory that he first listened to), but realizing the talent and imagination of Bowie's music was special. That tells me that Bowie was likely pulling Iggy in a direction that he may not naturally go. Fascinating though, to read about their paths intertwining - both recovering from drug addiction at the time - and how much they influenced each other, with Bowie continuing to explore the songs and the sounds that are on this record.
I have to say that this was completely unlike what I expected when I heard it. I expected the energy and craziness that I'd seen of Iggy, especially with The Stooges, on old clips from TV shows. But this album is a much more tame, calmer, almost mature selection of songs than I guessed it would have been. Of course I then had to investigate, and it became much clearer when you understand the influence David Bowie had on this album, because then you can understand why it is the way it is. Does that make it better or worse? I don't know. But I know that on my first listen I grew more intrigued with what had been produced, and then on my second listen through I found myself enjoying it much more. The third time convinced me that there was indeed something here. So while this isn't punk nor anything like The Stooges had produced, it does have a nice resolution about the music. And Iggy sounds great, it has to be said. I enjoyed this thoroughly, wish I'd heard it earlier in my life.
Is this really an Iggy Pop album? It sounds like vintage '77 Bowie to me, especially the start. The intro to "Sister Midnight" borrows from "Fame" and the rest of the song was born-again as "Red Money" on "Lodger" a couple of years later. You have to tip your hat to Bowie to coming to Iggy’s rescue, writing and playing. I read somewhere that on the next LP Iggy rushed to the studio to make sure Bowie wouldn't sing too. While Stooges fans probably weren't fond of this new synth-based sound, Iggy's delivery is one of a kind - he's the missing link between Jim Morrison and Joy Division. There are some great tracks here. The LP loses momentum later on & a couple of the songs are longer than they need be.
Bowie invloeden zijn aanwezig. Divers album
If there is anyone out there who doesn't love Iggy Pop I pity that person. How can you not love Iggy? 4 stars.
First listen...trash. Second listen...wait a minute... I haven't gotten to the third time around, but looking forward to it. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding
Likes: Chill vibe, gritty 70’s NYC sludge, droning discordant melodies Dislikes: A little too consistent sonically, could use some more colors in the palette Vibes on vibes on vibes… Slow dripping like honey.
I don't usually like Iggy Pop, but the Bowie influence on this is huge.
First Iggy Pop album, for them and for me! Cool stuff I see why his influence matters.
Dosta dobar album, mislim da mi je to njegov najbolji.
I've heard "Lust For Life" a million times, for whatever reason never heard the "other" album he did in 1977. Maybe I'll do a track-by-track reaction. "Sister Midnight" - WOW this sounds exactly like something off of David Bowie's Berlin-era albums. I understand why Iggy purists don't like this era of him, it's so Bowie-y. FUN FACT FOR JIM - I once went into the most High Fidelity-style music store ever, and I found out the owner refused to sell David Bowie albums because he claims Bowie broke up The Stooges. I'd say "drug addiction" had more to do with that, but okay. "Nightclubbing" - I think the only song I've heard on this before, because it was on a Trainspotting soundtrack album. Not my fave, but it definitely feels like how being too coked up and late-stage drunk feels as the sun comes up. "Funtime" - The label put this out as a single? That's pretty funny. "Baby" - That Factory records sound where the band sounds like the album might be skipping. "China Girl" - I like Bowie's version fine, but dig this more. It's like when you've heard The Byrds do a Dylan song first. Also not enough music incorporates toy piano. "Dum Dum Boys" - I can see where R.E.M. got their late-career guitar style from. "Tiny Girls" - Eh "Mass Production" - Ah, the long grind loop ender. I wonder if this started the trend. I'll definitely re-listen to this one. We'll see if the end tracks grow on me.
Esto es una obra maestra en comparación a Funhouse. Excelentísimo.
A classic!
This is a great album, but not quite a 5 star for me I think. It's very well produced, but a couple of the songs are a bit underwhelming and Iggy's voice isn't exactly pleasant to listen to at times. Its hard not to compare it to Bowie's Low and Heroes that came out in the same year. I feel a bit bad about that, but hopefully Iggy wasn't too put out by being upstaged by his friend.
3.5, but closes in on 4
Before you go Do me a favor Give me a number Of a girl almost like you With legs almost like you I'm buried deep in mass production You're not nothing new I like to drive along the freeways See the smokestacks belching Breasts turn brown So warm and so brown 4/5
This album smells like stale urine and tastes like a sweaty prostitute's armpit and sounds like despair and feels like coming off a heroin high. And I mean that in the best way possible. 4 assaults on the senses out of 5
I would rate this as 3 stars as an Iggy Pop album but 4 stars as a David Bowie album.
The album cover is probably the first time I've seen Iggy Pop wearing a shirt. A cool little album from a really interesting period in musical history. I'm a big fan of German music and the influences are very clear here. "China Girl" and "Mass Production" were especially fantastic. I really don't like The Stooges, so I was pleasantly surprised by this. Don't do heroin, kids.
The minute I heard the first song I though ok David bowieee, I didn’t kno Iggy pop made China girl. The music was cool I liked it
A slightly worse version of Heroes, which is to say its still an immense art rock album. A great record.
I had never listened to Iggy Pop on his own before (aside from “The Passenger”). I liked this! Realistically I’m not sure how often I’d return to it, but it’s something to keep in the mind for the future.
Kraut-Punk
Anita Baker’s voice is like butter, but the music is not my style.
Not heard this in full before, but it is so obviously part of the Bowie/Eno/Iggy 1970s nexus (even though Eno wa NOT involved in this one). Carlos Alomar's unmistakable guitar style in there too,
Because I'm behind, I just check out at list and play a few each day, without reading the intros. Anyway, I had a big writeup about how much this reminds me of David Bowie, even sounding like Bowie. Then I went back to see if anyone else thought this and read the intro, so no need to expand the on the Bowie influence. This is a much different sound than the other Iggy and stooges albums. First song, Night Clubbing was very good and I thought it was Bowie, at first. Then heard China Girl and was surprised. I bet Luke knew Bowie's version was a remake! Really like Dum Dum Boys and Tiny Girl, but enjoyed the entire album. Like I mentioned, jut a different sound/vibe than the other Stooges albums I have heard. Good album and fun listen. 3.5-4 for me
4 This isn’t really what I expected. This is a case where the solo work doesn’t sound much like the band they came from. Often times that can be to the artist’s detriment (Freddie Mercury, Steve Perry, Adam Ant) but in this case I think it really adds to Iggy Pop’s sound. Low key and catchy. I can see myself putting this on to chill out after work. Apparently this is produced by David Bowie and I can really tell. It has a weird but razor focused sound that I hear in Bowie’s work. This album honestly is a must listen for Bowie fans as much as it is for Iggy Pop fans. It has his style all over it. Really good stuff here from a few master class musicians and it shows. Favorites: Sister Midnight, Nightclubbing, China Girl, Dum Dum Boys.
4 Solid David Bowie album. Jokes aside, while there’s no denying Bowie’s heavy-handedness, and it’s hard not to compare this to the series of albums he would immediately follow-up with, I don’t think it’s fair to say this album doesn’t have an identity of its own. Though they have a very similar sound, Iggy’s grungy vocals and lyricism makes this album feel heavier and more industrialized than anything released in the Berlin Trilogy. Hell, and for that reason, I actually think I enjoy Iggy’s version of China Girl over Bowie’s cover (though I know that came quite a bit later). Overall, even if Bowie’s musicality is the backbone of the album, I think his partnership with Pop is really what brings this album to the next level, and in many cases I think it’s fair to say Iggy influenced him as much as he influenced Iggy (supposedly the album cover of “Heroes” was inspired by Iggy’s post on the cover of this). If nothing else, good on Bowie for instilling the confidence in Pop to take on a larger role in his musical ventures ahead. Favorite songs: Sister Midnight, Nightclubbing, China Girl, Dum Dum Boys
Great album. Love how different it is from the Stooges. I'm sure you have Bowie to thank, partially, for that. And Eno, right? 4/5
Sounds like the logical step between Lust for Life and Iggy’s later stuff, him going post-punk, and Bowie’s influence is more pronounced than ever. I think it peaks early on and the middle third is the weakest part, but it’s still good stuff. B
7/10
Decently interesting and seems pretty influential but it’s not something I’ll listen to often. 7/10
I was surprised this was the Iggy Pop album they picked, given his back catalogue. Pleasantly surprised though as I’m a casual Iggy/Stooges fan and and never listened to this until now. His delivery is totally different from Stooges / other Iggy Pop albums, almost sounds like a robot at times. Glad it popped up though. Weird, twisted, innovative post-punk. I can hear influence from this in almost every band I’ve ever loved. Can definitely hear the Bowie influence too, but in a good way. I imagine this is played at 5am at the end of every nightclub in Berlin. Sounds like it should anyway.
Een Bowie-album, maar met de stem van Iggy Pop. Goed album, maar het mist wat schwung
I thought Iggy Pop was only a punk rocker, but this was more like Bowie or Velvet Underground.
Iconic
want to re-listen again
Love the sound, love the vibe. It should be no surprise that I love this era of Bowie and since he was heavily involved in this album...
post punk with bowie
Pretty darn good. 4 stars.
Some dipshit left four stars from the Hollywood walk of fame on my doorstep. I guess I can rate the album with these.
It would be misleading to say that David Bowie only did three albums while in Berlin. No, he was much busier than that. Look no further than Iggy Pop's debut album: The Idiot. Branching off from his proto-punk roots with The Stooges, Pop had always seemed to be ahead of the curve when it comes to defining (or defying) genres. Enter what might just be the very first post-punk album, not even a year after punk rock's beginnings. It's bold. It's dynamic. It's cool. You've gotta get it to get it, y'know? No squares allowed. You don't have to like it, you just have to listen to it. Get a feel for that dirty guitar and slinking drums. It doesn't sound like punk rock but it embodies the spirit in ways we couldn't imagine. It's Iggy's world now, and we're just guests. Look around.
Less punk than I expected.
Great
Never listened to Iggy before. Really enjoyed this album and the themes of the music
I liked it and learned that “China Girl” was co-written by Iggy Pop and David Bowie. This album is dark and moody and I found myself digging it generally. Still, it didn’t incite the excitement I got from “Lust For Life.”
Wel leuk, doet me een beetje denken aan the doors, the cure.
Bowie and Iggy together is a great thing, as with Bowie and Lou. It's remarkably raw for being Bowie involved during the mid-to-late-seventies.
Wow...How have I not listened to this album before! I know Nightclubbing via Trainspotting...but I did not know Iggy recorded China Girl before Bowie...I will always prefer Bowies version but this was pretty cool...the album is a really slick and almost modern surprise, holds up amazingly well.
a week and a half ago i was in a bar and an iggy pop song came on and i had the thought that i should listen to more iggy pop and here we are. i really dig it
It can't go wrong when it's with Bowie
It's always a treat to be exposed to the albums that helped form the roots of rock music as we know it today. This record has a very "back to basics" feel obviously, and it's evident that it served as a foundation for much of the music that came after it. Apparently, it was done alongside David Bowie so no wonder it's also very Bowie-esque. I'll keep a few of these tracks on regular rotation from now on, particularly China Girl, Dum Dum Boys & Tiny Girls.
Love hearing and reading about China Girl. David Bowie did it better but Iggy's is still memorable.
The story behind the album is interesting -- I know not everyone is into it, but I happen to love learning about the background, context, and process through which art is created -- and it's cool to hear the Bowie influences on his sound here. I think this is a really good album. Memorable riffs and melodies, some superb performances by the musicians, and I can hear how it informed some music that followed. Glad I was introduced to this.
I love Iggy Pop. I love David Bowie. I feel like Bowie was playing it safe, testing sobriety for a min, easing into Low. Who knows wtf I'm talking about, these thoughts just appear. I'm into it but I dislike China Girl damnit (inuding subsequent versions)
Really solid album. Love the dark atmosphere and you can hear Bowie all over it.
I instantly fell very accustomed to the sound of this music like I knew it and it didn't feel like a iggy pop album and later I learn that David bowie played a huge role in this album and the puzzle pieces fell back to place
Have always been a big Iggy fan and this is good stuff
This album serves as a fascinating companion piece to David Bowie's Low, which was made around the same time. Both albums were a product of Bowie and Pop working together in Berlin and experiencing the Krautrock movement that was still underway at the time. At first listen, I still prefer Low to this album, but the consistency of the sound between the two albums is really striking. It's like two artists finishing the same half-painted canvas in two different ways. The similarities between the two serve to highlight the core differences between Pop and Bowie. The Idiot is the more dark and gritty of the two. Even when it's upbeat it's a little off. The electronic elements on the album work very well with Iggy's lyrical style. This is one I think I'm going to seek out on vinyl 4/5
Standouts: Nightclubbing, Baby, China Girl, Sister Midnight.
Surpris d'avoir aimé
Hvor hadde vi vært uten dette?
Vraiment un nice son, pas une mauvaise pièce, définitivement regarder le reste du catalogue des Stooges et Iggy Pop
A lil bit of Iggy Pop weirdness? Don't mind if I do! Fave track - "Mass Production"
Jag är ändå förtjust i iggy pop, det är partaj. men gillade inte det starka skriket i första låten :(
Bowie & Iggy working together après addiction, some really interesting stuff on this one, at a time when punk was taking off Iggy was moving from his proto punk style to a new more electronic style heavily influenced by Bowies future approach in the Berlin Trilogy (Low/Heroes/Lodger). I Love "Sister Midnight" "Nightclubbing" "Baby" "China Girl" and "Tiny Girls" Suitably On this list I feel.
Fuck yeah, 500 albums
Iggy can do no wrong in this dojo. Love my Detroit passenger
Un tanto flojo para ser de Iggy Pop. Un 4.
Venga, 4. China Girl.