Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Not my kind of rock at all. I don't really vibe with hos voice and most of the songs feel to slow in some way. Its hard to explain what I mean, slow songs can be great but these feel slow in a unintended way.
Strong album, can clearly hear Bowie's input. The closer Mass Production the highlight
3.5/5
I've waffled between 2 and 4 stars for this album, but in the end I think it's a bit on the weaker side. I thought "Nightclubbing" was kind of fun for being so deadpan, and I actually really liked "Mass Production," but the rest of this album just didn't land for me.
You can hear a lot of the Bowie influence in this album!
Sounding a good bit like Bowie here, apart from the song that Bowie also did. Some great tracks near the end. 3.5 stars.
## In-Depth Review of *The Idiot* by Iggy Pop Iggy Pop’s 1977 solo debut *The Idiot* stands as a landmark album, marking a radical departure from the raw proto-punk of The Stooges and ushering in a new era of sophisticated, brooding, and industrially tinged art rock. Crafted in close collaboration with David Bowie, the album is frequently cited as a foundational text for post-punk and new wave. This review examines its lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, concluding with a balanced assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## Lyrics **Introspection, Alienation, and Urban Decay** The lyrics of *The Idiot* are a sharp turn from Iggy Pop’s earlier, more primal work with The Stooges. Instead of the visceral, id-driven outbursts, Pop adopts a more cerebral and introspective approach, often reflecting on alienation, decadence, and the ruins of his past[3][5][8]. The album’s title, borrowed from Dostoyevsky, hints at existential themes and the sense of a man out of place in a decaying world[3]. - **Tormented Love and Lust:** Songs like “China Girl,” “Baby,” and “Tiny Girls” explore obsessive, dysfunctional relationships with a sense of longing and emotional detachment. “China Girl” in particular, later made famous by Bowie, is imbued with a dark, almost desperate eroticism[3][5]. - **Autobiographical Exorcisms:** “Dum Dum Boys” is a melancholic tribute to The Stooges, blending nostalgia with resignation. It’s one of the few moments where Pop allows genuine emotion to seep through his otherwise detached delivery[3]. - **Nocturnal and Urban Vignettes:** Tracks like “Nightclubbing” and “Funtime” celebrate Berlin’s nightlife, but with a sense of irony and alienation. The lyrics are circular, repetitive, and reveal a sense of emptiness beneath the surface hedonism: “We see people/Brand new people/They’re something to see”[3][8]. The overall lyrical tone is sardonic, world-weary, and poetic, representing a significant evolution in Pop’s songwriting. There is a sense of self-reflection and a search for meaning amid chaos and decay[3][8]. --- ## Music **Industrial, Electronic, and Minimalist Soundscapes** Musically, *The Idiot* is a dramatic shift from the guitar-driven ferocity of The Stooges. The album is characterized by: - **Heavy Use of Synthesizers:** Early analog synths create a cold, dystopian atmosphere, evoking the industrial landscapes of Detroit and Berlin[2][6][8]. - **Mechanical Rhythms:** Drum machines and repetitive, chugging rhythms dominate, especially on tracks like “Nightclubbing” and “Mass Production.” The influence of German Krautrock bands like Kraftwerk and NEU! is palpable[2][6][9]. - **Sparse, Angular Guitars:** Guitars are used sparingly, often as textural elements rather than the main driving force. The overall sound is minimalist but rich in atmosphere[5][6]. - **Baritone Vocals:** Pop’s delivery is subdued, often sinking into a baritone croon that contrasts sharply with his earlier, more aggressive style[3][5]. The result is a collection of songs that are hypnotic, brooding, and sometimes claustrophobic. The music is less about visceral impact and more about mood, texture, and psychological tension[5][9]. --- ## Production **Bowie’s Sonic Architecture and Visconti’s Polish** The production of *The Idiot* is as significant as the songwriting itself. David Bowie, who co-wrote and produced the album, brought a European sensibility and avant-garde approach to the sessions[2][4][7]. - **Layered, Experimental Arrangements:** The album was built up gradually, often through tape loops, ad-hoc sessions, and extensive studio experimentation. The closing track, “Mass Production,” for example, uses spliced tape sections to create an oppressive, droning backdrop reminiscent of factory machinery[1][7]. - **Urban, Industrial Sound Design:** The production emphasizes the bleakness and beauty of decaying industrial landscapes, with metallic percussion, echoing synths, and a generally “cold and robotic” feel[1][6][8]. - **Tony Visconti’s Mixing:** After initial tracking in France, the album was polished at Hansa Studios in Berlin, with Tony Visconti lending his expertise to the final mixes, ensuring a balance between accessibility and avant-garde experimentation[7]. The album’s sound is often described as “controlled” and “subdued,” with Bowie’s influence sometimes overshadowing Pop’s presence. Some critics have even argued that *The Idiot* feels as much like a Bowie album as a Pop one[3][4][9]. --- ## Themes **Dystopia, Decadence, and Rebirth** Thematically, *The Idiot* is steeped in the atmosphere of late-1970s Berlin—a city divided, haunted by its past, and teetering on the edge of transformation. - **Dystopian Urbanism:** The album conjures images of industrial decay, urban alienation, and the beauty found in ruins. This is most explicit on “Mass Production” and “Nightclubbing,” where the music and lyrics evoke a sense of mechanical repetition and emotional numbness[1][7][8]. - **Personal Redemption:** Beneath the bleakness lies a narrative of survival and rebirth. Pop, emerging from addiction and the collapse of The Stooges, uses the album as a vehicle for self-examination and reinvention[3][7][8]. - **Decadence and Irony:** There is a sardonic humor running through the album, particularly in its depictions of nightlife and excess. The celebration is always tinged with irony, suggesting that joy is fleeting and often hollow[3][8]. --- ## Influence **Inventing Post-Punk and Shaping Alternative Music** *The Idiot* is widely regarded as a blueprint for post-punk and new wave, influencing a generation of artists and bands[1][5][8]. - **Post-Punk Foundations:** The album’s use of synthesizers, mechanical rhythms, and dark, introspective lyrics directly influenced bands like Joy Division, whose singer Ian Curtis was reportedly listening to *The Idiot* on the night of his death[1][8]. - **New Wave and Beyond:** The album’s fusion of rock, electronic, and industrial elements paved the way for acts like Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, and The Smashing Pumpkins, among others[3][8]. - **Artistic Collaboration:** The symbiotic relationship between Pop and Bowie on this album set a template for future collaborations in alternative music, demonstrating the creative potential of cross-genre partnerships[9]. --- ## Pros and Cons | Pros | Cons | |---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | Bold artistic reinvention for Iggy Pop | Some fans found the new direction alienating | | Groundbreaking fusion of rock, electronic, and industrial elements | Bowie’s influence sometimes overshadows Pop’s own identity | | Lyrically introspective and poetic | Lacks the raw energy of The Stooges | | Innovative production and sound design | Some tracks feel emotionally distant or cold | | Laid the groundwork for post-punk and new wave | Not all songs are equally strong; a few are considered filler | | Atmosphere and mood are immersive and cinematic | Initial reviews noted a lack of “emotion” in Pop’s vocal delivery | | Showcases Pop’s versatility as a songwriter and performer | The album’s bleakness can be off-putting to some listeners | --- ## Conclusion *The Idiot* is a flawed masterpiece—a record that trades the primal scream of punk for the cold embrace of industrial modernity. Its lyrics are introspective and poetic, its music innovative and atmospheric, and its production a testament to the creative partnership between Iggy Pop and David Bowie. While some longtime fans lamented the loss of Pop’s earlier ferocity, the album’s influence on post-punk and alternative music is undeniable. It is a work that rewards repeated listening, revealing new depths of meaning and emotion beneath its austere surface. For those willing to embrace its darkness, *The Idiot* remains one of the most important and visionary albums of the late 20th century.
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.
It gives me David Bowie vibes. It's okay, even though the second half of the album lacks any fun songs. To this day, the only Iggy that brings back warm memories is Iggy Koopa. Favorite Track: "Nightclubbing".
Better than the stooges album I just listened to, but still meh.
Not for me
I was so ready for a rip-roaring, drugged-out, heavy punk album full of grit and sneer and chaos. This really wasn't that, and I was honestly let down by it. I know this isn't a Stooges album, and that it's his first solo album, but still. This felt like it leaned more into glam, and even some new wave. I just don't think Iggy does those genres nearly as well as punk. It almost felt like he was trying to be David Bowie. So when I read that Bowie produced this album, well, it all fell into place. Nobody does Bowie like Bowie, and this just felt like it was a cheap Bowie imitation. It isn't bad, because even bad Bowie is still good. But I really didn't care about any of the songs that much. It felt like Iggy was bored and so I was, too. Two stars. Standout Tracks: Nightclubbing, Dum Dum Boys
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.
Didn't like it. I was neutral on the first listen but then it was not a good listen on the seccond.
92/1089 - Fuzzy. This might get me used to Bowie's voice (they're similar and work a lot together), interested to listen to more. A bit similar throughout but overall a cool experience!
Ок
Favorite Track: Sister Midnight
Punk, but not too much, not too little.
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.
I like this one Will I listen to again: 100%
Second album proposé par le générateur avec IP, le premier étant Raw Power des Stooges, que je n'avais pas trop apprécié (noté 2/5). Dans cet album solo l'accompagnement est plutôt pas mal, avec quelques chorus de guitare ou sax intéressants. Mais je n'aime toujours pas la façon de chanter de IP, qui gâche tout (trop de vibrato, rarement juste). Je ne l'écouterais pas une seconde fois. =>2/5
Good alt rock album to make time fly by. Now I understand why dad liked Iggy Pop.
Brilliant
I find it cool, but I also think it falls a bit short of being great. Seems like Bowie kept all his best songs for his own contemporaneous albums
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
The guitars just rip through your soul on this one
Hmm ok.
Was expecting better having heard about this album before and loving the stooges. I prefer Bowie's version of China girl. Didn't really do much for me one way or the other.
Hmmmm. This is going to be the biggest of 'alright' for me. Iggy Pop's voice is really something you need to get used to.
I was expecting more stooges-like stuff with more electronica mixed in and initially I was only really ticked off by the vocals. I wanted to like this. The vocals are so sedated, like on horse tranquilizer. By the second half the mood is completely gone, everything goes dissonant, even the synthesizers go off key on mass production. I get that this is about sobering up but you don't have to make all of us nauseous.
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.
Although my first impression was that this was simply a David Bowie album, as the album progressed I was happily proven wrong. In fact, I was surprised to find that the tracks I'd heard before weren't the high point, and the ones that were new to me were the ones that stood out. The last track in particular, all nine minutes (almost) of it, was so good I had to replay it three times.
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.
Oddball in a cool way, not totally my thing
Amazing album cover and title combo. I've been meaning to watch this so I'm glad I got it. It's pretty good. Not as great as "Lust For Life" but it has its moments. Favorite track: China Girl 3.5/5
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.
……interesting? Is it rock? Is it punk? Is it funk? Is it poprockpunkfunkinfusion? Yes?
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
Heard it before. You can really feel Bowie on every single song of this album 3/5
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.
Not an Iggy Pop fan, and this album did not change that
Not what I expected, quite weird really. Pretty alright with that though. Another artsy album, strange mixture of tones, textures and vocals. Like his radio show too. 3.3
I dont mind the album but the slow backdrop does get a bit repetitive over time. Its like a slow riff pattern on repeat. Some songs are a little David Bowie esk. Seems quite modern for the time with the use of synth etc. 1 or 2 songs a 4 but majority make this a 3 for me.
Listened to this one blind and first impressions were that it was pretty cool. Quite Bowie esque.. as the album progressed it sounded more and more like Bowie and when I got to China girl I finally caved and read the overview... The problem I have with this album is that although it's quite a cool groove, with gravelly but not entirely unenjoyable vocals, David Bowie exists. So I'm left asking "Why don't I just listen to some Bowie".
He has better albums
Pretty good - nothing remarkable though and very forgettable.
Yeah not that interesting to me. One decent song I thought but the rest weren’t really doin it.
dope. the real first album of the berlin trilogy. when i think of this abstractly i think of the single-types - sister midnight, nightclubbing, obvs china girl is amazing. but the whole thing just fucking rips, this must have sounded mental in 1977.
Honestly yeah, 5 stars. This has more imprints of Bowie but the delivery from the legendary Iggy and his take on David’s experimentation is an experience.
Irgendie habe ich nur Bowie gehört, und von dem kenne ich schon Besseres.
One of the first Post Punk records. And still one of the finest.
I adore this record. As much Bowie as Iggy. Synonymous with Berlin in my brain.
I wasn't expecting this to sound like this. Iggy's vocals sound like David Bowie on a bunch of these (and I later learned Bowie produced this album so that might be why). I'm now reading that some consider this the first post punk album and it was a major influence for acts like Joy Division and now I understand why I don't like this all that much, though I don't find it as offensively self indulgent as the work of Joy Division.
weirder than worth it
Never listened to this before. Has a good combination of two imaginative creative powers. We're having fuuuun. The lyrics run succinct snapshots of repetitive random experience, the droning electric guitar following along, the killer bass demanding deserved attention. Few variations--keep it simple, keep it straightforward.
Fantastic! I always loved the Lust for Life album but didn’t pay this much mind. And I confess my ignorance I didn’t even know that Iggy recorded China girl first. I only knew the Bowie 1983 version. But this was so good I was happy to play it a couple of times on the trot and then go on a David Bowie digression. Made me happy.
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!
i'm surprised how much i disliked this, given that i like everyone involved. but boy oh boy did it bother me. it was plodding and ugly and i was never engaged. maybe i just wasn't in the mood. giving it one extra star just cause.
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
Great album and can clearly head the golden period of Bowie's influence. After a few listens you begin to hear the later bands that this was a big influence on, joy division, Depeche mode etc... no such bad thing. 5 stars all the way!
Actually found myself enjoying this one. Iggy Pop is typically not for me, but there were some hits. Overall- decent album
I gave this a few listens but just couldn't come aroundnon it. I generally like the Stooges and David Bowie but this version of Iggy just doesn't do it for me.
Having some familiarity with The Stooges, this was way mellower than I expected. I liked it alright. I liked Bowie's version of China Girl better, though.
Way too Bowie. I’m glad he got to do his own thing more with Lust for Life
Couldn't get into it. Listened twice through.
Doom dadoom dum dum! I enjoy the simple but super clean bass lines. "Baby" clearly has that Kinks inspiration. Which is fine because that's an awesome bass line. Overall album is pretty good. Not absolutely mind blowing, but enjoyable.
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.
Like the vibe and sound but not so much the overall cadence and lack of consistency in delivery. Low 3.
3/4
Bowie + Iggy
Solid. The sounds are quite conventionally predictable and in my opinion foreshadow 80s early pop - even though some lengthy songs are kept. It's just Iggy, Bowie and this rocky (literally, not too much in sound) bridge between the 70s and 80s. Fascinating musical period and this album reflects it finely.
Wow I really loved it. Iggy has a beautiful voice and he is so talented
Meh, just kinda droned and was not very enjoyable. Just because it's AN album from a famous artist doesn't mean it belongs here. 1*
Droning, lo-fi music. Iggy Pop is his own character and has such an uncanny sound. He's pop but with a melancholic vocal presentation. It's such experimental music and I love the impact that it has had throughout the years, hearing how it has influenced the likes of other artists that have come after Iggy. Solid record and a landmark artist in music history.
Слушал, слушаю и буду слушать. Игги Поп в руках Дэвида Боуи поёт как соловей! Альбом цельный, слушается как симфония.
1 - I dislike this small niche of rock, and the last song is far too much of it
It was alright, I can understand why people enjoy it so much
классическое ревью: не такой ужасный как бывало у Игги. можно было не читать что он с Боуи тусил во время записи, это и так слышно)
Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 📸🫲🤪 Production: 🤛😊👌 Music: ⚡️🎨😎 Rating: 🌇🌃🌆/5
The Idiot is so damn good it makes me regret giving so many lesser albums five stars. But oh well, I'm true to myself. Sister Midnight is a bop and a groove. I love this era of both Iggy and Bowie, you can really hear eachother's influence on eachother while they were up in Berlin coming down off their heroin in a town that sounds like it was named after heroin. Hey Iggy, we need to get away from the drugs. Ok David, where shall we stay? "Heroinville". Nightclubbing is obvs hella famous to a generation now from Trainspotting. But what a spooky banger. And so tonally discordant. Hey yeah let's go nightclubbing and have a good time! What...what's this music? I'm scared can I go home? Funtime I first heard as an REM cover on the b-side to Orange Crush, which sounded really fun, stripped of the menace absolutely dripping from this performance. Which was really quite jarring at first when I finally heard this, but of course I appreciate it now. Baby continues this mood and doesn't drop the ball. Iggy's China Girl is far superior to Bowie's weirdly anodyne version on Lets Dance. But that makes sense as 5 years later music had settled in far less risky directions than here, at the height of punk and post-punk experimentation. The two songs are like chalk and cheese. Doesn't feel like it gets going until about 2 minutes in but boy when it does... Great record from start to finish.
I enjoyed the sax, bass, horns and melodies, but still nothing making me say "oh yeah", so it falls just around average for me.
David Bowie praticamente grita nesse álbum, tão parecido que este álbum é com ele! E realmente, Kraftwerk fez história nessa época, tamanha as referências à banda!
Nightclubbing is the best track on this album, followed by Sister Midnight. The rest of it is pretty whatever.
Me at 19: “I’m a Stooges Guy.” Me at 36: “I’m a Solo Iggy Pop Guy.”
I'm an Iggy fan. This is in large part a Bowie album. It does shape the rest of Iggy's career. Is it great, no. Is it good, yes. How good?
toch een klein meesterwerkje
Ik heb ome Iggy al ooit de volle punten toegeschoven, toen als onderdeel van De Stromannen. Ik lees dat dit het album is van na die break up, met tussendoor nog een paar jaar lekker heroïne gebruiken, dus in principe belooft dat heel veel goeds. Jup, ik heb de Wikipedia gelezen en ik denk dat het ook daardoor is dat ik de Bowie-invloeden extra duidelijk meen terug te horen. Zo'n track als 'Baby' klinkt 100% als Bowie. Sommige mensen gaan na het snoepen van de bruine suiker de kunst kant op blijkbaar. Jammer, want ik vond dat punk-achtige van Raw Power van de Stooges dus wel lekker. Het is geen slecht album, maar het is ook geen heel makkelijk album. Ik geloof wel dat dit kwaliteit heeft, maar het luisterplezier blijft bij mij een heel klein beetje achter. Er staat geen enkel nummer op waarvan ik enthousiast zou worden als het voorbij zou komen op de radio bijvoorbeeld. Daarnaast ben ik ook niet súper onder de indruk van de inventiviteit o.i.d., wat dan ook nog een reden kan zijn om het hoog te laten scoren. Dit haalt voor mij niet het niveau van Ziggy Sterrenstof, bijvoorbeeld. Het is daarom dat ik voor de 3 sterren ga.
This was fine. I didn’t hate it. But I also didn’t love it. It gets a 3 for “Nightclubbing” alone.
This was an ok Bowie album with weird vocals.
No thanks. No redeeming qualities on this.
Why do men think they can write about having sex with underage girls in their memoirs like it's somehow admirable for them to admit and reflect on? But hey, "they've changed" or "it was a different time". They haven't, it wasn't. This album is fine out of context - if I was being forced to listen to an Iggy Pop album I would have picked Lust For Life but that's just my personal taste.
Not my favorite, tried listening to some of the other Number 1's from this artist as well. Not for me.
Hard to argue with how influential this album was for the future of punk and post punk bands. Listen to this album then chase it with Unknown Pleasures. May not be his “best” but is easily one of the most important albums to the genre.
Not his best
Interesting as a historic document- have a soft spot for Iggy after seeing him live. Fingerprints of Bowie are all over this album, and that's never a bad thing.
Pretty good.
Fav: China Girl Least Fav: Sister Midnight They named an album after me
Nightclubbing was certainly the highlight of this album and I am sure that if I was a counter-culture individual growing up in the late 70s, this album would be on my table constantly. Unfortunately I am not, and so this receives a solid 3/10
The last Stooges album: Excellent. Lust for Life, released later the same year: Some classic songs. This album? Not at all for me. I don’t like postpunk in general and there is none of the Stooges agression nor the Lust for Life catchiness to find on this album. I understand the album’s relevance and influence, but I don’t listen to influence, I listen to good songs
I don't like Iggy Pop, but this is one of the best I've heard of his.
More like Iggy Poop. Lots of versions of the same lame tune. China girl a notable exception.
amerikas Jahn Theighen. not my jam
Fine
1. Dum dum boys 2. Sister midnight 3. Funtime
China Girl almost pulls it up to a 3
decent
Really good album bit dark at times, loves the david Bowie bits
Doldið leiðagjarnt en solid plata samt sem áður. 3,4.
Iggy og Bowie, það getur ekki klikkað. Góð plata í heild, nightclubbing fannst mér best. 4,2
This just wasn't that compelling for me. Iggy Pop comes with a strong reputation, but it seems like vague experimentation. The single bright spot was hearing/discovering China Girl on this album. Looking into it, it was co-written with Bowie. In fact, Bowie recorded a version for Let's Dance to help Iggy Pop financially. I actually really like the version on this album. A bright spot, for sure.
Not for me
too loud for me in the morning not my style
Dit kan toch allemaal net een tandje minder boeien dan de vorige plaat van onze Iggy, die op de hoes een nog vrij ongeschonden gelaat heeft. Minder catchy, een stuk slomer, en soms gewoon lelijk. Het onstijgt het niveau 'wel aardig' niet deze keer.
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.
The Idiot breathes an atrabilious, dark, gloomy atmosphere that has to grab you. With Nightclubbing and Mass Production you're being sucked into the pain and struggle with addiction. The album envelops you. I can understand why people despise this album. But I love it.
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
Never liked Pop much and this album didn't change that.
I'm giving this 5/5 already! I already knew Iggy pop, so I was very happy that one of his underrated albums was here! That is one of my favorite albums with songs like Tiny girl, Baby and Funtime is my all-time favorite songs from him. I really like this album because David bowie was with him and as well David bowie is my all-time favorite so yea. This album has a story for me as well. I was in ripe age of 11 when I found this and it was so perfect (during the pandemic) and I couldn't stop listening to it, it was my start of rock love, and this was my second after the smith so of course this album will always be in my heart! The songs are even great, the beat, the bass, and the lyrics were well made. It's very creative and well made. It also sometime reminds me of the Human league specifically "Don't you want me." The sound is almost near the vocalist of human league. At the end it's amazing and I always recommended it to anybody who loves rock!!
Such an amazing album. Super underrated as well .
This is his best album. Lust For Life has a couple 10/10 songs, but every single track on this one is incredible.
This was ok, but not my favorite version of Iggy Pop.
good
An alright album, I liked Funtime and Baby the most.
I dig Iggy Pop, but I did not like this and I didn't think it was very good and I don't think it belongs on the list. 2
Iggy Pop has a signature sound but this missed the mark
I love Iggy and what he stands for, his style, attitude and growl. For me the music doesnt quite hit the same heights though. Some decent tunes and some straight forward guitar and music dont really elevate this much above average.
One of the most interesting albums from the 70s. It’s hard, rigid, unpleasant at times, but once it clicks, it’s hypnotic.
This is clearly just Bowie’s fourth Berlin album. His fingerprints are just littered all over this thing, including the cover art. I’m really not sure what Iggy’s post-Stooges career would look like if wasn’t mooching off of one of the greatest song writers of the past 50 years. All I know is that the quality of his songwriting fell flat on its face once Bowie was out of the picture. With that said, this falls under the era of post-punk music that just doesn’t do it for me. I wish I liked this sound because there is so much of it out there, but it just doesn’t align with my soul. Even with Bowie’s help, it just doesn’t grok. I can listen from the outside and understand why this would be a damn masterpiece to some. It’s just not there for me. 3.3/5
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.
I have always loved this album, as a great harmony between Bowie and Pop. I love the raw rock of Iggy's other work, but this album is unique, fun, and a different way to absorb Bowie.
Iggy Pop + Bowie + Berlin = 5 stars of course
Hey little China Girl
Not really my genre.
Strange musician. Never got into his music.
Some interesting tracks.
I’d never actually listened to an Iggy Pop album all the way through before. Now I have.
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
Hard to listen to it
this shit was gas
Yeah, not really my thing, but ok
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 :)
Essentially a David Bowie album, which has some good moments. Giving it a 3/5 after one listen but will listen again. I had no idea China Girl was originally released in 77. Only knew about Bowies version in 83
It must be very gratifying when the person you’ve been copying for years gets so bad with the drugs that he has to start copying you copying the people you started copying after you stopped copying him. Good for David Bowie.
Some of the music wasn't bad, but t I found the vocals pretty boring. This album felt longer than it was and ended with the sounds of keyboards dying. 2/5
Thoughts before listening: Iggy Pop is one of those rock stars that has always been cooler than he is enjoyable to listen to for me. Most of the Stooges stuff, and a lot of his solo stuff as well, is just so sloppy and I dont know, grimey or something, that its hard for me to listen. There are certainly gems mixed in with the ugliness, but overall its not something I have a ton of interest in listening to. That being said, I know this is one of his more popular releases (perhaps associated with Bowie or Lou Reed?), so I am excited to try it out. Review: Okay so this was produced by David Bowie...and you can tell. This sounds quite a bit like Bowie's output around this time like Low albeit perhaps more grimey and punk adjacent to meet Iggy Pop's vibe. Like my earlier assessment, this is definitely too grimey to fully win me over although I'll add a couple songs to the playlist: "China Girl" and Nightclubbing". 3-stars
its crazy how no matter the genre, men in the 20th century just had to sing about “little”, “tiny”, “young girls” aka teenagers. Pretty cool though. I’d care more about Iggy Pop is self-mutilation and the reminder of it didn’t give me the willies.
Pretty killer, a few tracks that didn’t click with me but otherwise great
Very nice! Bowie's China Girl is much better.
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.
Sort of a Bowie album with someone else singing, kind of like Low but not quite ready. A set of songs that are not quite right but reflect a mood that led to other good/great music. I'm not a natural fan of Iggy's voice though, which doesn't help. You hear China Girl knowing the Bowie remake and that's the gap in talent between the two.
Not my vibe, nothing really going on here.
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!)
Annoying voice, annoying album, bad
Just fine. Nothing stood out and I didn't hate it
Found myself sort of making faces throughout this as I contemplated why it was so dull and what the heck Iggy was wittering on about. Also my continued gripe of more than one song being at least 7 minutes long just brought this down even more. Painful.
The album is named after the person who added 95% of the albums on this list.
this was okay
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.
Wasn’t the best
Glorious Iggy and Bowie collaboration.
***An ok album
Ugh. Disappointed
Thought it would be worse than it was but was pleasantly surprised. Not something I would normally listen to but I did like it.
I always leave an Iggy Pop album slightly disappointment. I keep expecting them to be transformative but they fall just short of that. Don’t know why.
I like punk Iggy. Iggy doing his best David Bowie impression? Not so much.
Sister Midnight and Nightclubbing are both incredible songs, then it slowly devolves into more hazy, hard to grasp stuff. Glad to know that China Girl by Bowie is a pseudo cover/redo
3.5 rounded down i think this one might be a bit too electronic for me …. beep boop! highlights: nightclubbing, china girl (sep 25 2024)
I've got to apologize to Mr. Pop because I was unfamiliar with his game. Who is this artist and how could he possibly have come from The Stooges. This is weird, funky, rhythmic, metallic, and a ton of other adjectives that are many steps removed from his punk past life. There's still some of the droning and repetative riffs that I commented on in his other music, but it works quite well here. Mass Production sounds like it was made in a factory and is a great song. But several others like Nightclubbing, China Girl, and Dum Dum Boys are just strange and awesome songs. It's a good thing he and Bowie were friends, because I think it evolved Iggy's music by several levels. This was an amazing album.
3.5
I liked how loose this was.
Imagine not liking Iggy
I get it, Iggy Pop used to be an insufferable outrage, a contortion punk performer, purveyed projectile vomit, discharged blood and bodily fluid on the audience, and is still a legend. This record seems like it was just after he had bottomed out, retreated into an apartment in Berlin, and white knuckled his way out of substance abuses with David Bowie. It is generally droll, sedate and demure relative to his persona with the Stooges. I also notice that there is more overlap with Bowie from the era. It's weird to hear the hungover/glam China Girl versus the Bowie cover. It just sounds like he's not having fun again yet.
HONESTLY NEVER LIKED THIS ALBUM
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.
Was okay. Sounded a bit like Bowie 5/10
This was my first Iggy Pop album. It was about as expected. Fun and a little weird. Sounds like something that would be playing in a record store while browsing.
You know this album just wasn’t for me
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
This is not good.
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.
I don't know what it is about Iggy Pop, but I just can't get into his music. The fact that David Bowie couldn't save my from liking an Iggy Pop album says a lot about my liking for Iggy Pop. The music was great, the bass lines were sharp at times and caught my interest, but I really don't care for Iggy. 2/5
Albumi #99, 04.11.2024 Iggy Popin soolodebyytti Stoogesin jälkimainingeissa, jossa kuuluu vahvasti David Bowien kädenjälki. Ei yllä seuraajansa Lust for Lifen tasolle, mutta kuuluu ehdottomasti levyhyllyn täytteeksi.
I do like the sound of the album and a few songs are very good. But I have to admit I would not go back to the album it is not something I really enjoyed overall.
Very influential record. I can definitely hear how many of my favorite bands were inspired by this album
Lots of debate about whether this is an Iggy Pop album or a Bowie one. Some have even go so far as naming as part of the real Berlin Trilogy. Personally I don't care if Bowie was pulling the strings on Iggy or not. They made good music together, this one has some excellent stuff on it, like Sister Midnight, Baby, China Girl and the highlight to me; Dum Dum Boys.
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
Nothing really stands out about this one.
7/10…
After the Stooges, Iggy Pop went solo, and this is not the greatest representation of his talent.
Eh, just fine
There's just something wild about David Bowie and Iggy Pop getting so fucked up on whatever that they had to move far, far away from the American scene in 1976 and then go on an all time tear of recording and releasing 4 outstanding albums in a year. 1977 was a special time, before my time though. This album is dark, moody, brooding as they weaned themselves off the addictions. It's hard to tell who was the catalyst, Bowie with the music or Pop with the lyrics.
Sounds like The Chipmunks on 16 speed
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.
No song really got me excited.
Seedy, slinking, slicked post punk. Probably the coolest thing on Earth when this dropped.
This is my last Iggy Pop solo album to review, but I'll still have The Stooges' self-titled album to review at some point. I really enjoyed Lust for Life, and Fun House and Raw Power were pretty good too, so I expect to enjoy this album quite a bit. Based on what I've read about it, it sounds pretty interesting. I didn't enjoy this album nearly as much as I enjoyed Lust for Life, but it was still fine. The first side of the album was really great, and "Sister Midnight" really hooked me in. Even with reading a little bit about this album before listening to it, I wasn't prepared for that sound. Iggy Pop's gravely vocals were awesome, and I loved hearing them utilized for something that wasn't his typical garage rock sound. The fuzzy guitars and keyboards and synthesizers were fantastic. "Nightclubbing" was really great too, with its pulsing synthesizers and bass sounds. "Funtime" and "Baby" were good too, but not really noteworthy to me. However, "China Girl" was great. I'd completely forgotten that Iggy Pop performed this song before Bowie did, and I was shocked by how much I liked his version. It fit really well with the darker sound of the album, and I loved the synthesizer and guitar playing on it. As much as I liked the first side of the album, I was pretty bored by the second side. The first and last songs on this side were long, and felt like they droned on for most of their runtimes. Still, it didn't manage to sink the whole album for me, and I enjoyed listening to something that was so influential on goth and post punk music. The early industrial rock sounds were great too, and I feel like being a few days removed from reviewing Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar gave me a better appreciation for that influence. This isn't my favorite of Iggy Pop's work, but it was still worth a listen.
Meh. I don’t see the hype in this guy
5 out of 5. The Bowie influence really stands out this album.
Iggy Flop
mid-70s Bowie-influenced, another LP from my collection
Borders on drunken rambling and annoying off tempo noise. Not a great combo. 3/10
Quite a departure from The Stooges, this basically sounds like avant garde Bowie on quaaludes: Slightly disaffected with an icy Euro feel.
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.
"At age 23, Pop had a relationship with 13-year-old Sable Starr. Look Away, a documentary about sexual abuse in the rock music industry, is named after an Iggy Pop song about Starr."
3.5
Really didn't enjoy this. The production was all over the place, the lyrics were bizarre, vocals were mumbled and mixed poorly. I like Iggy Pop and thing he's a talented guy but this record was just messy, unfocused, and dumb.
One of the greatest achievements in punk rock ever
Didn’t realize this was his debut so I guess that makes sense it’s on here because I couldn’t find any other reason. Confirmed I’m not an Iggy Pop fan, I couldn’t make it through most of these. Nice album title.
Not necessarily a bad album, but much more languid and disengaged than some others we've had from Iggy (and his stooges). You can tell Bowie was involved in that way. Confusing that this is his "debut," though I guess just solo debut. But yeah, I didn't like much here. Favorite tracks: Sister Midnight, Mass Production. Album art: Iggy standing in the rain, gesturing to something we can't see. I've seen this one before, it's alright and I guess memorable enough but doesn't do much for me. Fits the album I guess. 2.5/5
7/10 Love the Jazz influence Beautiful sax solo near the end
Definitely not what I was expecting, given that my knowledge of Iggy Pop is mostly "Lust for Life" and "Candy" and "The Passenger." Very moody and synth-driven; Bowie's fingerprints are all over it and while Lou Reed wasn't directly involved, I hear his influence very loudly. It's good, but I'm not clear what makes it a top 1000 album. Maybe in a different mood or environment I'd feel differently. (Though in its defense, it feels like the last 3 times I said that, I also said those albums wore out their welcome. At a tight 39 minutes, The Idiot gets points for being concise.)
Very good
I’m not too keen on Iggy Pop, although this album did grow on me as I listened; however, not enough. I didn’t realise China Girl was written and released by both him and David Bowie. I prefer Bowie’s version although I did like the grittiness of Iggy’s version. Rating: 3
Quite good
I thought a lot of this was cool and it had some good wonky sounds but I didn’t love listening to this all in one sitting. Might grow on me more later but I feel like I could only really enjoy a couple of these songs at a time.
Never really connected with this one but its cool that bowie produced it and i always will connect it to ian curtis’ death
A bit too down tempo for my taste in Iggy, but there are some solid songs on here. My favorite was Tiny Girls
I'll always know Iggy Pop first as Michelle Trachtenberg's dad on The Adventures of Pete and Pete. His music is fine.
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.
Ganska average album
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.
My 19 year old son and I have shared spotify list that we both add songs to. We were talking about the song 'Nightclubbing', which I had added to the list. He said he really hadn't understood what the song was about until he was backpacking through Europe, having left a Berlin nightclub at 6am, swung by the youth hostel to pick up his luggage and jumped on a morning train to Prague. He was staring out the window at the snow-covered landscape, with no sleep and the buzz of the club still wearing off, when Nightclubbing came up on the playlist. And then it all made sense; it's a song about leaving the clubs (especially Berlin clubs), not going to the clubs. I would love Iggy if his proto-punk Stooges and early solo albums were all he ever released. But then there is this pivot; who knew that Iggy had a type of crooner in him, capable of surprisingly melodic and affecting songs? Iggy is a little weirder and slightly less pretentious than Bowie here, but there is a strong Bowie influence. While this album was not a hit record, the quality of the songwriting can be heard in the subsequent hit covers of Nightclubbing and China Girl. The sound of this record really anticipates and establishes Berlin-era Bowie production, which is, in my mind, a really good thing. The quick and dirty recording methods allowed new sounds to emerge. MVP award to Tony Visconti for managing a coherent and compelling mix out of the tracks. I like the shitty recording quality, which leads to a cool, spacious, noisy, rhythmic, and atmospheric (if unpolished) sound. Iggy described it as "James Brown fronting Kraftwerk", which is a pretty good description, and sounds pretty ace to me. Probably Iggy's best album, in my opinion, and certainly the one I play most. 4.5 stars, rounding up.
I haven't heard this album before, but many of the songs sounded familiar. Both tempoally and stylistically it's between rolling classic rock and brooding, synth-filled Wave. The tracks are all different, and there are only eight of them, so the album doesn't get repetitive. The lyrics are a similar flavor of nonsense to a weird '70s movie, except it actually works well in a song, because song lyrics are mostly for vibes, while a movie should have actual plot and dialogue. It's an essential Iggy Pop album, you don't need me to explain why it's good.
Clearly influenced by Jim Morrison here, but the music isn't nearly at the level of The Doors. OK album overall.
good background music but not something id actively listen to
I had high hopes for this album because Iggy Pop has some pretty good hits from back in the day, but this album was very disappointing. Nothing really exciting happened and on top of everything it ended with a really bad song and that just brought my idea of the album really low. I feel like you can't really enjoy this unless you're on drugs, really don't care about music or are an Iggy Pop fan.
Culturally I see this albums significance. This album has those pre Post-Punk vibes that would influence a lot of late 70s Post Punk/Early New Wave Bands First track “Sister Midnight” starts off good but then goes full David Bowie and is hit and miss with me. This album is more so the David Bowie show. Him being the Producer is definitely the driving force behind the sound and style of music being played. Feel It made Iggy take risks he may not of normally taken. The best section of music is “Baby”, “China Girl”,and “Dum Dum Boys” “Baby” has a little eerie thing going on but is a good groove based slower song. Not much to say I just like it “China Girl” is the most pop song on here and is a great change of pace. Definitely prefer this version to the later Bowie version in 80’s “Dum Dum Boys” has a fun spoken word Intro and is all about getting lost in the feel of it and its distorted guitar. This song is 7 min of repetition “Tiny Girls” is just a short Lou Reed rip off song hands down. If you didn’t tell me this was Iggy Pop I’d mistake it immediately. Short and sweet number either way. Last track “Mass Production” is the track I feel needs most multiple listens. It probably is something but it comes too close after “Dum Dum Boys” to appreciate its long 8 min Run time. On its own this track has most potential to be a real grower Overall this albums seems to have a lot of musical history attached to it and influence. However that doesn’t mean the songs are the best thing out there. “Lust For Life” the second David Bowie produced Iggy Pop solo album has better songs and fits this artist aesthetic more. It just isn’t as experimental as “The Idiot”. It’s very much Apples and Oranges 3/5 (could see me returning to it to fully GET IT) 1* - Not Good 2* - Has Merit 3* - Would listen Again (Good) 4* - Like It/Love it 5* - Love It & is A Classic album
Not as good as his higher energy stuff, but still decent. The last song, Mass Production, made me uncomfortable with awful sirens.
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.
Iggy and the artist formerly known as Ziggy construct a brave new world of gothic industry and stark, robotic grooves that pulse with dystopian decadence.
Vähän raskassoutuinen, vaikka Pop ei osaa raskasraskas varmasti ollakaan, nimikin sen sanoo. Sanoituksissa on ei niin ilmiselvääkin veikeyttä, samoin melodioissa. Toisaalta kaipaisin tarttuvampia melodioita, joita on Iggyn muissa levyissä, tästä mieleen ei jää yhtään. Karvan verran kakkosta parempi, vain karvan.
Hän sallii itselleen entistä pidemmän jynkytyksen. Kuulostaa ihan hyvältä, mutta sopisiko väliin pari tarttuvampaa rallia? Ihan vain ajatuksen tasolla. 2+
Du bon Iggy Pop de qualité, comme d'habitude
I don't rate this anywhere near your loss for life, but it's still a good album.
An ultimate classic.
As mich as I love iggy in his stooges days, I feel this lack his raw lower and energy. Also a big front man music without visuals are not as great. After seeing him live I understood that sometime the music and the performance make the whole thing better. This is one of my least favorite iggy albums caise its slowish and not as heavy. Kind of pop-punk instead of post-punk.
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.
It's Iggy Pop. It's great. It's always great. It's even short and to the point.
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.
mid morning music but peak post-12 hour shift music 10/10
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
Kinda whacky and not my style
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
trotos
It was okay. I guess I just don’t get Iggy.
It is certainly obvious that David Bowie had a great impact on the sound and creation of this album. I didn't enjoy Nightclubbing (the most listened-to song on Spotify) as much as I enjoyed tracks like Sister Midnight, Funtime and China Girl. I love the Dum Dum Girls got their name from the track Dum Dum Boys, mostly because the song is a banger and has a nice guitar part. I don't think I would listen to this album again, though I do like the inspiration from David Bowie that is very clear. I don't know much of Iggy Pop's other solo music and I've heard this album is not indicative of his other output. Hard to say if the book should be in here if it is an outlier in his catalogue. I cannot say I did not enjoy this album though.
Kanske feber men det här bir fem stjärnor
Within maybe four seconds of starting this album, I think to myself "This isn't Iggy Pop, this is David Bowie." I check the album cover. Nope, Iggy Pop. I check the album notes. Produced by Bowie. Composed by Bowie. Lyrics written by Bowie. I guess Iggy Pop sings on it. Narrative around this is that Iggy was recently out of a mental health institute, trying desperately to not have his life amount to nothing, and Bowie essentially gave him this album. I also guess that this is why it has been included in the list, along with apparently every other Bowie album ever made. I don't dislike it, I just wish it had more Iggy flavour. As China Girl finishes, I find myself being moderately pleased that we're towards the end. And boom, Dum Dum Boys wallows langourously with 7¼ minutes. Ulp. The we move on to the thankfully very short "Tiny Girls" - which reads like the most horrific incel screed. Urgh. Nasty. Mass Production slams the lid closed on this album with 8½ minutes of experiment, and it is on many levels the best track of the album. I have to ding a point for Bowie. And I have to ding two for the grimness of the lyrics. Which doesn't leave many to play with.
tis a banger
Bowie Lite
With a voice like Mick Jagger and a sound like talking heads meets INXS you would think every song is a banger but that’s not always the case. Although it absolutely comes together here and there, especially in China Girl and Tiny Girls. Overall enjoyable listen, but save some of the experimental weirdness for CBGB and by God add more of that sexy sax.
A poor man’s David Bowie mixed with an American attempt at British underground rock. Wasn’t bad but nothing that special
I went back and forth on this album. A lot of it sounds like a drunk guy rambling to himself. The instrumentals are these repetitive beats that are slow, but driving headbangers. There’s some cool production on it. The whole thing feels raw and strange and dark. I think I like the music but it’s hard to get over the vocals.
I could hear the influences of Bowie and Lou Reed. His voice is nothing special. The music was better than I remembered.
Feels like there's a lot to unpack with this one. It was good but not great. The Bowie factor is fascinating. You can clearly hear that his stamp, his vision, and from what I know of both of them, bodily fluids all over this album. In some ways it was disappointing as I was expecting the Iggy and Stooges Iggy. But this was quite different. It seems much less raw and angry than his former albums. There is a lot of industrial sound to the production as well as signature Bowie style sax. I had no idea Iggy did China Girl years before Bowie did it. It must have pointed the way to a post-punk world.
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.
Enjoyable but nothing too special I feel.
Started out stronger than it ended. Liked all the weird bits and pieces. 3/5
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.
More or less I like the music (Bowie) and Pop's vocals bring it down a bit, although some of the tracks drag too. A little disappointed in this one. 3/5
Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.
Iggy is just a guy that does what he wants
Shades of Bowie
Can't say this album really grabbed me, which was a surprise since I like other songs by Iggy Pop
Bit underwhelming from a fairly big artist, didn't really have the same energy or passion you'd come to expect.
Familiar with some of his songs, but never listened to an album. Never realized he had a role in writing the song China Girl.
Cool to see Bowie and Iggy collaborate, but the album isn't for me. Standouts are China Girl and Dum Dum Boys.
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.
I feel like I give so many albums a 3. I guess it's just my standard rating for "don't love it and won't listen to it again but it wasn't terrible"
I have very little to say about this album. I was bored and kind of zoned out and didn't pay much attention. Iggy bores me in the same way that Nick Cave does. I don't really like the vocals, and it's all too slow and nothing is musically interesting enough to get me paying attention? It wasn't horrible by any means, but I also didn't feel like it had any positives on this listen-through. 4/10
Wow. This was awesome. Sounded as fresh today as I imagine it did in 1977 - the mark of a truly great record. Going to work my way through the rest of the Iggy Pop discography now.
Iggy pop has a strange way of singing. Not sure that I like this.
It was fine, but I would always just choose to listen to a Bowie album over this.
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
I don't know why, but just from his (stage) name, his voice is always way better than I expect. And when combined with the very strong Bowie influence we have here, I can't help but like the album. On the buying side, if I came across it on a music stall as part of a multi-buy offer I would probably include it, but can't see myself actively seeking it out. Another very high 3
Decent opener and my hopes were high but soon dashed by some tiring stuff to get through until ‘China Girl’ lifted the spirits.
This is probably Iggy’s best album outside the Stooges. Again, like Lust For Life, it has Bowie stamped all over it and it is probably some of his best work too. The whole thing has great sounding guitars and some stomping Krautrock beats going on. You can hear where Siouxsie and the Bamshees and similar got their inspiration. Love it.
Superclassic album, nothing to add.
Strong David Bowie and Lou Reed vibes on this one. Interesting album.