Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
1977
Album Summary
Lust for Life is the second solo studio album by American musician Iggy Pop, released on September 9, 1977, through RCA Records. It was his second collaboration with English musician and friend David Bowie after The Idiot, released in March the same year. Shortly after Bowie released his own album Low in January, Pop went on a tour to support The Idiot with Bowie as his keyboardist. At the tour's conclusion, Pop and Bowie regrouped in Berlin to record the former's next solo album. Lust for Life was recorded at Hansa Studio by the Wall in West Berlin from May to June 1977, with production being handled by Bowie, Pop, and engineer Colin Thurston. The touring band of Pop, Bowie, guitarist Ricky Gardiner, and brothers Tony Fox and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively, comprised the primary lineup for the album. After The Idiot was mostly composed by Bowie, Pop was adamant about having more control over Lust for Life, often composing his own arrangements, including for "Sixteen". This resulted in a hard rock and proto-punk sound more akin to his older style with the band the Stooges. Pop would use Bowie's arrangements for some songs, including the well-known title track. Upon release, Lust for Life received little promotion from RCA but nevertheless peaked at number 28 on the UK Albums Chart and remained Pop's highest-charting album there until 2016's Post Pop Depression. It also peaked at number 8 in the Netherlands and number 120 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. Critically, Lust for Life was well-received, with many praising Pop's energetic performance throughout and his greater role compared to The Idiot; the former would later be regarded as one of his best works and has appeared on several best album lists. It also marked Pop and Bowie's final collaboration until the mid-1980s.
WikipediaIggy's first 2 solo albums are as big a part of the legendary Berlin Years as Bowie's trilogy. Everything Bowie produced for someone else was the best material those artists recorded IMHO. This album has Iggy Pop's best individual songs but I feel it doesn't hold up as well as an album compared to The Idiot.
Iggy’s best work imo. Really manages to keep the raw energy of his earlier work while refining his approach to make it more assertive and assessable
Never mind The Stooges, this is peak era Iggy, well on record at least. Iggy and Bowie is the dream team innit. I would have thought The Idiot and the Berlin Trilogy are all on this list as well which says a lot about how creative these two were during that period.
Lust for Life and The Idiot both sound very much like Bowie albums in disguise and are great Iggy Pop albums. Presumably The Idiot is also on the list - both illustrate the enormous difference in quality between albums on the list over time. (Would also be appropriate if Blah-Blah-Blah is on the list too but I suppose it is not.)
Funny that the generator gave me this back to back with the Stooges. I grew up listening to the eponymous track, though I think the lyrics went over my head as a kid. It's striking me on this listen how Bob Dylan-esque the lyrics and delivery are, with the rambling lyrics and Iggy's whine. An energetic tune that doesn't tire, much like Iggy's "lust for life." Didn't realize Bowie wrote that one! Moving on to "Sixteen." He really sounds like Bowie on this one. Slightly creepy love song, could be construed as tongue-in-cheek/ironic, especially given that Iggy wrote it. The creepy factor is enhanced by the dissonant riff in the background. "Some Weird Sin" -- a great way to describe that last song! This one is fun and glammed out. The Rocky Horror Picture Show of it all. I really like the instrumentation on this one as well as the harmonies. Favorite track so far! Traveling seamlessly into the classic: "The Passenger." Another one I grew up with -- this song fills me with nostalgia. Now that I'm really processing the collaboration on this album with Bowie, it seems this album is about Iggy's "cultural passenger" status in relation to Bowie, who became much more of a household name. (Side note: listen to Siouxsie Sioux's version if you have not!) Moving to the epic introduction of "Tonight." The theatrics of this one is just the perfect amount I like, not too much, not too little! Really unique love song about serenading an overdosing lover. This album appears to get increasingly glammier, as we move to "Success." A fun track characterized as the throwaway song on the album, but still catchy. The call and response between Iggy and then Bowie musically subverts the message of "The Passenger," as Bowie follows and repeats Iggy's line. The album appears to break down on "Turn Blue," in which Iggy goes into full heroin-afflicted ramble. There's a mix of almost intelligible and illogical musings related to religion, sexuality, and race. It seems that they're only meant to be taken seriously on the level of "yeah - this guy's on something!" During this time apparently, Iggy was struggling to kick his heroin addiction while in Germany with Bowie. With this context and with the beautiful instrumentation, "Turn Blue's" almost seven minutes helps us get a sense of what Iggy was going through. "Neighborhood Threat" inherits some of the Stooges' darker, slightly fuzzed guitar sound. The lyrics seem to focus on the periphery of the city, the unhoused, the hungry, the addicted. Iggy asks if, after seeing someone in this state, will you still bet against them? He highlights the reality of a society built against them, perhaps illuminating his fear as a recovering heroin addict. Finally, we reach "Fall in Love With Me," a track I already know and really like. I didn't know, however, that this album closer came about when the session musicians all decided to swap instruments and jam. A sort of light-hearted ending that shows we can create great things with our friends and companions: a potential thematic summary of Bowie and Pop's personal and professional relationship.
I think the biggest compliment I could give this album is the fact that I was not at all in the mood for a rock/punk album from the 70's, yet by the time Sixteen came around I was in love with the record. The darker tones of the music made this record age really well, it gives the sound a sort of tongue in cheek sarcasm that goes hand in hand with the rougher production quality. Will be listening again Faves Sixteen Some Weird Sin Fall in Love with Me
Fantastic album by Iggy, definitely his best. I can feel Bowie's hand on the whole thing, which is definitely not a bad thing. Hell, in some places it almost sounds like Bowie's singing (and I'm not talking about the parts where Bowie is ACTUALLY doing backing vocals). I was most familiar with the songs 'Lust for Life' and 'The Passenger,' but I'd have a hard time picking out a weak song in the album. 'Sixteen' somehow manages to keep the pace after 'Lust for Life.' 'Tonight' starts out with this triumphant, choir-like music that makes it feel larger than life. 'Turn Blue' is weird but, like Bowie, Iggy makes weird work in his favor. Just all around five stars outta five.
A special album, to my opinion. Nice to have heard once more. I used to have this album on a cassette. With some special songs Lust for life, Passenger and Tonight. This last song I also love very much performed live by David Bowie and Tina Turner. I found out that the link to David Bowie and the song Tonight lies in the production of Davis Bowie of Iggy Pop.
Why does this song about heroin make me want to go on a family friendly cruise? Lots of Bowie. Lyrically driven. Obviously love Lust for Life and The Passenger but Success is another stand out. Each song feels well crafted - lots of thought and love in each track where a significant amount of the other albums we've listened to have an almost self aware amount of filler between stand out tracks. I've always heard Iggy Pop was the man. This album drives that home.
This album gets 3 stars for The Passenger by itself. The other tracks are classic Iggy. I feel connected to Iggy because, so I'm told, he lived in the same apartment in Ann Arbor that I did.
It’s ridiculous that I’ve only heard a couple songs off this rad album, and that I’ve never given it a full spin. May the rock gawds shame me! Haha. Bad ass! I repent!! (my penance shall be picking it up on vinyl)
Wow how have I missed this. Not just the hits, but the Bowie collaboration which led to Bowie’s “Tonight” album, and the last track with Hunt and Tony Sales which leads right to Tin Machine!
Pretty fun album, but I think I like the full Stooges meal better than Iggy-a-la-carte. Some really catchy guitar hooks just squeak this out a fourth star from me.
Two of the biggest music powerhouses of their time, arguably at the peak of their creativity, collaborating once again on what is easily Iggy’s best album. The raw power of The Stooges work may be fading, but Pop still has the juice when he wants it. His worst impulses being reigned in by Bowie is what keeps this album flying though, and pushes his sound into territory Pop likely wouldn’t have explored on his own. The balance between the two is perfect, and the results speak for themselves. Hard not to enjoy an album when the opener is Lust for Life.
I already knew the song with the same name, I enjoy it. The whole album is good, but not life changing for me, probably at the time it was very liked.
Rough sleeper music. Tough and edgy because it could have its head kicked in any minute. Heard it not just as the collapse of the 60s dream but of the Bretton Woods agreement, which may be the same thing.
“Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop (1977) Is this the second best thing to come out of a trailer park In Ypsilanti, Michigan? Most of the music (chords, melodies, arrangements) was composed by David Bowie, so you’ve got that going on, then the sad work of The Stooges taken one step further, with lyrics that are an admittedly intelligent mess, blared out by a lead vocal that is, well Iggy Pop. Ho-hum. Vocally, Pop in “The Passenger” channels (poorly) Jim Morrison, but without the sensuality. Vocally, Pop in “Tonight” channels (poorly) David Bowie. Surprise, surprise. And about that lyric, Iggy: If your baby’s turning blue, don’t celebrate your heroic pastoral sensitivity—call 911. Jesus. Modestly accomplished rhythm section that sounds like the offspring of Soupy Sales (they were) and guitar work that is intentionally bombastic to the point of irrelevance (must not upstage the frontman, you see). Here we have the makings of commercial success, though Bowie and Pop (in that order) would probably prefer that motivation remain undisclosed, despite the glimpse we get in “Success”. “Turn Blue” is another reminder that heroin always screws up the music, and in this case, the lyrics too. Punk puts the toxic in toxic masculinity. Someday this will be regarded as silly, but we’re not there yet. 1/5
To surpreso com o quanto eu gostei e com quantas músicas eu já conhecia
Success" / "The Passenger" Released: 30 September 1977 "Lust for Life" / "Success" Released: November 1977 "Some Weird Sin" / "Tonight"
Was surprisingly disappointed in a lot of the punk records on this list. This record has changed that. This is how its done.
Ja dit album komt op een mooi moment voorbij. 5 sterren ook eentje van John erbij.. dus dat maakt 6
My first 5 star. Classic and the first one since doing this that I put on again right after it was finished. Music by Bowie, lyrics by Iggy, what's not to like?
Having a lust for life is far more socially acceptable than having a lost for your own sister, like I do.
what you gonna have as your album cover iggy? just a photo of me grinning like he cheshire cat.
Chyba pierwszy solowy material od Iggiego na liscie i juz moj ulubiony krazek z jego dyskografii, czyli lust for life bedacy drugim solowym albumem pana Popa z roku 77, wiec z czasow berlinskiej trylogii Bowiego, nie jest to bez znaczenia, bo byl on producentem tego krazka i mozna powiedziec, ze byl jednym z glownych sil dzialajacych na Iggiego, ktory razem z nim uciekl za wielka wode do europy przed narkotykowym szalenstwem i w poszukiwaniu nowych inspiracji tworczych, wiec nazwisko Bowiego mozna zobaczyc jako kompozytora wiekszosci kawalkow, operatora klawiszy czy uslyszec na backujacych wokalach, jak dla mnie ten okres u obu artystow jest peakowym momentem w ich karierach, lust for life to jeden z tych albumow ktore sie kocha a ciezko stwierdzic za co tak naprawde, jednym z aspektow beda teksty Iggiego przez ktore wpadl w oko Bowiemu, gdy gral jeszcze w Stoogesach, jest to chyba najbardziej komercyjny album tego punkowego pradziada, jak przystalo na tak bliski colab z Bowim, ale jego popowosc skupia sie glownie na czesci instrumentalnej, bo lirycznie jest to nadal ostra brzytwa, sprytnie przemycana w pluszowych zabawkach, bo glownymi motywami plyty jest copowanie z heroinowymi nawykami, zaraz obok krecenia mlodymi dupami, ale nie brakuje miejsca na satyre zachodniego sukcesu na traku success, ktory zaraz obok passengera pretenduje do kategorii najlepszego drumowania plyty, ale elementem ktory jak dla mnie robi ten trak sa backujace wokale Bowiego puszczone przez syntha sprawiajace wrazenie, ze za Popem spiewa caly chorek, sam kawalek the passenger to chyba najbardziej komercyjnie przyjety utwor Popa, filmy, radio, telewizja byl on wszedzie, a nadal jest sluchalny, bo tak uniwersalny motyw podrozy z hipnotycznym beatem wydrumionym przez Hunta Salesa, ciekawe jeszcze ze ten kawalek wyprodukowal Colin Thurston, ktory tworzyl w tym okresie z Bowim na heroes i podpisal sie pseudonimem Bewlay Bros, referencja do ostatniego traka z hunky dory, wiec wszedzie jajka wielkanocne sa poukrywane, na plejke dodam tylko turn blue, chyba najbardziej eksperymentalny utwor albumu, takze lirycznie chyba najbardziej bogaty, bo opisuje przedobrzenie z heroina, wiec temat z pewnoscia bliski sercu pana Popa
Iznenađena sam zapravo da znam ove pisme, a nisam ni znala izvođača! Definitivno ću prošvrljat još i po ostalim pismama jer je super!
Zabavnoo! Piše “Most of the music (chords, melodies, arrangements) was composed by David Bowie” šta mi se sviđa 4.5/5
Album me kupio od prve pisme! Sigurno ću opet slušat, a bome i istražit druge albume
A Bateria e a guitarra sao surreais! Ja na primeira faixa já percebe-se que a coisa é séria!
great album. Can really hear the bowie influences but still stands up.
“Here Comes My Face” “Ohhhhh shittttt” This album makes me wanna do Heroin and be Scottish 6/5, spent $50 on an OG US press of this last summer and it’s been a household favorite ever since. Absolutely phenomenal album, fav track is “Tonight”
There's "Lust For Life" and "The Passenger", those two tracks only making it worthwhile to buy your ticket for this ride. But there's also lewd "Sixteen", loud "Some Weird Sin" or lanky "Neighborhood Threat" (what a great 'proto-post punk' guitar arpeggio, slithering in the background from start to end...). There's "Success" and "Tonight". There's David Bowie and Ricky Gardiner in top form behind the scenes. And of course, there's Iggy, his voice, his presence. Still wild, roaring and intense a few years after the Stooges' demise. He snarls, he hoots, he hollers. If he's the "modern man", as he says he is in "Lust For Life", I'm all up for giving up drugs too, getting my shit together, and join him in Berlin to celebrate the ironies of consumer society. Danny Boyle had one of the greatest ideas of his life to use this track for Trainspotting (or was it the book's author, Irvine Welsh?). But the album is worth it, too, folks. So dive in. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: more than 900, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: approximately a half so far (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter
David Bowie vibe is evident on this… so it suddenly made sense reading that he was heavily involved on the Wikipedia page. Besides “Lust for Life” (oh - yes I guess it does sound very Bowie!) and “The Passenger” I knew very little Iggy Pop. This was fun and I enjoyed it! Favorite songs: Lust for Life, The Passenger, Success, Neighborhood Threat
Surprisingly great. Weird how my first exposure to lust for life was from a fucking cruise ship commercial 5
Just a great album. I love Iggy with or without The Stooges. It's not perfect, probably a 4.5 but considering that I gave The Idiot a 4, which is also a 4.5 album this is getting the 5. I don't know why I felt the need to explain that but here we are
This might be the most "ahead of its time" album on this list. During at least half the albums, I couldn't help but think there were Strokes and White Stripes songs that sound JUST like these. Is 2000s alt rock just a ripoff of 70s post punk? I was very pleasantly surprised with this album. Catchy and cool throughout.
Fantastic. I'm really surprised. I think I've liked every song, and some songs a lot. Like, a lot-a lot. The passenger, I think uhhh Neighborhood threat. "To make it in this world, you gotta make somebody cum". Clap clap Iggy. 4-4.5 stars, no question. I'm officially a fan.
Discazo!! Y si bien "Lust for life" y "The Passenger" son los temas que nos metieron en la cabeza todo el tiempo, la clave está en "Success", realmente es ahí donde explota el disco. De hecho es el primer track del lado B, lugar que se le destinaba siempre, y durante varias décadas, a la mejor canción del álbum. Esas hermosas épocas en que debíamos dar vuelta el disco o el cassette.
Great stuff. Slicker production than on Raw Power, but none the worse for that. Can hear Bowie in the backing vocals.
I knew this album was going to be good but I did NOT know that Bowie was going to be singing backup vocals. It’s a damned shame that Iggy released this album the same week that Elvis died - this would’ve been so much more financially impactful for the Godfather of Stage Dives. I guess it’s better for the soul to be renowned for your impact on others’ music careers. I wonder what Iggy would say.
Stonking album. A couple of all-time top tracks and everything else is great too.
Certaines de mes chansons préférées d'Iggy Pop, mais aussi en général. Les rythmes sont irrésistibles pour moi, et le côté irrévérencieux est bien présent.
Could give this a 5 for Some Weird Sin and Success alone. Plus all the bonus Bowie content. A classic.
"Lust for Life" is the second solo studio album by Iggy Pop. It was recorded in collaboration with David Bowie after they were on tour to support his previous album "The Idiot." It was also recorded in Berlin as Iggy and Bowie were trying to get clean battling drug addictions. The writing, recording and mixing only took eight days as Iggy was trying to emulate Bowie's quick pace and was more involved in the music writing. Bowie had pretty much written most of the music for "The Idiot." The music was noted as being more Stooges-like and rocking than his previous album. I'll definitely agree with that on the side one songs. There's a pace and groove that rocks. I also think using his touring band helped as they are very tight. The band was Iggy (vocals), Bowie (keyboards), Ricky Gardiner (guitar), Carlos Alomar (guitar), Tony Fox (bass) and Hunt Sales (drums). "Lust for Life" start the album off strong with the drum beat and guitar. A pounding groove. Melody doubled by the instruments. The song was inspired by Morse code used by the American Forces Network News in Berlin. It's upbeat but the lyrics have a theme of you need to lust for life to keep from killing yourself (to me). "Sixteen" is where I really heard The Stooges. Iggy screaming. Edgy guitar. I think simply just lusting after a girl. "The Passenger" has just a great, great guitar melody. Those chords were written by guitarist Ricky Gardiner. The song was inspired by a Jim Morrison poem...modern life as a journey by car. A haunting sounding song especially with the backing vocals and chorus. The second side begins with "Success." You can hear the Bowie influence here with his keyboards and backing vocals. It's upbeat and has a 70's Bowie soulful feel. Iggy continues the 70's soul going in "Turn Blue." Igyy singing, screaming, talking. It's about heroin. The music is sort of bluesy. The album closer is "Fall in Love With Me" and has a groovy feel with the keyboards and organ. Interesting guitar..almost a separate guitar solo going on in addition the keyboard driven melody and rhythm. I think Iggy just lusting after a girl...again. This is a very, very good album. A decent variety of styles; some songs are straight-forward rock, the second side seems more Bowie soul-influenced and then you have two of his best songs in "Lust for Life" and "The Passenger." A high recommendation.
Such energy in music and singing, have to love life after listening this! The Passenger one of best songs ever recorded. I wanna be his dog.
I love the stooges, and I love The Idiot. But this was my intro to Iggy. I just adore this album.
A shout of joy all the way through. Iggy Pop retains his punk edge but channels it through more varied songwriting and production (largely courtesy of David Bowie), to phenomenal results.
Невероятно лёгкий и зажигательный поп-рок альбом, который смешивает лучшее из двух жанров.
Bowie produced it, but this one goes to Hunt and Tony Sales for providing Iggy with an unbelievable rhythm section. Lust for Life is a classic, but The Passenger has proved to be enduring as well. The best Iggy solo album.
I can definitely hear how many of the modern bands I love today have been influenced by Iggy Pop.