New Values (Bonus Track Version)

Pound for pound and song for song, through all his way-ups and way-downs, Iggy was the ultimate rocker. (I write "was" cuz even though he still drags his bony butt across the stage his career basically ended around 1990 and everything since has been just another old rockers' nostalgia reenactment.) Still, he rarely put out an LP you could call a consistently good one. More often there are a few sparkling gems strewn among the filler and fodder. They just add up to one helluva portfolio. This is one of the exceptions -- a consistently strong and pure post-Bowie direction and a load of good songs, if no really great ones. "Values," "Bored," "Five Foot One," "Girls," "Sea" and "Curiosity" are all recommended. I have quibbles with the new-wavey production -- the sound is definitely not Iggy at his rockingest -- but no argument with those songs themselves.

I bought this record some time ago and, noticing a certain lack of the poisonous thunder that characterized the Stooges records, I shelved it. I brought it out later to see if I wanted to sell it and I was surprised with this album's angular guitar work and super tight rhythm section. There are peaks of brilliance on this record, like "I'm Bored," which sounds like it could be the first song Iggy wrote after he quit heroin. "New Values" and "Five Foot One" are as strong as anything Iggy's written. It's different than The Idiot because of its super-tight rock band, no doubt borrowing sounds from other minimal new wave acts of the time. After a few listens, those sharp cyclical guitar riffs will stick in your head. Iggy's sharp as a tack at moments. This clarity is actually kind of refreshing after the swaggering dark Stooges sludge that attracted me to him in the first place. Some dumb sappy pop songs here; I find "...Broken Part" and "Tell Me a Story" to be a bit nauseating. This album will grow on you, though. If you dream, as I often do, that Iggy Pop once performed a legendary killer jam session with Television as his backing band, buy this album because it sounds like a cheap approximation of that sound. Just do yourself a favor and skip "African Man." It sounds like Iggy had nasty relapse.

best iggy pop album. definitley a good buy