Iggy Pop - The Idiot (1977/2017) [Hi-Res]

Iggy's solo debut following the end of the Stooges, „The Idiot“ is often overlooked in favour of his second epistle, „Lust For Life“. Great album though the latter may be, „The Idiot“ served to remind rock's better-informed fans that one of its most original talents was still alive and kicking. Produced by Bowie, IDIOT contains two compositions, "Funtime" and "China Girl" that he later recorded himself. Another highlight is the electronics-driven "Nightclubbing" (a certifiable post-punk classic) and the meandering "Dum Dum Boys" (a precursor to "The Passenger"). An album that proved Iggy did not need to be flanked by guitars to retain his edge and menace.

„In 1976, the Stooges had been gone for two years, and Iggy Pop had developed a notorious reputation as one of rock & roll's most spectacular waste cases. After a self-imposed stay in a mental hospital, a significantly more functional Iggy was desperate to prove he could hold down a career in music, and he was given another chance by his longtime ally, David Bowie. Bowie co-wrote a batch of new songs with Iggy, put together a band, and produced The Idiot, which took Iggy in a new direction decidedly different from the guitar-fueled proto-punk of the Stooges. Musically, The Idiot is of a piece with the impressionistic music of Bowie's "Berlin Period" (such as Heroes and Low), with it's fragmented guitar figures, ominous basslines, and discordant, high-relief keyboard parts. Iggy's new music was cerebral and inward-looking, where his early work had been a glorious call to the id, and Iggy was in more subdued form than with the Stooges, with his voice sinking into a world-weary baritone that was a decided contrast to the harsh, defiant cry heard on "Search and Destroy." Iggy was exploring new territory as a lyricist, and his songs on The Idiot are self-referential and poetic in a way that his work had rarely been in the past; for the most part the results are impressive, especially "Dum Dum Boys," a paean to the glory days of his former band, and "Nightclubbing," a call to the joys of decadence. The Idiot introduced the world to a very different Iggy Pop, and if the results surprised anyone expecting a replay of the assault of Raw Power, it also made it clear that Iggy was older, wiser, and still had plenty to say; it's a flawed but powerful and emotionally absorbing work.“ (Mark Deming, AMG)

Iggy Pop, vocals
David Bowie, keyboards, synthesizer, guitar, piano, saxophone, xylophone, backing vocals
Carlos Alomar, guitar
Phil Palmer, guitar
George Murray, bass
Laurent Thibault, bass
Dennis Davis, drums
Michel Santangeli, drums

Produced by David Bowie

Digitally remastered