THE STOOGES

I've always loved The Stooges. They came out with three incredibly solid albums plus a plethora of odds and ends in their times. Their best album in my opinion though is their debut, simply titled "The Stooges", released in 1969. The band is at their most primitive, sleazy, psychedelic, and viscous here. There are no holds barred. This is the perfect 1960's psychedelic garage punk album start to finish. Sure there are a few slow spots such as "We Will Fall", where the band may have imbibed a bit too much, but all in all a classic album. Ron Asheton's guitar playing will rip your brain apart. Of course, Iggy's vocals are as snide as ever. The production work of John Cale is brilliantly raw and organic. You can hear every instrument and all it's subtleties even at it's most deafening. This is the perfect American punk album filled with libido and alchohol/drug-fueled goodness, long before The Ramones would come onto the scene. Highly recommended.

IGGY POP: LUST FOR LIFE

"Lust for Life" (1977) is Iggy Pop's strongest solo album, in my opinion. It is his best work since The Stooges. It combines the adrenaline fueled madness and energy with an incredible sense of songwriting, a strong sense of melody, and a healthy underlying sense of musical experimentation. Part of this may be may be due to the musical direction and assistance of David Bowie, but "Lust for Life" sounds like a pure Iggy Pop album. He is really coming into his own sound here.

There are so many stand out tracks here. All are different and unique, and all convey a different mood. The album starts with the driving, somewhat cynical title track "Lust For Life". Then things get darker, heavier, and stranger with "Sweet Sixteen", "Some Weird Sin" and "The Passenger". The mood continues in it's downward spiral through the rest of the album. There is the seriously addictive dark pop of "Tonight" and "Success, and two truly twisted slower tracks "Turn Blue" and "Fall in Love With Me". The lyrics are strong, poetic, darkly off kilter and personal. Iggy's vocals are at their most soulful and intense. The musicianship is perfect here. Sometimes it brings to mind the work of David Bowie on "Lodger", "Low", and "Heroes", but most of the time it is pure, libido and drug driven, brilliantly sick and twisted Iggy Pop at his finest. Bowie is on backing voclas and Carlos Alamar is on guitar here. His playing adds a dark, glossy 1970's feel to the mix.

I cannot recommend this album enough. It is strong on every track...listen to it as a whole. If you like The Stooges but have been skeptical about Iggy's solo work you will be pleasantly surprised with this one. Pick this one up now. If you already have it, give it another listen.