Classic Day – Two Stooges

While the record has Iggy Pop’s name on the cover, The Idiot is his first solo record since the creation and disbandment of The Stooges where David Bowie worked to sculpt a foundation for Pop to follow. This record, while in many ways is a duel-written record between both Pop and Bowie, which leaves The Idiot to sink as a disgruntled and sleazy sound out of the industrial mire.

Much of The Idiot is far catchier to a mainstream appeal than Pop’s work with The Stooges ever could be, opening the drowning landscape with “Sister Midnight” creates a shadowed figure that lurks through the record. A large portion of The Idiot has this presence of after-hours parties that drag into the void of simple writing turned into protopunk anthems. With a funky bass line that is more reminiscent of seedy New York jazz clubs than any Michigan origins that Pop holds. His screams however are still present, but instead, opt to be more approachable and in tune to invoke feelings of fulfillment rather than empty vessels of despair.

On the following track, “Nightclubbing” is a heartbeat away from a heroin overdose with these soaring synths and a simple, but shifting percussive shuffle. The authentic piano keys that then create the melody are contrasts from the low pitched Pop who delivers a muffled, but consistent narration. On The Idiot, Pop stands more as a figure for dancing with glassy eyes than crowd surfing over bloody bottles, this is a new generation of Pop that on the touch is subtle and mature for the majority of the record.

Even when he reaches one of the more reflective tracks, “Dum Dum Boys” that is ripped straight out of ballad bar rocks books and practically crafted the book as a note from the author. Pop on “Dum Dum Boys” takes a second to step into an introspective light, describing his time growing up and shifting away to his modern-day appearance. He describes, “Well things have been tough without the Dum Dum Boys. I can’t seem to speak the language, I remember how they used to stare at the ground. They looked as if they put the whole world, look as if they put the whole world down.”

The guitar that Pop has featured on “Dum Dum Boys” is a strong, but warped piece that shines brightly as a gleaming gloss that cuts alongside his voice. With low tuned percussion, the influence of Bowie is all over this record as Low was being recorded around the same time. So “Dum Dum Boys” is Pop’s closest shout into the mirror as he then drunkenly stumbles throughout The Idiot as a martyr for himself.

Pop who was the wild animal on stage and punk rock idealist was able to tone himself into a refined corner that while still vicious at times, was dangerous in other ways. He no longer posed a threat to just the crowd but was a reborn idol for creating and withstanding his own hand.

Listen To The Idiot Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes