Graham Reid | | 1 min read
At 75, the “Godfather of Punk” Iggy Pop lives a quiet life of exercise, eating well and longtime sobriety in Florida. But put him on a stage or in a recording studio and he can access his search-and-destroy persona of The Stooges, the band that burned his outrageous reputation into rock more than half a century ago.
In his solo career – Every Loser the 19th album under his own name – he's had a supporting cast of friends, fellow travellers, admirers and acolytes, a roll-call which has include David Bowie, former Stooges, various members of the Sex Pistols, Blondie and Guns N'Roses, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and many others.
Every Loser – opening with the impressive pop-metal fury of Frenzy then some dialed-down sage advice to a junkie on Strung Out Johnny, – has Guns N'Roses bassist Duff McKagan back again, drummers Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and the late Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), guitarists Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) and Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction).
They ensure the full throttle rock (All the Way Down, Modern Day Ripoff) and throwback songs (the bratty satire of Neo Punk which ends with knowing laughter at its cliches) arrive with the appropriate punch.
Although enjoyable, this is familiar if sometimes tongue-in-cheek territory, as is the New Wave pop of Comments: “Sold my face to Hollywood. I’m feeling good, looking good”.
And on an album which can be hilariously juvenile in its profanity: “A respectable person would not do so much cursing. At least I’m still kicking. Am I smart or chicken?” he sings on Modern Day Ripoff.
Of more abiding interest is the weary, self-directed ballad Morning Show: “I’ll fix my face and go. Time to do the morning show, like a pro”.
There are also two brief spoken-word interludes, and the speak-sing New Atlantis about Miami -- “a beautiful whore of a city” -- in his distinctive, dry, barrel-bottom voice.
Every Loser is fun, has a pugnacious muscularity in places and is more focused than some mid-period Iggy albums. But after the thoroughly engaging first half it's not quite the winner it initially seems.
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You can hear this album at Spotify here
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