Album Mini-review: Iggy Pop — Psychophonic Medicine
File next to: New York Dolls, The Stooges
If you made a list of the most unsentimental rock acts, Iggy Pop would be near the top of the list. Right? He never looked back, always charted his own unique, peanut-butter-and-glass-coated path, right? Well, apparently not. As this 2CD set illustrates, James Newell Osterberg acknowledged his roots, if only on recordings clearly not planned for official release. Across 21 tracks drawn from sessions and live dates in 1981 and 1985, he pays bizarre tribute to The Animals (or perhaps David Johansen?), Robert Plant‘s Honeydrippers, Jimi Hendrix, and his old band, (the 1960s version of) The Stooges. The tracks are outtakes from his critically-shellacked 1981 commercial bid Party; sessions produced by Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones; and a live date in San Francisco. Strange even by Iggy standards, this set seems to collect his most ill-advised efforts. That it still doesn’t (totally) suck is a testament to his importance, I guess.
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About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.