After Iggy Pop's flawless, numbed out Berlin/Bowie 1977 pair of albums he made some shockers. But before the rot really set in 1979's New Values (the first solo album made without Bowie) had some pearls on it- the Kraftwerky The Endless Sea, Five Foot One, I'm Bored ('I'm bored' Iggy sings, 'I'm the chairman of the bored') and the title track. Co-written with ex-Stooge Scott Thruston it's short, sweet, and direct with a staccato guitar riff, clattering drums and some typically self-referencing and funny lyrics- as well as being healthy as a horse Iggy's got a hard ass pair of shoulders and a love you can't imagine. There's some trouble in there as well- both in the lyric ('I'm looking for one new value, but nothing comes my way') and the playing (a guitar solo that really needed trimming) but all in all it's good 'un and no mistake.
It's an excellent album for the tracks you mention but probably my favourite on there is Girls. Years back, on a quick razz to the shops in my sister in law's car, the radio was tuned to Andy Kershaw's show. In the ten minutes the journey lasted he played Five Foot One, Seven and Seven Is, and something else that I can't remember (but which was dead good) and I bought the three albums on the strength of that short listening experience.
ReplyDeleteHope the third one had numbers in the title.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that hit me while I was typing it - logically it should involve the number nine. Still can't remember though.
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