Iggy Pop – The Idiot

I recently managed to find a German pressing of Iggy Pop’s The Idiot (RCA, 1977).

This is one of those records that I seem to have had a devil of a time tracking down, at least in terms of finding one of the pressings I want.

There was a re-issue of it a few years ago released by 4 Men With Beards but it’s a digital pressing, as all of their re-issues seem to be.

The original American RCA pressings can be had if you look hard enough but most people say the British or German pressings are sonically superior.

I haven’t had any luck finding a British pressing in decent condition that is priced fairly so, when I found this one, I had to snap it up.

It’s not a tip top copy, unfortunately, but it’s decent. I’d rate it VG+ condition, with some tics and pops between tracks and occasionally in more quiet passages. But the record does sound great.

The Idiot was the product of Iggy’s friendship and musical collaboration with David Bowie. Bowie co-wrote all of the songs with Iggy at the Château d’Hérouville in France and also produced the record. As the story goes, Iggy wrote most of the lyrics and Bowie most of the music.

Not surprisingly, Bowie’s influence is all over the record, much to the chagrin of some people who felt it was too much of a departure from Iggy’s previous work with the Stooges.

While there’s no denying this isn’t typical Iggy Pop fare, it’s an intriguing and commendable artistic endeavour on his part. (Kudos to Iggy for the Dostoevsky reference, too.) Most of all, it’s an enjoyable record to spin and lose yourself in.

Another welcome addition to the collection.