IGGY POP: NEW VALUES

SCORE: 76/100

Iggy Pop realistically has one of the most versatile discographies out of any rockstar, from experimental projects to rock, proto-punk, and now to new wave, Iggy has constantly reinvented himself. Working with James Williamson on this album gave it a fresh sound, and this album has a huge jump up in mixing quality when compared to his more rock-focused debut.


This album is a bit less interesting and enjoyable than some of his other projects, but for a third effort that involves trying something new for Iggy - it's worth the time for any fans of him or the new wave genre. His presence is clear and it's what makes the album feel unique to him specifically, and the end result is something highly unique for his discography that helps to freshen it up.


'New Values' is a pretty standard approach as far as new wave goes, but it works well enough to be a good album - it doesn't compare to his debut, and it's clear that his work with Bowie led to some of his best overall sounds and work, but this is a hugely interesting departure when considering the artistic factor of a change like this.


In general, the album comes together very well and works well as a front-to-back listen, but the individual songs don't really do much. It's an incredibly solid album, but it isn't as memorable as his debut and his work with The Stooges managed to be. Despite this, it's still an album of many redeeming qualities - with the overall style taking the lead as what makes the album as good as it is. It sounds a lot more drunken than a lot of Iggy's other work that I have heard so far, giving him a sleazier image that suits his persona a little too well.


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