Rock & Pop > I Rock & Pop

Advantages: Seminal
Disadvantages: See text below

...annoy, and to entertain. Raw Power is widely considered to be Iggy’s seminal release, along with his band The Stooges. This is actually their comeback (in 1973, date fans!) record, their first two releases selling worse than Ebola flavoured cola. Still, the not-really-anticipated record was beset by a further problem – the mix was awful. SO VERY AWFUL. No-one actually knows why (they probable don’t remember, knowing the Stooges ...
...hours. Track #5 – Raw Power Freaky piano and guitar riff, which sounds like someone has found out that pressing the keys on the piano make a noise, and so press the same one in a football terrace chant stylee. Iggy’s vocals go down a key, but the 1950’s rock ‘n’ roll vibe of this song makes me feel like pogoing round my living room – until the woman downstairs threatens me with a police warning again. Damn. The ... Read review

Advantages: A record of energy, excitement and wah wah.
Disadvantages: For some the aural assault is all too much

I came to this record via a backwards route. I initially bought the greatest hits of Iggy Pop and liked it so much (especially the early stuff he did with the Stooges) that I had to investigate further. I'm very glad I did. This is a powerhouse of a debut from Iggy, the Asheton brothers and Dave Alexander. 1969 ------- The mood in 1969 (when this album was released) was a hotbed of tension and experimentation. The sixties bubble was becoming bloated ...
...of the day (the Mansons reading far too much into the Beatles riddles and the Hells Angels rioting at the Stones gig in Altamont). Since 1967 the Stooges had been ploughing their own furrow alongside another Michegan band of the same ilk (the MC5). The more established MC5 regarded The Stooges as their kid brother band and started the wheels in motion regarding getting The Stooges signed. The Stooges didn't really take anything from The Beatles ... Read review

Advantages: Rocks on full of power and enthusiasm with witty lyrics
Disadvantages: Lyrics might be a bit repetitive on some of the choruses.

Skull Ring is one of the best Iggy Pop albums in my opinion. It's amazing to think how old he was, when this album was made and to put so much energy and power into it is simply phenomenal. Every song on the album just bombs along with raw power! Superbabe, Motor Inn, Little Electric Chair and Nervous Exhaustion are just legendary anthems. This is probably Iggy's heaviest album ever and he pulls it off easily, some of the songs don't have the same ... Read review

Advantages: Distinctive sound, incredible guitar/keyboard album.
Disadvantages: A bit samey, and weak in the middle.

There's not a great deal I could say about Pink Floyd's 1975 album that hasn't already been said. But obviously, you know, I'll try and stuff. (This is why I normally write about bands like Subterranean Masquerade, whom you've never heard of). The sequel to the phenomenally popular 'Dark Side of the Moon' was always going to be a huge seller based on legacy alone, which is a shame as this inevitably led to the band adopting a more radio-friendly ...
...musical (and, I suppose, substance) experimentation produced such inspired 20-minute classics as 'Echoes' and such ridiculous 20-minute embarrassments as 'Atom Heart Mother' in equal measure, were now making albums targeted at the mass international audience they had snared. The band's early discography is packed with incredible highs and lows, and though much of it is inherently rubbish, the audacity alone makes it enjoyable. Now a sensation thanks ... Read review

Advantages: A decent soft rock sound
Disadvantages: Very little variation

..."American Idol" the season after Daughtry had been on to say goodbye to the acts who had been voted off. It's an expansive number with a bit more of a pop-rock influence than earlier tracks and reminds me of The Calling again. It's the kind of song made for American TV, with a big chorus and a soft rock feel, but it's nothing new and the same kind of thing that TV shows have been using as theme tunes and interludes for decades. The next track seems ...
...low as 99 pence. If Daughtry is going to be your kind of music, then this is a well crafted album and well worth a listen and it's only the lack of variation in sound that lets it down for me. Daughtry certainly proves here that he has the talent to go a long way in the industry; he just needs to develop a wider range of sound to ensure that people don't get bored of him too quickly. ... Read review