If you have never heard of Iggy Pop, then there’s probably something wrong with you. I say this because Iggy has been in the spotlight as a rock n’roll all-star since his first band, The Stooges graced radio stations in the 60s and 70s. Searching and destroying all things that got in his way, Iggy has definitely shown the world that his work is definitely worth a million in prizes.
That is why Iggy’s record label Virgin/EMI has released a two-disc career-spanning retrospective anthology, appropriately titled: A Million in Prizes: The Iggy Pop Anthology. The anthology received much buzz over the past few months, and being one of the first people to have a copy of it, I was thrilled to take a trip through the sands of time to Iggy’s most famous recorded moments.
Starting from year one, the first disc is home to Iggy’s work in the Stooges. Iggy has been known as the grandfather of punk, and it is apparent when you listen to the very first track, “1969,” that you’re being taken back to the very beginning; when it was cool to be down on the street, wild, and rebellious. Throughout disc one, listeners will experience the raw guitar riffs and screeching vocals that have become one of the most influential contributions Iggy has made to music. The first disc contains 19 tracks including one song which was a collaboration with James Williamson on the title track “Kill City” off of the record released in 1977. By the last eight tracks, you begin to find classic Iggy songs from the late 70s when he went solo.
By disc two, you’ll find a more independent Iggy. Here Iggy Pop becomes edgier.You start to hear heavier guitars and less of the punk rock yells that got this rock virtuoso all the attention in the first place. Within the first few tracks of the second disc, you also begin to hear the help of synthesizers and drum machines. Yes folks, I believe it is time to enter into the 80s and 90s.
Collaborations with Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Kate Pierson of the B52s definitely confirm the decade changes. Standout tracks such as “Well Did You Evah!” and 1990’s “Candy” show Iggy putting the pop in Iggy Pop. This disc also includes two songs recorded live at the Feile Festival in 1993.
Other cool things about A Million in Prizes are of course, the awesome liner-notes that come standard to such a big collection. Included in the notes are a complete history of each track as well as essays and impressions of Iggy contributed by rock journalist Lenny Kaye and other well-known personalities in the music industry such as Lou Reed and David Bowie.
It really would be pointless to start naming all the tracks that stand out in this anthology. Listening to it all the way through, fans and listeners are able to see how Iggy has changed from his earliest recordings. A Million in Prizes wasn’t what I expected. It was better. I hate to say it, but I have never really been a fan of music anthologies. I believe in being a true fan to an artists’ music and really getting to know the artists’ work. I feel as if new fans don’t get enough of an idea about an artists having only listened to an anthology, however, if I had heard A Million in Prizes for the first time, I think it’s safe to say that I would definitely become an instant Iggy fan.
Artist:
Iggy Pop