IGGY POP – WITH EVERY LOSER COMES A WINNER

On April 21, 1947 (nope, not a typo), James Newell Osterberg Jr. was born in Muskegon, MI. And the rest folks, is pure, unforgettable history. While you may not recognize this name, you will be hard-pressed to find anybody who has not, at minimum, heard of this guy. You see, little baby James would grow up to invent the stage dive, and become none other than Punk Rock God IGGY POP! By my math, this is going to make Mr. Pop 76 years old in a few mere months. SEVENTY-SIX! I guess the number itself is not overly staggering (actually, perhaps it is given some of the antics that Iggy is well known for), but what’s got me, is that on January 6, 2023, Iggy released his 19^th solo album Every Loser, on Atlantic Records/Gold Tooth Records. As if sucking on an elixir of life over the past four decades, there is simply no stopping the Godfather of Punk.

Iggy Pop released his first solo recordings in 1977. The two albums that year, The Idiot and Lust for Life were a collaboration with the ex-Stooges vocalist and long-time friend David Bowie. Ahead of this most recent release, Iggy’s last album was in 2019 when he released Free. For the new album, Producer Andrew Watt sums it up as “This album was created to be played as loud as your stereo will go…. Turn it up and hold on.” With 3 years between albums, let’s see how this one stacks up. Every Loser contains a star-studded cast of contributions from Chad Smith, Duff McKagan, Travis Barker, Stone Gossard, Dave Navarro, and Taylor Hawkins (RIP Taylor… you are already deeply missed) among others. With a lineup of guest musicians like this, the musicianship speaks for itself. As such, it’s the prowess of Iggy’s vocals I’m curious about. Remember, this guy is 75 years old.

The lead track on this album is called “Frenzy.” A pounding beat has me riled up 15 seconds in before Iggy’s hard-edged vocals. Iggy is seemingly completely frustrated… with EVERYTHING! By the end, he’s screaming, and holding his notes as if this is 1980 and he’s 33 years old. Maybe it’s his dick and 2 balls (check out the track)! The beat comes down considerably on the next track “Strung Out Johnny,” but I feel confident it’s not because he blew his load on the previous number. With the vocals on this one, there are some strong hints of the aforementioned Bowie on this track about drug abuse. It’s a somber take that kind of feels like you may counterintuitively want to get high, a real juxtaposition from the harsh realities.

Things heat up again with “Modern Day Ripoff.” This is a rockin’ little ditty that’s got me bopping in my seat, nodding my head, and quite frankly smiling ear to ear. With the track’s groove and tempo, I feel the urge to mosh! And then Iggy brings it back down with the melodic “Morning Show.” It’s definitely the most emotional track on Every Loser, the rhythm is real, and so is the message. If you don’t feel something listening to this track, well…

At a 37-minute run time, this album gets better as you listen through the other standout tracks like “Neo Punk” (complete classic fare), “Comments” (with its Billy Idol vibes), and “All the Way Down.” Did I mention Iggy Pop is 75 years old? FUCKING LEGEND! With the guest lineup, Iggy’s poetry, songwriting, and vocal mastery (there is literally no gravelly, old-man voice on this dude), this album is bloody brilliant. Please sir, can we have some more?

Tracklist:

Frenzy – 2:59

Strung Out Johnny – 4:14

New Atlantis – 4:09

Modern Day Ripoff – 3:30

Morning Show – 3:48

The News for Andy – 0:56

Neo Punk – 2:16

All the Way Down – 4:30

Comments – 3:54

My Animus Interlude – 1:03

The Regency – 5:43