Lust for Life (Iggy Pop album)
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''Lust for Life'' is the second solo
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American musician
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
, released on September 9, 1977, through
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
. It was his second collaboration with English musician and friend
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
after ''
The Idiot ''The Idiot'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Идиот, Idiót) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–69. The title is an ...
'', released in March the same year. Shortly after Bowie released his own album '' Low'' in January, Pop went on a tour to support ''The Idiot'' with Bowie as his
keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical inst ...
. At the tour's conclusion, Pop and Bowie regrouped in Berlin to record the former's next solo album. ''Lust for Life'' was recorded at Hansa Studio by the Wall in
West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
from May to June 1977, with production being handled by Bowie, Pop, and engineer
Colin Thurston Colin Thurston (13 July 1947 – 15 January 2007) was an English recording engineer and record producer. Born in Brentford, Middlesex, Thurston played in bands in London before he "bluffed his way" into audio engineering.Pierre Perrone (24 ...
. The touring band of Pop, Bowie, guitarist
Ricky Gardiner Ricky Gardiner (31 August 1948 – 13 May 2022) was a Scottish guitarist and composer. Biography Gardiner joined his first band, the Vostoks, at school in 1962. Next there were the Kingbees and the System, with whom he formed Beggars Oper ...
, and brothers Tony Fox and
Hunt Sales Hunt Sales (born March 2, 1954) is an American rock drummer, who has played with Todd Rundgren, Iggy Pop and Tin Machine with David Bowie. He has often worked with his brother Tony Sales, a bass guitarist. Personal life Hunt Sales is a son o ...
on bass and drums, respectively, comprised the primary lineup for the album. After ''The Idiot'' was mostly composed by Bowie, Pop was adamant about having more control over ''Lust for Life'', often composing his own arrangements, including for "Sixteen". This resulted in a
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
and proto-punk sound more akin to his older style with the band
the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
. Pop would use Bowie's arrangements for some songs, including the well-known
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...
. Upon release, ''Lust for Life'' received little promotion from RCA but nevertheless peaked at number 28 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and remained Pop's highest-charting album there until 2016's ''
Post Pop Depression ''Post Pop Depression'' is the seventeenth studio album by American rock singer Iggy Pop, released by Caroline International / Loma Vista Recordings on March 18, 2016. Produced by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, the album was recorded in s ...
''. It also peaked at number 8 in the Netherlands and number 120 on the US ''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tape chart. Critically, ''Lust for Life'' was well-received, with many praising Pop's energetic performance throughout and his greater role compared to ''The Idiot''; the former would later be regarded as one of his best works and has appeared on several best album lists. It also marked Pop and Bowie's final collaboration until the mid-1980s.


Background

After a period of drug addiction,
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
joined his friend
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
on his 1976 Isolar Tour and afterwards, moved to Europe with him in hopes of getting sober. After moving into the
Château d'Hérouville The Château d'Hérouville is a French 18th century château located in the village of Hérouville, in the Val d'Oise département of France, near Paris. The château was built in 1740 by "Gaudot", an architect of the school of Rome, from the r ...
in Hérouville, France, Bowie decided to produce Pop's first solo album. Recorded from June to August 1976, ''
The Idiot ''The Idiot'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Идиот, Idiót) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–69. The title is an ...
'' was Pop's first release since the breakup of his former band
the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
in 1974. The majority of the music was composed by Bowie, while Pop wrote most of the lyrics, often in response to the music being composed. Due to Bowie's major influence on its creation, ''The Idiot'' marked a departure from the proto-punk sound of the Stooges, in favor of a style more akin to art rock. After the album's completion, Bowie recorded his own album, '' Low'', in a style reminiscent of ''The Idiot''. Bowie's label
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
released ''Low'' in January 1977 and due to its unexpected commercial success, Bowie persuaded RCA to release ''The Idiot'' in March. The album became the biggest commercial success involving Pop up to that point, reaching the top 40 in both the US and the UK charts. Bowie declined to promote ''Low'', opting instead to support Pop on a tour of his own. With himself on
keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
, Bowie assembled a band that included
Ricky Gardiner Ricky Gardiner (31 August 1948 – 13 May 2022) was a Scottish guitarist and composer. Biography Gardiner joined his first band, the Vostoks, at school in 1962. Next there were the Kingbees and the System, with whom he formed Beggars Oper ...
on guitar, with brothers Tony Fox and
Hunt Sales Hunt Sales (born March 2, 1954) is an American rock drummer, who has played with Todd Rundgren, Iggy Pop and Tin Machine with David Bowie. He has often worked with his brother Tony Sales, a bass guitarist. Personal life Hunt Sales is a son o ...
on bass and drums, respectively. Rehearsals began in mid-February 1977 and the tour began at the start of March. Songs played included popular Stooges numbers, a couple of tracks from ''The Idiot'', and tracks that would appear on ''Lust for Life'', including "
Tonight Tonight may refer to: Television * ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC * ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...
", "Some Weird Sin", and "Turn Blue". Bowie was adamant about not taking the spotlight away from Pop, often staying behind his keyboard and not addressing the audience. The tour ended on April 16. The success of ''The Idiot'' and the tour earned Pop fame and success greater than he ever achieved with the Stooges. However, during interviews, he was often asked about Bowie more than his own work. This frustrated Pop and led to him realizing that for their next collaboration, he would have to take more control.


Recording

At the end of the tour, Pop and Bowie returned to Berlin to start writing. To further achieve his own identity, Pop moved out of the apartment he was sharing with Bowie and his assistant Coco Schwab, relocating to his own place in the same building. The two continued writing for a few weeks before they were joined by Gardiner in May 1977, who recalled that "quite a few ideas were already present". The trio spent a small number of weeks writing, devising tracks such as " The Passenger" and " Lust for Life". At the end of May, they moved to the Hansa Studio by the Wall to begin recording. The rhythm section of Hunt and Tony Sales on drums and bass, respectively, returned from the tour, along with guitarist
Carlos Alomar Carlos Alomar (born 7 May 1951) is a Puerto Rican guitarist. He is best known for his work with David Bowie from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, having played on more Bowie albums than any musician other than pianist Mike Garson. He has als ...
who was brought in by Bowie as a musical director. Bowie reduced his role significantly from ''The Idiot'', solely contributing keyboards like the tour. Gardiner recalled that because they were already a "tour-hardened band", there was a more "live" feel to the tracks than ''The Idiot''. For the impromptu "Fall in Love with Me", the band swapped instruments: Hunt played bass, Tony Fox played guitar, and Gardiner played drums. Bowie, Pop, and producer-engineer
Colin Thurston Colin Thurston (13 July 1947 – 15 January 2007) was an English recording engineer and record producer. Born in Brentford, Middlesex, Thurston played in bands in London before he "bluffed his way" into audio engineering.Pierre Perrone (24 ...
produced ''Lust for Life'' under the pseudonym "Bewlay Bros.", named after the final track on Bowie's 1971 album ''
Hunky Dory ''Hunky Dory'' is the fourth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 17December 1971 through RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, '' The Man Who Sold the World'', Bowie took time off from recording and tourin ...
''. Pop did not sleep much during its making, commenting "See, Bowie's a hell of a fast guy ... I realized I had to be quicker than him, otherwise whose album was it gonna be?" He worked frequently with the Sales brothers and Gardiner, even rejecting some musical arrangements Bowie provided him for a few tracks, including "Success". Pop prepared only fragments of lyrics before singing, and essentially improvised at the microphone. This spontaneous lyrical method inspired Bowie to improvise his own words on his next studio album '' "Heroes"'' (1977). According to Pop, the entire album was written, recorded, and mixed in eight days, starting in May and finishing in June.


Music and themes

''Lust for Life'' is generally considered to be more of a Pop record than the Bowie-dominated ''The Idiot'', being less experimental and having more of a
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
flavor. Overall, reviewers have characterized ''Lust for Life'' as
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
and proto-punk. However, some of its themes are similarly dark, as in "The Passenger", cited by ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' editors
Roy Carr Roy Carr (1945 – 1 July 2018) was an English music journalist, covering pop, rock and jazz. He joined the '' New Musical Express (NME)'' in the late 1960s, and edited ''NME'', '' Vox'' and '' Melody Maker'' magazines. Biography Born in Bla ...
and
Charles Shaar Murray Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray; 27 June 1951) is an English music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the ''New Musical Express'' and many other magazines and newspapers, and has been interviewed for a number of ...
as one of Pop's "most haunting" tracks, and "Tonight" and "Turn Blue", both of which deal with heroin abuse. In contrast were more upbeat songs such as "Success" and "Lust for Life", the latter of which was described by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' as Pop's "survivor message to the masses". According to Pop, Bowie's celebrated riff on "Lust for Life" was inspired by the
Morse code Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code is named after Samuel Morse, one of ...
opening to the American Forces Network news in Berlin. At various points in the song, the melody is doubled by the entire band; in Alomar's words, "You can't play a counter-rhythm to that, you just had to follow."
Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
drummer Stephen Morris declared, "On ''Lust for Life'' the drums sound not huge but massive! The loudest cymbals known to man, that riff! I wanted to sound like that, still do." "The Passenger" was inspired by a
Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...
poem that saw "modern life as a journey by car", as well as rides on the
Berlin S-Bahn The Berlin S-Bahn () is a rapid transit railway system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It has been in operation under this name since December 1930, having been previously called the special tariff area ''Berliner Stadt-, Ring ...
, according to Pop's former girlfriend Esther Friedmann. The lyrics have also been interpreted as "Iggy's knowing commentary on Bowie's cultural vampirism". The music, a "laid-back ... springy groove", was composed by Gardiner. Characterized by
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
as "a glorious throwaway" and by ''Rolling Stone'' as "an infectious throwaway", "Success" is a light-hearted track of the
call and response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...
variety. At just under seven minutes, "Turn Blue", the longest song on ''Lust for Life'', was a sprawling confessional that dated back to an abortive recording session by Bowie and Pop in May 1975, when the latter was in the depths of his drug addiction. Originally titled "Moving On", it was composed by Bowie, Pop, Walter Lacey, and
Warren Peace Geoffrey Alexander MacCormack, better known as Warren Peace, is an English vocalist, composer and dancer best known for his work with David Bowie in the 1970s. Musical career A long-time friend of Bowie since their schooldays in Bromley, Peace ...
. It was the only set of lyrics that did not appear on the original vinyl record sleeve. The album's remaining tracks included "Sixteen", the only piece written entirely by Pop; "Some Weird Sin", a
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
number featuring a "lost-boy lyric"; the "neo-
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
" "Neighborhood Threat"; and "Fall in Love with Me", which grew from an impromptu jam by the band to which Pop composed lyrics apparently evoking Friedmann.


Artwork and release

The cover photo was by Andy Kent, who also shot the cover for ''The Idiot''. It was taken in Pop's dressing room while he was preparing to talk to an interviewer during his UK tour. Kent stated: "It was a lucky great shot. This was Jimmy. The nice guy, a guy you'd like to hang out with." Pegg writes that the cover provides a stark contrast to ''The Idiot'', in that Pop's healthy appearance and smiling gaze represents ''Lust for Life''s overall positive tone compared to its predecessor. ''Lust for Life'' was released through RCA on September 9, 1977, with the catalog number RCA PL-12488. It received little promotion from RCA, primarily due to the death of
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
two weeks earlier, whose catalog the label was adamant on reissuing. Although RCA had pressed decent quantities of the album, once the first pressings were sold out, there were none left. Tony Sales recalled: "''Lust for Life'' just disappeared from the shelves, and that was it." Trynka notes that whereas ''The Idiot'' had received a decent amount of press coverage, ''Lust for Life'', which he calls "the most overtly commercial album of Iggy Pop's career"—and the record that marked his "return to health and happiness"—received little, contributing to its poor performance. Despite little promotion and lack of vinyl pressings, ''Lust for Life'' managed to peak at number 28 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and remained Pop's highest-charting release in the UK until 2016's ''
Post Pop Depression ''Post Pop Depression'' is the seventeenth studio album by American rock singer Iggy Pop, released by Caroline International / Loma Vista Recordings on March 18, 2016. Produced by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, the album was recorded in s ...
''. It also peaked at number 120 on the US ''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tape chart, and performed well in the Netherlands, peaking at number 8. "Success", backed with "The Passenger", was released on September 30, 1977, as a single from the album, but failed to chart.


Tour

With little promotion from the label, Pop was forced to continue touring. The Sales brothers were brought back for the tour, while Canadian guitarist Stacy Heydon, who worked with Bowie on his 1976 Isolar Tour, replaced Gardiner on guitar. Bowie, who was adamant about promoting ''"Heroes"'', was replaced on keyboards by
Scott Thurston Scott Troy Thurston (born January 10, 1952) is an American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and session musician. He was a member of the Stooges, and of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, in which he sang harmony vocals and played guitar, bass, ...
, a former member of the Stooges. The band, who performed 40 gigs in almost nine weeks, received positive reviews. Critic
Lester Bangs Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs (December 14, 1948 – April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist, critic, author, and musician. He wrote for '' Creem'' and ''Rolling Stone'' magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock music ...
of ''NME'', who gave negative assessments for both ''The Idiot'' and ''Lust for Life'', praised Pop's on-stage energy. Thurston recalled Pop being more professional than his days touring with the Stooges; he attributed this to him turning 30 years old. Thurston and Pop became good friends during the tour, although Pop still suffered from bouts of alcohol and cocaine use, as well as financial troubles. The Sales brothers were fired by Pop at the end of the tour.


Critical reception

On release, ''Lust for Life'' was met with positive reviews from music critics. In a contemporary review, ''Rolling Stone'' critic Billy Altman considered that "purely on its own terms, ''Lust for Life'' is a successful album", but complained that Pop's "new stance is so utterly unchallenging and cautious". By contrast, Robert Christgau of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' refuted the critical opinion that Pop's "creative power has dissipated", finding ''The Idiot'' and ''Lust for Life'' to be more consistent than Pop's albums with the Stooges. He later noted that of the two, he preferred ''Lust for Life'' "because it's faster and more assertive—which means, among other things, that the nihilistic satire is counteracted by the forward motion of the music itself".
Kris Needs Kris Needs (born 3 July 1954) is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. He became editor of proto-punk and early punk rock ''ZigZag'' magazine in August 1977 at 23 and has since written biographi ...
of ''
ZigZag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. In geometry, this pattern is described as ...
'' magazine felt ''Lust for Life'' is not as "consistent" as its predecessor. He nevertheless considered the album one of his favorite albums of 1977, finding it to be more of a "day" record with its predecessor being a "night" record. In ''
Sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
'' magazine, Pete Makowski praised the record, calling it "excellent". He complimented the band's performance and Pop's vocals, labeling them "a bit jagged but powerful". Writing for ''NME'', Max Bell gave the record a positive review, calling it "quite good". He praised Pop's greater role compared to ''The Idiot'', as well as his vocal performance. However, he was critical of some tracks, including "Some Weird Sin", "Tonight", and "Success", the last of which he considered "'Fame' revisited". Retrospectively, ''Lust for Life'' has continued to receive positive reviews. Writing for AllMusic, Mark Deming called ''Lust for Life'' Pop's best solo work, stating that with the record, he "managed to channel the aggressive power of his work with the Stooges with the intelligence and perception of ''The Idiot'', and the result was the best of both worlds". Trynka calls ''Lust for Life'' Pop's "most effervescent, optimistic album", praising Pop's greater contribution to the record over its predecessor. Reviewing the album as part of the 2020 box set ''The Bowie Years'', Sasha Geffen of ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' praised Pop's performance, writing that he managed to put more of himself into the record than ''The Idiot''.


Aftermath and legacy

At the end of the tour, Pop became fed up with RCA and decided he was going to quickly finish his contract with a live album. The album, assembled from soundboard tapes from the two prior tours and given quick touch-ups by Edu Meyer at Hansa, was released as '' TV Eye Live'' in May 1978. It earned him a decent payout from RCA. Prior to its release, recordings Pop had made with former Stooges member James Williamson in 1975 were released in November 1977 through Bomp! Records as ''
Kill City ''Kill City'' is a studio album by American musicians Iggy Pop and James Williamson (musician), James Williamson, both formerly of the rock band The Stooges (band), the Stooges. It was recorded as a demo in 1975 but released in altered form in No ...
'', credited jointly to Pop and Williamson. After leaving RCA, Pop signed with
Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...
; his first album for them, ''
New Values ''New Values'' is the third studio album by American musician Iggy Pop. It was released in July 1979 by record label Arista. Background ''New Values'' was Pop's first record for Arista and the first collaboration by Pop and James Williamso ...
'', was produced by Williamson and released in the fall of 1979. Although Bowie had told interviewers that he planned to do a third collaboration with Pop in 1978, ''Lust for Life'' would be the two's last official collaboration until the mid-1980s. Pop co-wrote tracks with Bowie for the latter's 1984 album ''
Tonight Tonight may refer to: Television * ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC * ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...
'', while Bowie would co-write and co-produce Pop's 1986 album '' Blah-Blah-Blah''. For ''Tonight'', Bowie covered three of Pop's tracks, including two off ''Lust for Life'': "Neighborhood Threat" and "Tonight", which he dueted with singer
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
and removed the opening drug-related lines, and "Don't Look Down" from ''New Values''. Siouxsie and the Banshees recorded a cover of "The Passenger" with brass instruments on their 1987 album ''
Through the Looking Glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...
''. Pop praised it, commenting: "She threw a little note in when she sings it that I wish I had thought of, it's kind of improved it ..The
horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
thing is good." The title track gained renewed popularity in the late 1990s after being featured in the 1996 British comedy film '' Trainspotting''. The song was heavily featured in the film's marketing campaign and subsequent soundtrack album, resulting in a new UK chart peak of number 26 after being reissued as a single. The single's success inspired Pop's then-label
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...
to issue a greatest hits
compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products *Compilation thesis M ...
titled '' Nude & Rude''. Ambrose writes that it gained the same level of resurgence as
the Doors The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...
' "
The End The End may refer to: Films * ''The End'' (1953 film), a film by Christopher Maclaine * ''The End'' (1978 film), a comedy by Burt Reynolds * ''The End'' (1997 film), a Canadian film of 1997 * ''The End'' (1998 film), a skateboarding document ...
" (1967) after the latter's inclusion in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film ''
Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph ...
''. In 1999, Pop reflected on the song's renewed popularity: ''Lust for Life'' has appeared on several best-of lists by multiple publications. ''Sounds'' and ''Mojo'' ranked the album 21st and 44th in their lists of the 100 greatest albums of all time in 1986 and 1995, respectively. ''Pitchfork'' ranked ''Lust for Life'' number 64 in its list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1970s in 2004. In 2013, ''NME'' ranked the album 217th in their list of
the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indust ...
. It was also included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery's book '' 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''. The aggregate website Acclaimed Music lists ''Lust for Life'' as the 15th most acclaimed album of 1977, the 104th most acclaimed album of the 1970s, and the 375th most acclaimed album in history.


2020 deluxe edition

On April 10, 2020, Pop released an alternate mix of "
China Girl China Girl may refer to: Music *China Girl (song), "China Girl" (song), a 1977 song by David Bowie and Iggy Pop, rerecorded and released as a single by Bowie in 1983 *"China Girl", a song by John Cougar, released in 1982 on the album ''American Foo ...
" from ''The Idiot'' in promotion of then-upcoming album ''The Bowie Years'', a seven-disc deluxe box set featuring expanded remastered versions of ''The Idiot'' and ''Lust for Life''. The box set, released on May 29, includes remastered versions of both albums along with outtakes, alternate mixes, and a 40-page book. The two original albums were also re-released individually, each paired with an additional album of live material to create separate stand-alone two-disc deluxe editions.


Track listing


Personnel

According to Thomas Jerome Seabrook: *
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
– vocals *
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
– keyboards, piano, organ, backing vocals *
Carlos Alomar Carlos Alomar (born 7 May 1951) is a Puerto Rican guitarist. He is best known for his work with David Bowie from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, having played on more Bowie albums than any musician other than pianist Mike Garson. He has als ...
– rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead guitar ("Lust for Life", "Turn Blue") *
Ricky Gardiner Ricky Gardiner (31 August 1948 – 13 May 2022) was a Scottish guitarist and composer. Biography Gardiner joined his first band, the Vostoks, at school in 1962. Next there were the Kingbees and the System, with whom he formed Beggars Oper ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals, drums ("Fall in Love with Me") *
Warren Peace Geoffrey Alexander MacCormack, better known as Warren Peace, is an English vocalist, composer and dancer best known for his work with David Bowie in the 1970s. Musical career A long-time friend of Bowie since their schooldays in Bromley, Peace ...
– keyboards and backing vocals ("Turn Blue") *
Tony Fox Sales Tony Fox Sales (born September 26, 1951) is an American rock musician and composer. Normally on bass guitar, Sales and his brother, Hunt Sales, have worked with Todd Rundgren, Iggy Pop, and in Tin Machine with David Bowie. Early life and career ...
– bass, backing vocals, guitar ("Fall in Love with Me") *
Hunt Sales Hunt Sales (born March 2, 1954) is an American rock drummer, who has played with Todd Rundgren, Iggy Pop and Tin Machine with David Bowie. He has often worked with his brother Tony Sales, a bass guitarist. Personal life Hunt Sales is a son o ...
– drums, backing vocals, bass ("Fall in Love with Me")


Charts and certifications


Notes


References


Sources

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lust For Life (Album) Iggy Pop albums 1977 albums Albums produced by David Bowie Albums produced by Colin Thurston RCA Records albums