IGGY POP
Skull Ring (Virgin)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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The much ballyhooed reunion with the Stooges only clocks in for 4 tracks, but man, it's worth it. Despite Iggy's disdain for the Asheton brothers, there's some kinda wacked out magic going on when these boys get together. The guitars are ploddingly wavy, the rhythms childishly crude and the vocals laughable - in short, it's 1969 and it's The Stooges baby! Iggy's face may be a scruffy catcher's mitt, but his body and voice are miraculously intact. He uses both to good effect when dealing with the hot and panting Peaches for a couple of charged up sex numbers, but that's where the good news ends. Green Day and Sum 41 come along and absolutely destroy the album. Iggy gets all confused, starts crooning like Bowie and the whole thing falls apart. What the fuck is that? People should be glorified for half the record, and shot for the other half.

© 2004 - John Sekerka