BY ADAM SHLOMI
This edition of classics revisited is going to be a little different. The album being looked at is similar in its timelessness and influential nature, but as you may have noticed, I’m not Blue or Jeremy. Instead, I’m Adam Shlomi, a sophomore with an appreciation of all things innovative and an unconditional love for punk rock. In the spirit of each, today’s album will be Raw Power by Iggy Pop, which set the stage for what some may consider to be the birth of punk rock. Influencing everyone from Cee Lo Green to Nirvana to Rage Against the Machine, Raw Power is an album that deserves to be discussed, analyzed and heralded as an obvious classic.
Raw Power is the lovechild of David Bowie and Iggy Pop’s musical bromance. Previously, Iggy was a down on his luck drug addict with a basically defunct band. Bowie changed that, inviting Iggy Pop to come record with him in England where Bowie would produce their album, and remodel it with his own style and sounds. This story is reminiscent of the Velvet Underground, who, with the help of Andy Warhol, became rock and roll legends. Similarly, Raw Power was a commercial failure, enjoying little success but earning very positive reviews, only later would it generate a cult following from angry teens who enjoy loud guitars (fun fact: it’s one of the “loudest” albums ever recorded).
A couple of things must be kept in mind when listening to Raw Power. First, this album was produced at a time when the loudest band around was The Who, and angry punk music didn’t exist, everything on the album was truly innovative, however commonplace it may seem now, because of Iggy Pop’s popularity. If the quality sounds like garbage, that’s because it is. Iggy Pop tried to mix the album by himself, and failed…horribly. It left us with a screeching guitar, incredible treble, and a practically nonexistent rhythm section. CBS forced the album to be remixed, but during this remixing they were somehow unable to change the sound. So let’s take a moment to rejoice.
“Search and Destroy,” the first and most popular track off of Raw Power, has been one of my favorite songs since I first heard it as a six year old. Immediately the tone is set with what may just be the greatest guitar riff ever, and Iggy launches in, starts singing lines that just about any angry rebellious teenager can relate to. “I am the world’s forgotten boy…Somebody’s gotta save my soul.” Iggy vents his frustration while James Williamson shreds apart the guitar.
Raw Power is a short album, standing only eight tracks long and lasting a mere thirty-four minutes. However, in that time Iggy and Bowie do what most artists can only wish to do in their careers. They create eight tracks worthy of being singles, each with a different appeal. Pop showcases his powerful voice on slower tracks like “I Need Somebody” and “Gimme Danger,” where his brooding voice carries the songs and the guitar takes a back seat. It’s as if he’s just sending a quick reminder “Hey guys, take note, I’m super talented and there’s no one else like me…however hard Bowie tries.”
Praise for Raw Power is not due to its musical superiority, which does exist, but to its innovative style. The album’s legacy is loud, raw, and emotional music. It provides for a refreshing air of authenticity, that all generations praise. You know this was someone’s baby, that they worked hard to make this album great, and because there are flaws, you can grasp its realism. Iggy Pop isn’t a pop star, he’s an ugly, cross-dressing, uncontrollable genius, but that’s what makes him special, it gives him character and makes him unique. It shows he isn’t this pretty boy singing about Sunshine and Yellow Submarines; he’s making music that pleases him and expresses his deepest darkest thoughts. That’s what makes art special in the first place and Iggy Pop knows that better than anyone. Raw Power and Iggy Pop are the same, they both have their “flaws,” but without them, there’d be no defining factors, no “raw power”. Raw Power has influenced generations of rock bands and for that alone, it deserves to be considered a classic.
