Hi Marshall: Interesting stuff. I was at CBS Records when "Raw Power" was released; my first job after college was there (1972-1974) writing and editing the house magazine Playback. If the marketing, sales, and promotion teams weren't enthusiastic about Springsteen's 1973 debut a month earlier, they really weren't crazy about Iggy. "Raw Power" had great songs but, as you hint at, no bottom, little audible bass. Bad mix, bad mastering. But at least Clive stuck with Iggy at Arista for three albums. He once explained to me (pre-Whitney) that having Barry Manilow and Kenny G. sell millions gave him the elasticity to sign Patti Smith, the then-commercially dubious Kinks, Iggy, Grateful Dead, and others. Also, "Lust for Life" on RCA 1977 showed Iggy's potential to make good records post-Columbia/pre-Arista. The drugs at the time didn't help.
Hi Marshall: Interesting stuff. I was at CBS Records when "Raw Power" was released; my first job after college was there (1972-1974) writing and editing the house magazine Playback. If the marketing, sales, and promotion teams weren't enthusiastic about Springsteen's 1973 debut a month earlier, they really weren't crazy about Iggy. "Raw Power" had great songs but, as you hint at, no bottom, little audible bass. Bad mix, bad mastering. But at least Clive stuck with Iggy at Arista for three albums. He once explained to me (pre-Whitney) that having Barry Manilow and Kenny G. sell millions gave him the elasticity to sign Patti Smith, the then-commercially dubious Kinks, Iggy, Grateful Dead, and others. Also, "Lust for Life" on RCA 1977 showed Iggy's potential to make good records post-Columbia/pre-Arista. The drugs at the time didn't help.
Thanks for this!
I love those three albums SO MUCH!
I think these three are very much, witty, playful, fast and rocking. Very much Iggy.
You just gotta let loose and not take them seriously. They have brought me so much joy.
Great stuff - I love reading about Iggy, even if I’m convinced New Values is the only great album in the run. I wrote more about that here: https://rockandrollglobe.com/punk/iggy-pops-new-values-at-40/