your pretty face is going to hell

I've just finished reading the Iggy Pop biography 'Open up and bleed' by Paul Trynka, another £1 GQ book sale find. I had been schooling myself in Iggy before reading, but after reading this I feel like I have been to every Stooges show, been at every album recording and been trapped in episodes of sheer mania and terror! This book is very comprehensive, which is both a gift and a curse and its very interesting being a biography rather than an autobiography as I don't think you are as easily persuaded into the idea of Iggy as a loveable rogue as you might be if he had written himself (which he has done in the past with his autobiography ' I Need More', but I think this book proves the Ig's mind and memories are not really to be trusted). For exampe, whether its fair or not, Anthony Keidis and Iggy Pop have always been closely linked in my mind, which is no way an accident on Keidis' part. Keidis was also a heroin addict, but in his brilliant autobiography 'Scar Tissue', you know he is frequently abhorrent, but ultimately completely charming.

As many succesful performers no doubt are, Jim Osterberg's creation 'Iggy Pop' is a self seeking, melodramatic meglomaniac, with a finger firmly set on the self destruct button. But I would love to be able to go back and see him fronting The Stooges in the late 60s and early 70s as their 'raw power' and fuck shit uppery sounds breathtaking. It is easy to think of wrinkly old orange Iggy in his car insurance ads now, and harder to remember that The Stooges, under Iggy's bent, basically went out there made the music they wanted, and weren't commerically succesful in their time. They were so intense and weird that audiences would cower away from them; they were ahead of their time. Testament to this perhaps is the fact that The Stooges' 'Raw Power' was Kurt Cobain's favourite album, and subsequently Cobain's band went on again to wipe the music slate clean and do their own thing. I really like the first self-titled Stooges album, I guess theres a lot of Doors influencene in there. ' I Wanna Be Your Dog' is brilliant (and put to good use in 'The Runaways', which I watched recently - Kim Fowley worked with Iggy too). 'Raw Power' is also good but at times a bit of an onslaught. Also, like most of the world's best people (ie Steven Tyler) he started out as a drummer before taking over the microphone.

Iggy's work and relationship with David Bowie is enduringly fascinating, mainly because it is still shrouded in quite a lot of mystery. I didn't realise that the song 'China Girl' was co-written by Iggy and appeared on his album before Bowie's version, released six years later. It is usually reported that Bowie helped Iggy's career, but this book really highlights the mutual benefits to the both of them. Of course, as a public figure Bowie was more commercial and acceptable, which perhaps explains how history has been written in his favor. And I don't think any bumming did take place, thanks Velvet Goldmine...

Enough of the music. Of course a big appeal of Iggy's has been that he is utterly beautiful; those eyelashes! I suppose hes not conventionally attractive but then most rock stars aren't are they? There's a pic of his famously proportioned schlong in the book too. Don't mind if I do. He's clearly been a massive shit to women and bandmates, and a terrible father, abandoning anyone who had outgrown their use to him, which I really didn't want to learn. I was suprised to read how intelligent and articulate he is, at school he was voted 'Most likely to succeed' but classmates thought he seemed destined to a career in politics. Iggy for Prez?

'I'm a streetwalking cheetah with a heart ful of Napalm'

Iggy in his famous cheetah leather jacket; he was wearing this when he found inspiration for the song 'Search and Destroy'

His spicy wife Nina.*

I haven't come away feeling like I really understand Iggy, and how much the Iggy persona is a front, or whether it is the real Jim. I think this is perhps unanswerable and I would like him to write his own autobiography now that he is seeminlgy more mature and level. I can't tell if he is really arrogant, or really insecure. This book puts forward the idea that Jim Osterberg is bi-polar, but then it doesn't really want to, and in fact can't commit to this idea. So bi-winning? (Sorry!)

I would recommend this book if you are really interested in Iggy/Jim Osterberg's back story as it is so well researched, draws on extensive references and is by a highly respected music journalist. Don't read it if you just want some stories of salacious rock star shagging or to be told that all was fine, all the time and Iggy is a thoroughly decent chap. I feel like I haven't done it enough justice here but its hard to as it is an absolute tome!


The last fm website is a great source for Iggy photos.

Oh and one more thing, watch this for a good run of archive film and photos:



*damn you Amy Cox, giving me a new adjective