Iggy Pop - Soldier

Iggy Pop's 1980 album Soldier received mixed reviews, with some critics finding it uneven but a worthy addition to his catalog, while others dismissed it as mediocre or incoherent. The album features musicians like Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) and Barry Andrews (XTC), but was known for a chaotic production with conflicts and the eventual removal of lead guitars. While some praise songs like "I'm A Conservative" and the chorus in "Ambition," others find the album lacking the raw charisma and strong songs of his other work.

Review by Mark Deming

In 1980, every punk rocker in Christendom cited Iggy Pop as a key influence, and Soldier was the album where he started asking for some payback. Original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, Rich Kids' guitarist Stella Nova, Ivan Kral of the Patti Smith Group, and former XTC keyboardist Barry Andrews all signed on to back Iggy on Soldier, but the result was hardly the full-frontal rock assault one might have hoped for. Reportedly, conflicts between producers James Williamson and David Bowie led to both of them walking out on the project, and Iggy is said to have gotten along so poorly with Nova that he stripped most of her lead guitar from the mix (which would explain why keyboards and acoustic guitar dominate the album). While 1979's New Values showed Iggy growing as a lyricist with a number of tough but introspective songs, Soldier sounds goofy by comparison, featuring oddball throwaways like "Dog Food," "Get up and Get Out" (whose lyrics are mostly cribbed from old R&B tunes), and the political "satire" "I'm a Conservative." But Iggy's in great voice throughout, and on the few songs where the band fully catches fire (like "Knocking 'Em Down (In the City)" and "Loco Mosquito"), he leaves little doubt that his powers as a performer were still with him. 

Ripped to MP3

1. Loco Mosquito

2. Ambition

3. Take Care Of Me

4. Get Up & Get Out

5. Play It Safe

6. I'm A Conservative

7. Dog Food

8. I Need More

9. Knocking 'Em Down (In The City)

10. Mr. Dynamite

11. I Snub You

12. Low Life

13. Drop A Hook