Blah Blah Blah

With his usual scrappy aplomb, Iggy Pop comes to terms with ‘80s-style glitz on Blah Blah Blah. This 1986 release reunites Iggy with old comrade David Bowie, who as co-producer steers things in a direction similar to his own Let’s Dance. The tracks are defined by cool keyboard gloss and relentless programmed rhythms, scuffed up in spots by ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones’ guitar thrusts. Mature expressions like “Fire Girl” and “Cry for Love” suggest Pop has outgrown the drooling lust of his Stooges days. “Hideaway” and “Shades” are thoughtful swipes at trendy materialism. On the more manic side are “Winners & Losers” (an outraged howl crackling with sexual envy) and the title track (a revved-up screed ripping into everything from Shimon Perez to “petrified food”). “Real Wild Child (Wild One),” a thumping remake of rockabilly artist Johnny O’Keefe’s 1958 hit, serves as a reassertion of Iggy’s rebel credentials. Overall, Blah Blah Blah plays to the mainstream while offering enough subversive elements to please a committed Pop partisan.