Real Wild Child

Recorded live in the late '80s, Real Wild Child harvests the cream of Iggy Pop’s crop from various stages. It sounds like one big, amazing show, spotlighting the godfather of punk as he edged into the '90s. It opens with his cover of Johnny O'Keefe's "Real Wild Child (Wild One),” given the post-punk treatment with a tautness that his band could only have achieved via constant touring. A near-flawless rendition of “China Girl” follows, with Iggy singing like the song’s cowriter, David Bowie. Iggy then takes on Bowie and Carlos Alomar’s “Sister Midnight,” replete with androgynous backing vocals and wah-wah guitar leads. You can hear the crowd going crazy at the start of those instantly recognizable drumbeats from “Lust for Life.” When Iggy and company tear into vintage Stooges standards with late-‘80s gear, they nearly reinvent the tunes. The signature riff of “Gimme Danger” gets pumped through a phasing effect, while the original piano trill is cleverly replicated with a single electric guitar note. A swirling Hammond organ makes “Search & Destroy” sound more garage than punk.