Living In the Streets

This notorious L.A. renegade has had his fingers in innumerable pies — in his time, he’s produced and written songs for artists as disparate as Cat Stevens, the Runaways and Helen Reddy. While much of his output as an artist is currently unavailable, those curious should investigate Living In the Streets, a 1978 compilation of European singles, song demos and assorted studio flotsam. Kim’s brazen way of simultaneously trashing and celebrating pop idioms is well represented on this album. He transforms himself into a prissy glam-rocker for “Hollywood Nights,” becomes a drawling rockabilly dude for “Big Bad Cadillac” and nasally emotes in Dylanesque fashion on “Love Bomb.” When he’s not delivering such cheeky impersonations, Fowley can actually craft a catchy pop single, as “Motorboat” and “25 Hours a Day” demonstrate. Those troubled by questions of sincerity or good taste might want to exercise caution here. Really, what makes these deliberately perverse tracks worth hearing is their shamelessness — rock ‘n’ roll Fowley-style is crass, brash and oddly endearing.