By Stephen Grimstead

FEBRUARY 2, 1998: 

King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: Iggy Pop
(King Biscuit Flower Hour)

Iggy Pop no can die. Bad drugs no can kill him. Bad albums no can kill him. No album buyers for bad albums no can kill him. Even Iggy Pop his own self no can kill him. He truly one no-can-kill sumbitch, and me love him for it. All Iggy Pop want to do is have furious fun, and me say why not? Him kick big ass onstage and always sound angry like he mean it.

This silver sound thing (they call “CeeDee”) have Iggy Pop on it from 10 years ago. Him perform live at place called The Channel in town of Boston with many other angry people. Me hear this show on radio long time ago, but no can remember hear Iggy say many dirty words. Iggy Pop like to say dirty words on this CeeDee, but him spit them out, like them taste bad. Me like to hear Iggy Pop spit dirty words. Make mad people feel good, not so hopeless.

Iggy, him one brave sumbitch.

Music here sound different from most Iggy Pop music. Organ sound like 96 Tears and guitar make sweeter noise, not like usual buzzsaw. Iggy Pop band at this time have members from other bands with funny names like Hanoi Rocks, Psychedelic Furs, UK Subs, and Madness. Mix all names together and band sound something like Iggy Pop on soda pop. Band makes lotsa noise, so Iggy Pop must make lotsa noise.

Iggy Pop and lotsa noise band play Iggy Pop songs for hour and 10 minutes. Songs are all Iggy Pop, but from three different places. Iggy sing Stooges songs, Iggy sing songs from Instinct, Iggy sing songs from Kill City. Me like Iggy sing all these songs from different places. Him some big cutup. Write and sing many angry songs.

What Iggy Pop live from 10 years back sound like? All songs sound like some loud broken record that play over and over and over until head hurt. Iggy Pop say it best with anger. Him yell “No one cool is going to save you” on “Power and Freedom.” Him scream “I wish life could be Swedish magazines” on “Five Foot One.” Him tell audience that girlfriend spend all his money on heroin and him love her for it. Iggy Pop one funny crazy man.

Lotsa noise band pretty funny crazy too. Make me laugh when play “Peter Gunn” theme in “I Feel Alright (1970).” But no can laugh at Iggy Pop. Him “the world’s forgotten boy” who want to “Search and Destroy.” Him say, “I ain’t gonna be no Squarehead!” Call everybody “fucker” and then say thanks. Him big hero to Stooges everywhere. Iggy Pop sound angry 10 years ago, when him make this live record. But Iggy Pop always sound angry and still sound angry today. Him you always can count on. Him always stick up for little men everywhere. Him one brave sumbitch, cause him no can die. Buy and play this Iggy Pop record loud as proof Iggy Pop no can die. – Bizarro Dee Three

Polvo
Shapes
(Touch And Go)

The hideous phrase “indie guitar rock” is often used to describe this band, but I think it’s more accurate to discuss the music on Shapes as being of the freer and infinitely more interesting “trash aesthetic” tradition, with an emphasis on the artsy side of that concept (Sonic Youth, no; Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, yes).

Although this is certainly a rock record more than anything else, Polvo often punctuate the songs on Shapes (the band’s fourth LP) with a variety of exotic instrumentation, imparting at times a pseudo-Eastern feel to the music. Such tendencies – along with a seemingly insatiable hunger for stop-and-go rhythms and oblique lyrical content (“Do you admire all the things we’ve built, or do you relate to all the spaces we’ve filled?”) – will no doubt leave some listeners scratching their heads in confusion, if not grinding their teeth in frustration. Many corners are turned rather abruptly during the course of this album, but the reward for those who successfully endeavor to follow the music’s wiggly progress is great…like finally understanding what the paranoid-schizophrenics are babbling about. (Some reward, huh?)

On Shapes, Polvo free-associate with the feverish naiveté of bright children who gush out a fountain of brilliant ideas because they haven’t yet learned to curb their imaginations in accordance with the day’s dogma. – Stephen Grimstead

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