Iggy Pop - Acoustics KO (Complete Soundtrack) (2024)

Nope, didn't think this would be much, either. A chairbound-acoustic Ig means missing the singular spectacle of him slithering about a stage like a spastic snake eating a runaway garden hose. But our Mr. Pop is, like Robert Pollard, an aggressive guitarist you rarely see playing an instrument (not even his ‘60s Iguanas gig, drums), so this is already interesting. On the DVD, he manhandles the thing in much the way he sings: full-out on hard stuff, and with dexterity on lighter tunes. No surprise he breaks strings near the onset of the eight-song acoustic troubadour Barcelona 1993 footage, including firm versions of Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers' "Pablo Picasso," Them's "Gloria," and Richard Berry's "Louis Louie" updated for the fall of the wall. There's also two Stooges tracks (and a few OK new American Caesar numbers–where was "Wild America?"). It's surprisingly good viewing, despite the immobile limitation. But truly compelling is the seven-song solo-electric 1990 Virgin Megastore appearance in Paris. Clearly feeding on a surrounding crowd, standing/moving, and tripling his guitar volume/density, the Ig lets 20 times more of his mayhem genie out of the bottle (and nearly his pants–showing the adoring French his underwear-clad butt). If he doesn't quite transform tepid Brick By Brick numbers, they're still better. And as for the four Stooges numbers like "Down in the Street" and "Loose," well… classic! Finally, the disc-two CD of demos is, frankly, boring. But the DVD is great for fans to view another side of a living legend.

Review by Jack Rabid

Tracklist
CD1
[3:59] 1. Iggy Pop - Mixing The Colour (Live Sputnick TV, Barcelona 1993)
[3:09] 2. Iggy Pop - Louie Louie (Live Sputnick TV, Barcelona 1993)
[3:28] 3. Iggy Pop - I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live Sputnick TV, Barcelona 1993)
[2:38] 4. Iggy Pop - Pablo Picasso (Live Sputnick TV, Barcelona 1993)
[3:10] 5. Iggy Pop - Loose (Live Sputnick TV, Barcelona 1993)
[3:31] 6. Iggy Pop - Gloria (Live Sputnick TV, Barcelona 1993)
[4:44] 7. Iggy Pop - Social Life (Live Sputnick TV, Barcelona 1993)
[3:51] 8. Iggy Pop - Highway Song (Live Sputnick TV, Barcelona 1993)
[4:38] 9. Iggy Pop - Beside You (Live Sputnick TV, Barcelona 1993)
[2:56] 10. Iggy Pop - Nightclubbing (solo)
[4:23] 11. Iggy Pop - Miss Argentina (live)
[0:58] 12. Iggy Pop - Planet of Dogs (monologue)

CD2
[2:35] 1. Iggy Pop - Butt Town
[3:12] 2. Iggy Pop - Foolish Dreams
[3:07] 3. Iggy Pop - Beggar
[3:26] 4. Iggy Pop - The Wind
[3:10] 5. Iggy Pop - Starry Night
[3:30] 6. Iggy Pop - Brick By Brick
[2:14] 7. Iggy Pop - I Am
[2:16] 8. Iggy Pop - Think Alone
[2:20] 9. Iggy Pop - L.A. Blues
[3:27] 10. Iggy Pop - Down On The Street (Live at Paris Megastore, 1990)
[3:36] 11. Iggy Pop - I Won't Crap Out (Live at Paris Megastore, 1990)
[2:02] 12. Iggy Pop - Loose (Live at Paris Megastore, 1990)
[2:09] 13. Iggy Pop - I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live at Paris Megastore, 1990)
[1:25] 14. Iggy Pop - Brick By Brick (Live at Paris Megastore, 1990)
[2:42] 15. Iggy Pop - Butt Town (Live at Paris Megastore, 1990)
[2:30] 16. Iggy Pop - 1969 (Live at Paris Megastore, 1990)