Live at the Ritz 1986

By the mid-'80s, Iggy Pop was in a strange but fascinating place. The intensity that surrounded his 1977 to 1978 comeback had faded, and the run of increasingly unconvincing records at the end of the decade hadn’t helped. At the same time, he’d become such a permanent part of the rock & roll landscape that even landing a hit single with Blah Blah Blah's take on Real Wild Child barely raised eyebrows.

What never disappeared, though, was the power of an Iggy Pop live show. This set may not have the high-wire danger of his late-'70s performances, but the energy and commitment are undeniable from start to finish.

Unsurprisingly, the then-new Blah Blah Blah takes up most of the setlist. But threaded through those fiery reworkings of a studio album that was just a little too polished are reminders of just how strong Iggy's catalogue already was. I Got a Right, Gimme Danger, and Some Weird Sin open things in style, while Sister Midnight, Nightclubbing, and China Girl land perfectly in the middle of the set.

The earliest Stooges material is definitely underrepresented, with only one song drawn from the first two albums, but the version of Down on the Street more than makes its case.

It’s not the definitive Iggy Pop live album. For that, you’re looking at the shows recorded between 1977 and 1980, when he still sounded like he was balancing on the edge of musical survival. Still, this is a strong reminder of why he mattered then, and why he still does now.