Arista Heritage Series: Iggy Pop

There have been countless compilations of Iggy Pop's solo material released over the years. And as most longtime fans can automatically point out, most comprise tracks from his short-lived association with Arista during the late '70s and early '80s (1979's New Values, 1980's Soldier, and 1981's Party), such as the budget-priced 2000 compilation, The Heritage Collection. These may not have been Iggy's best years as a solo artist, but they did spawn a few of his lesser-known fan favorites. While a shift to a more new wave-ish direction didn't pay off commercially as big as Iggy and Arista had hoped at the time, such highlights as "New Values," "I'm Bored" and "Five Foot One" prove that it wasn't due to lack of strong material. Also included are a pair of tracks co-penned with former Patti Smith guitarist Ivan Kral, "Pumpin' for Jill" and "Bang Bang," as well as one of the few songs to have been co-written with David Bowie from this era, "Play It Safe." If you're looking to sample Iggy's 'lost years' as a solo artist, then 'The Heritage Collection' is recommended.