New Values

Last updated
New Values
Iggy Pop-New Values (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 1979
Recorded1978
StudioParamount (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length39:26
Label Arista
Producer James Williamson
Iggy Pop chronology
TV Eye Live 1977
(1978)
New Values
(1979)
Soldier
(1980)

New Values is the third studio album by American musician Iggy Pop. It was released in July 1979 by record label Arista.

Contents

Background

New Values was Pop's first record for Arista and the first collaboration by Pop and James Williamson since Kill City . The album also reunited Pop and Williamson with multi-instrumentalist Scott Thurston, who had played live piano for The Stooges on Metallic K.O. and Kill City.

Recording and release

Although guitar was played by Williamson on "Don't Look Down", Scott Thurston played guitar on all other tracks, with Williamson concentrating on production. [2] Likewise, although one of the songs was written by Pop and Williamson, five tracks were collaborations between Pop and Thurston.

New Values was released in July 1979 by record label Arista. Although well-received critically, the album was not a commercial success, only reaching number 180 in the US Billboard 200 chart.

Videos were made for "I'm Bored" and "Five Foot One".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Tom Hull B [7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [9]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]

New Values was well received by critics. Writing in NME at the time of the album's release, Paul Morley wrote that New Values "conclusively endorses Osterberg as thinker and Iggy as performer, and the relationship is positive and proud." [11] The New York Times considered New Values to be "bland" compared to the earlier David Bowie-produced albums. [12]

Charlotte Robinson of PopMatters wrote that the album's "delicate balancing act of tough with tender, rebellion with contentment, sincerity with humor, cocksure wailing with nuanced balladeering ... makes the album a winner". [13]

Legacy

David Bowie later covered "Don't Look Down" on his album Tonight (1984) and used it for the opening and closing titles of his short film Jazzin' for Blue Jean .

Pixies frontman Frank Black cited New Values as one of his favorite albums. [14]

"The Endless Sea" was covered by the Australian psychedelic rock band the Church on their 1999 covers album A Box of Birds and Cat Power on her 2022 album Covers . It was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1986 film Dogs in Space , starring Michael Hutchence. [15]

Track listing

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tell Me a Story" Iggy Pop 2:50
2."New Values"Pop, Scott Thurston 2:39
3."Girls"Pop3:00
4."I'm Bored"Pop2:47
5."Don't Look Down"Pop, James Williamson 3:39
6."The Endless Sea"Pop4:50
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Five Foot One"Pop4:29
2."How Do Ya Fix a Broken Part"Pop2:55
3."Angel"Pop, Thurston3:44
4."Curiosity"Pop, Thurston2:29
5."African Man"Pop, Thurston3:35
6."Billy Is a Runaway"Pop, Thurston2:31
2000 remastered edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Chains" (previously unreleased)Pop, Williamson, Thurston2:40
14."Pretty Flamingo" (B-side to "Five Foot One)Pop2:53

Personnel

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for New Values
Chart (1979)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [16] 36
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [17] 18
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [18] 37
UK Albums (OCC) [19] 60
US Billboard 200 [20] 180

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References

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