Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed

by Paul Trynka

“Fellow rock stars, casual members of the public, lords and media magnates, countless thousands of people will talk of their encounters with this driven, talented, indomitable creature, a man who has plumbed the depths of depravity, yet emerged with an indisputable nobility. Each of them will share an admiration and appreciation of the contradictions and ironies of his incredible life. Even so, they are unlikely to fully comprehend both the heights and the depths of his experience, for the extremes are simply beyond the realms of most people’s understanding.”

—from the Prologue The first full biography of one of rock ’n’ roll’s greatest pioneers and legendary wild men

Born James Newell Osterberg Jr., Iggy Pop transcended life in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to become a member of the punk band the Stooges, thereby earning the nickname “the Godfather of Punk.” He is one of the most riveting and reckless performers in music history, with a commitment to his art that is perilously total. But his personal life was often a shambles, as he struggled with drug addiction, mental illness, and the ever-problematic question of commercial success in the music world. That he is even alive today, let alone performing with undiminished energy, is a wonder. The musical genres of punk, glam, and New Wave were all anticipated and profoundly influenced by his work.

Paul Trynka, former editor of Mojo magazine, has spent much time with Iggy’s childhood friends, lovers, and fellow musicians, gaining a profound understanding of the particular artistic culture of Ann Arbor, where Iggy and the Stooges were formed in the mid to late sixties. Trynka has conducted over 250 interviews, has traveled to Michigan, New York, California, London, and Berlin, and, in the course of the last decade or so at Mojo , has spoken to dozens of musicians who count Iggy as an influence. This has allowed him to depict, via real-life stories from members of bands like New Order and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy’s huge influence on the music scene of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, as well as to portray in unprecedented detail Iggy’s relationship with his enigmatic friend and mentor David Bowie. Trynka has also interviewed Iggy Pop himself at his home in Miami for this book. What emerges is a fascinating psychological study of a Jekyll/Hyde the quietly charismatic, thoughtful, well-read Jim Osterberg hitched to the banshee creation and alter ego that is Iggy Pop.

Iggy Open Up and Bleed is a truly definitive work—not just about Iggy Pop’s life and music but also about the death of the hippie dream, the influence of drugs on human creativity, the nature of comradeship, and the depredations of fame.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Punk, History, Memoir, Rock N Roll

384 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2007

About the author

Paul Trynka was formerly the editor of Mojo magazine (1996-2003). He has also been the editorial director of Q magazine, launch editor of The Guitar Magazine, and editor-in-chief of New Projects at Emap. He is the author of Iggy Pop (Broadway 2007), Portrait of the Blues, and Denim, a history of the fabric. He lives in London.

Reviews

[Peter Krakow · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this thinly veiled fictionalization of the Democratic Party since the late 1950's author Paul Trynka (whom I suspect is actually David McCullough using an alias) digs deep into why Liberal ideals have never risen to their rightful place in the pantheon of American history.

Using a made up character named Iggy Pop to represent the brilliance and visceral embodiment of the Thinking Left, we're taken on a roller coaster ride of the highs and lows of the party, what could have been and whose responsible . . . mostly a greedy corporate media and Air Supply fans (Republicans) . . . for making sure we (he) never becomes the rock star to rule them all.

And yes, Mr Pop doesn't always help matters. Just as it looks like he's recorded a record that will cure all the social ills of the common man for good, he goes on a heroin bender and gets more attention for things like taking a crap on stage behind the Marshall stacks (some metaphors were more eluding than others) than for refusing to compromise the punk rock life style (the single payer option) only to sell out, rise again . . . get by-passed 6 times by the Rock'n Hall of Fame and then chuck it all again for a new hot cuban girlfriend.

The sad irony of the man with the largest dick in rock (The Real American Dream), that somehow still feels inadequate (Liberal Guilt) is a touching, complex, powerful, but ultimately depressing story of our times.

I highly recommend it.

[Leigh Bardugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, this is a shockingly good read. No blurbs and I'm not that big into rock bios, so I was wary, but I'm impressed. Well researched, opinionated, and just gossipy enough. As for the subject, the "godfather of punk" never ceases to shock, mystify, inspire. Lotta talent, lotta trouble.

[Nigeyb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been into Iggy since discovering The Stooges whilst at school in the mid 1970s. Everything I found out about him appealed to my troubled teenage self. My fascination has continued into adulthood and middle age. I was at the Virgin Megastore in Marble Arch, London in 1979 to get my copy of the then newly released "New Values" signed by Mr Pop (and I happened to notice Scott Thurston hanging about in the background and got him to sign it too). As a sixteen year old, on the night before my Maths O'Level examination, I was at the Music Machine in Camden Town, London watching Iggy live (it *was* worth it - and I passed the exam). Over the years I've seen him play live over ten times, and consider watching Iggy and The Stooges play Raw Power live in 2010 at Hammersmith Apollo, London to be one of the greatest nights of my life.

So, whilst not an über-fan, I'm pretty keen: Raw Power, Funhouse, Lust For Life and The Idiot would feature in my list of greatest albums of all time. Despite this enthusiasm I've never read a biography of Iggy. Until now.

Paul Trynka, ex-Mojo Magazine editor, has produced the definitive biography here. He appears to have spoken with everyone who has been involved with Iggy over the years and seems to have been completely honest, and has certainly included plenty of examples of Iggy's selfishness and unpleasant behaviour. As a reasonably well informed fan, I discovered a wealth of information I hadn't known previously and much of this information has added to my understanding of his work and personality. It also sent me straight back to the music - always a good sign.

I do wonder how much a non-fan, or even casual fan, would get out of this book. There is plenty of depravity, in amongst the creativity, and incessant highs and lows, but would this be enough for a reader who has no interest in, or history with, the Ig?

For this fan it's unquestionably a five star read: well written, exciting, redemptive, informative, and inspirational. My only complaint is that, since its publication in 2008 more has happened: the induction into the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame; Ron Asheton's death; the return of James Williamson; another Stooges album; and more solo Iggy albums (including the current French obsession). That's a very minor gripe though, as this is unquestionably the final word on Iggy, and provides in-depth coverage of the all important Stooges' years and the late seventies, post-Stooges renaissance with David Bowie. A classic.

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good rock n' roll biography by Paul Trynka (who was the editor at Mojo Magazine) on Iggy Pop. He did his research well, and interviews I think almost everyone who is close to Iggy, except Bowie - and there is a lot of material in this book on the Bowie/Iggy relationship.

The fascinating aspect for me is how Iggy deals with his fellow band members over the years. Sometimes charming, sometimes cruel - he is sort of goes off like the weather. Yet he's a guy who is usually in control of the situation no matter how stoned he is or was. Like a cat he lands on his two feet - or sometimes on his chin.

Without a doubt Iggy/Jim (his real name) is somewhere between a genius and an innocent with a pair of angels on his shoulders. This will probably be the essential biography on Iggy, so it is recommended for those who thrill to "The Idiot" or "Raw Power" And of course the first two classic Stooges albums.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A generally well researched and fact-filled biography but not written in a manner that keeps your interest for very long. Iggy Pop is one of my favorite artists yet I struggled to read more than a chapter without having to put the book down due to the author's bothersome writing style. I do not recommend this book to anyone, whether you are an Iggy Pop fan or not.

[Jeanne T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put this down and when I was done I had an erotic dream about Iggy Pop. Amazing. Unlike the Susan Sontag biography, this book was a riot of action. It was interesting to read about a such a punk legend and how he didn't really find much "success" in the time when he was writing/making the music. In retrospect (fueled by the inclusion of his songs in the Trainspotting soundtrack), it seemed to me that he was always famous and amazing. Also, I love the stories of people who had a hard life, touched bottom and came through it wiser.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I am a fan of Iggy (especially the Stooges period), I really did not know very much about the man. He usually turns up in biographies of other bands or books on the Punk scene in general, always portrayed as a totally self-destructive and out of control maniac. Therefore, it was a surprise to me to learn that Jim Osterberg was a model student in an affluent community, who was voted by his classmates "most likely to succeed."

And not just any classmates. Despite living in a trailer park (necessitated by baby boom era housing shortages rather than poverty), his social circle included the children of people like Robert McNamara and Arjay Miller (Head of Ford Motor Company). Apparently nobody was kidding when they thought he could be President (perhaps he could still consider it).

Naturally my favorite parts of the book covered the 1960s when he played in a garage band called The Iguana's through the period where the Stooges self destructed in about 1980. It seemed as if Iggy was destined to become a casualty of excess had it not been for David Bowie's intervention and support during the Berlin years.

As he got his life more in order, the music became more predictable culminating in his becoming widely regarded as the elder statesman of punk and grunge in the 1990s. While not as interesting to read about as the crazy years, I am glad he survived.

[catechism · Rating 1 out of 5]

I may try to read this again, when I am feeling a little more tolerant, but the first time I tried, I could barely make it through the first few chapters. It read more like a love letter to Iggy Pop -- sorry, Jim, his name is Jim, and we must call him Jim in every paragraph -- and also seemed a little too into the size of Jim's dick. Like. Almost every page, we must hear about how big Jim's dick is. There aren't many things I care about less than I care about the size of Jim Osterberg's dick.

[Bob Schnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Trynka's biography of Jim Osterberg (aka Iggy Pop) is an in-depth study of a complicated man. This is not some fan idolization, Trynka pulls no punches and is equally quick to criticize as he is to praise. The result is enjoyable and thoughtful.

As a fan of Iggy's music I've never looked much past the stage persona and raucous rock-n-roll shenanigans for which he is infamous. It turns out that Jim is intelligent, philosophical and gentle while his alter-ego Iggy is all noise and fury. Complications set in when Iggy refuses to let Jim take over when he's offstage. It would make a fascinating psychological study but the author does his best in layman's terms to describe the inner conflict and how it has led to both triumph and disaster.

Also interesting is how much David Bowie played a part in Jim/iggy's solo career. I always knew they worked together and had a mutual admiration club, but I didn't know that is was an ongoing lifelong relationship.

[S.S. Genesee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished with this monster biography!! It was absolutely wonderful learning about Iggy Pop, and this biography was written in a very entertaining way (it wouldn't stop talking about how "impressive" his cock was LMAO). I gobbled up the info about the early days of Iggy and the Stooges in the late '60s and early '70s, my prime point of interest. As someone from Michigan myself, it was crucial to my research, as I am an author too about to write a novel about a fictional band from Michigan around the same time period. This was very insightful, and then also just fun in general learning how Iggy's life went after the Stooges broke up (and then reunited). Since this was published in 2007 we're missing info from 2007-2024, but either way, still a great resource for the "hey days".

.
.
Old Note:
Stopping for now at page 204 (chapter 11).

Just making a note to myself since this book is due back at the library and I have to return it. But it's a very interesting and informative read! Will likely pick it back up and finish it some other time.

[Pip Tlaskal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am interested in late 60's/70s pop/rock and Iggy Pop struck me as an emblem of this uninhibited era.

This excellent biography is a good example to use to illustrate a need for alternate points of view in narrative writing. Paul Trynka is a great writer who keeps us speeding from his student years as a possible presidential candidate, to his first gigs, adulation and debauchery, yet I longed to hear his own voice, rather than the measured one of his biographer. I honstly did not read eavery page after the middle, just skimmed over the drug use and zany pool parties, but the bits about him and David Bowie were interesting.
The best tidbits I learnt were in the first quarter:

He was an ashmatic and was given a drug akin to speed as a treatment which exacerbated his creativity...maybe gave him a taste for drugs later on

His real name was Jim Ostenberg, Iggy Pop was a meglomanic persona he added later

The Iggy bit came from the first band he was in; The Iguanas
He saw Bob Dylan at a transition concert in Ann Arbor, in which he had traded his acoustic guitar for electric and the abuse he copped for it


His band The Stooges 'could only have existed in Ann Arbor, for no othe rplace was as smart and as dumb'

Iggy used to sing into a vacuum cleaner to get vocal effects

When two members of his band were deriding the looks of two fans in the front row, he upbraided them and told them that these were two fans willing to give you their attention, and that was...gold.

He never wore a shirt on stage because he read somewhere that the pharoahs never wore shirts...

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best music biogs I have read & as good, if not better, than the same author's Bowie book, Starman. Trynka gets inside his subject through meticulous research along with exhaustive interviews with Iggy himself. While respectful of his subject Trynka is no quivering fan boy & exposes Iggy's less attractive side which is, basically, Iggy. Whenever he is Jim Osterberg he is mostly an intelligent, decent & caring human being. Considering this author's other noted biog subject much insight is shed on the long, & mutually beneficial, relationship between Iggy Pop & David Bowie. The excesses enjoyed by these types of rock stars are hair-curling at times but they are again handled frankly & without sensationalism. I couldn't help but laugh at Iggy Pop's 1970s persona who dedicated himself to a macrobiotic diet while simultaneously ingesting every illegal drug known to man. Still, he survived & is about to enter his own 70s. While respecting his place in rock music history I am no died in the wool Iggy Pop fan. I have the Stooges albums & the Bowie collaborations, The Idiot & Lust For Life, but that's all. But this was a fantastic read. Highly recommended.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Iggy Pop, or at least I like Iggy Pop's music. I quickly discovered that I am not that fond of the man. This was a fairly well written biography and it was interesting to see how Iggy rose to fame but the endless descriptions of destructive behavior, drug use and sexual escapades quickly lost it horrified fascination for me. Instead of being a train wreck I couldn't look away from it just became tedious. For example, if they told me once, they told me a hundred times about how incredibly well endowed he was. Really, once would have been enough.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think it was possible for the life of Iggy Pop to be boring, but Paul Trynka made it that way! If you are a hardcore Stooges fan, this might be worth a look; otherwise, move on. This is another book that could have been really interesting, but suffered from an overly-academic writing style.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Probably the best rock biography I read - the man is absolutely fascinating and at the same time very much human in this great book."

[Peter O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given how seminal and ahead of the pack as some of the Stooges and early Iggy stuff was, and given the hedonistic nature of the man himself, I anticipated a rollercoaster when I first picked up this book. I had read Trynka's volume on Bowie only six months previous and loved it so it was a no-brainer to visit one of Detroit's finest by the same author as a companion piece. As interesting as the formative Stooges stuff is, and as groundbreaking as it all sounds, the main highlights of the solo years once again come courtesy of David Bowie and the Berlin period they shared together. As a history, it is probably as good as it can be but, as a portrait, it might leave some wishing it was a hundred pages lighter.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst mostly written in a dull, assumptive style, I guess this will be the best bio of James Osterberg/Iggy Pop. There are some interesting facts that I never knew about - Iggy's introduction to herion via the radical-Queer 'Cockettes', how important the Bowie/Osterberg relationship was to Osterberg's life and how Iggy ultimately shunned the man who saved his life and gave him the best creative years and produced his greatest works outside the Stooges, and finally Osterberg's massive failure on the R.O.A.R Tobacco Industry funded bogan-alternative tour.

Whilst the ladies go gag-ga over his Dionysian aura, he seems like a total arsehole to his lovers, and his treatment of his son is quite abhorrent, kind of ironic since Osterberg didn't get the same treatment from HIS parents. One of the failures of this book is that is tends to glean over Osterberg's personal relationship, unlike the Bockris Lou Reed bio that doesn't shun from the gory melodrama.

Whilst I love Iggy/Osterberg's work, he comes off as big an arsehole in his personal life as Lou Reed was. He is still alive and still has a few years to redeem that part of his persona. But who am I to say or judge?

I'm not expecting him to make any interesting or creatively valid records, but his live show proves he still has a great future behind him.

[Mr_wormwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't like Iggy Pop? well, me now, just a little, since reading this book.But only because a good quarter of this book details how pathetic he had become just before he hit it big with Bowie and the Idiot (begging for drugs in hotel corridors, stealing drugs from star-struck teenagers, eagerly prostituting himself for drugs by being the kept rock-star of various middle-aged women with a penchant for rock stars and a lot of money to burn). Also another good quarter of the book details his long string of failed albums, I've listened to them all, and after eight of them in a row, more than a decade of misses, you start to wonder, was it all just blind luck that he made any good music at all? That said, one thing that this book definitely did make clear, which can only work to increase your admiration, is that this man is damn-well indestructible. Car crashes, overdoses, more overdoses, mental breakdowns, more mental breakdowns, and yet nothing can stop him and he still performs live with all the energy and vigour that he always had. Who doesn't like Iggy Pop?, shit i love the man.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I never knew why Ziggy Stardust was a character of David Bowie's and the name and the story sounded so much like Iggy Pop. The intertwining of Bowie and Iggy was very interesting. Jim/Iggy was diagnosed as hypomanic, he probably could get other diagnoses like bipolar or borderline. I don't mean this to be glib but where can people with chronic mental illness find sufficient employment? ADD and ADHD cases continue to rise but it that because we are now predominantly white-collar desk workers and the skills of persons with ADD or ADHD no longer fit the job market like they would in a blue-collar culture. The most intersting piece was learning that he had been given epinephrine regularly as a kid for asthma. No wonder he was off. I think there was a causal between the rise in pharmaceutical drug use after WWII in the US and the subsequent recreational drug use of the 1960's.

[Wendi Manning · Rating 1 out of 5]

I may have to stay away from rock biographies for awhile. This was like reading a textbook written by someone in love with the subject. This book is more superficial than it seems. I've read other books he's written and there's a lot of detail and a lot of research done on the subject, and sometimes you find out things you didn't really want to know about the person. That doesn't happen here. This book goes into a story, gets about halfway through it, stops, checks in with current day Iggy (oops, Jim...) for his opinion on it, and then continues along with the story, with the new spin put on it. I get it, you know Jim and like him. BFD, the guy trashed his and everyone else's lives every chance he got. This book refuses to hold him responsible for any of his actions, just like he doesn't. Disappointing at best. Reading it, then thinking about it later, I realized I knew less about Jim/Iggy than I did going in.

[Caddy Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how anyone could give this book less than 5 stars unless they don't find Iggy Popp fascinating...and if they don't, why would they read it?

I enjoyed it very much. Many times it made me sad for Iggy. I felt compassion for him, even during his ugliest moments, as I think he has some issues most people will never understand, including me. But to have a persona that completely takes over your mind and body...it can be your performance but it also can ruin your personal relationships. And, as the book indicates, it isn't easy to switch off and on. I don't believe it was quite so easy as to say he had a choice. Not sure he did.

I love Iggy very much. I think punk, heavy metal, and music that followed owe a debt of gratitude to him. I also hope by now he has opened himself up to truly loving and finds peace and a happy personal life.

The ending of the book had me sobbing. It was heartbreakingly beautiful in it's wording.

[Kristi Duarte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading more about Iggy and getting a clearer view of him as a person. I've listened to his music since the early 80s an have seen him live a few times. I can't say I'm the biggest fan, or a die-hard fan, but I love his music and it's been the soundtrack of many phases of my life.

This book, however, gets bogged down on the details where it doesn't matter, and flies past parts where it does. His son, for example, isn't mentioned until he's in his teens and i had no idea where he came from. You would think that that's one of the most important events of Iggy's life. I also found it confusing (in the beginning of the book), that the author intermittently called him Jim or Iggy, at the same time as he was speaking about a James.

I'm not a fan of this book, but it does make me want to read a more coherent and informative bio of Iggy's life.

[Tsvetelina Stambolova-Vasileva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Животът на Иги Поп без украси и оправдания - от "най-перспективен ученик" до канавките на Лос Анжелис, а после и до пълните стадиони. Баща на пънка, рок-идол и посмешище за тълпите, Джекил и Хайд, неунищожим, неуморен и неповторим. Много добра биография - безкомпромисна, но не унищожителна, а написана с любов и уважение. Минусът, лично за мен е, че след като я прочетох уважението ми към Иги е по-голямо, но вече сякаш не го харесвам толкова. Пресметливостта зад тези честни сини очи ми дойде в повече.
Прочетено на руски под заглавието "Игги Поп: Вскройся в кровь" (много добър превод с разкошни коментари на преводачите в края на книгата). За мен книгата е първо стъпало към поредицата "Трейнспотинг" на която се каня отдавна. ;)

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engrossing biography of that most fascinating of artists. Interesting to have a narrative of the Pop/Bowie relationship from Iggy's perspective - and David comes out of it very well.

Equally interesting are those involving the enigmatic James Williamson. Reading a book published in 2007 twelve years later means that it doesn't cover the reunion with James after Ron Asheton's death. Perhaps the author has an extended version of Iggy's life in the works.

Having said all that, as the owner of The Stooges albums plus The Idiot and Lust For Life, I do feel like I do have all the Iggy you really need in your collection.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Не помню, как впервые услышала the Stooges, но точно помню, при каких обстоятельствах увидела. Да, вживую. Да, в Москве. Да, мне еще и тридцати нет! Ладно, это была половина the Stooges, состав был такой: Игги Поп, Джеймс Уильямсон (гитара), Скотт Эштон (барабаны), Майк Уотт (бас) и Стив Маккей (саксофон). Рон Эштон умер за полтора года до того, его брат умрет в 2014-м, а Стив Маккей — в 2015-м. То есть 5 августа 2010 года the Stooges выступали в Москве в первый и последний раз. Стояло то самое лето, когда город накрыл смог с +35–40 °C в тени, а в помещении небольшого клуба на улице Сергея Макеева к вечеру было под +50 °C, а то и больше. Воздух пропитался электричеством, в ноздри бил запах пота и человеческого мяса. Никогда не забуду, как из плотного клубка тел на танцполе нам под ноги — а мы со случайными попутчиками в этой Death Trip предусмотрительно расположились чуть сбоку и поодаль от сцены — выскочил тяжело дышащий паренек, да так и рухнул на пол. Мы попереглядывались: мол, не подаст признаков жизни до конца песни, отрядим кого-то за врачом, — но парень вскинулся под очередной рифф и нырнул обратно в мгновенно сомкнувшийся за ним мошпит. Никогда не забуду и то, как Игги после каждой песни убегал к краю сцены за усилители, а там уже стояли наготове два человека с наполненными до краев ледяной водой цинковыми ведрами, такими из которых моют полы в госучреждениях ссанными тряпками, знаете, и Игги обдавали с головы до пят, чтобы он тупо не задохнулся. Впрочем, в смертность этого куска мышц и жил как-то не верилось. Search and Destroy, Gimme Danger, 1970, I Wanna Be Your Dog, Fun House. I Got a Right, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, Open Up and Bleed, Death Trip, No Fun прозвучали в тот вечер убойным залпом. Я потом еще раза два или три попадала на выступления Игги, но концерт в десятом году все равно стоит особняком, сами понимаете

Только что вышедшая на русском биография Джима Остерберга за авторством британского журналиста Пола Трынки и в переводе Анны Умки Герасимовой и Андрея Бессонова вернула меня в август 2010-го. И вас вернет. Даже если вас там не было.

[Alex Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brutally honest biography.

I would recommend this book for any fan of the Stooges or Iggy's solo work. What struck me about this book was not only its dedication to the training the whole life of Iggy but also its honesty in his character flaws as well as its ability to analyze these flaws in order to try and get to the root cause of them.

What really struck me was its dedication in following up on individuals who had engaged with Iggy on a professional level. A lot of these individuals would not farewell after their time with the proto-punk icon due to the wild lifestyle and his often ruthless nature in ensuring his success. This meant a great many individuals, some of the members of the stooges, ended up meeting unfortunate fates and Iggy can be found partially responsible for this. This book does not shy away from the fact that Iggy has done both bad and good in his life and I think this leads the book to feel more honest and worthwhile reading.

The surplus of biographical films on musical artists has become a blight on cinema in recent years however I do believe that someone should definitely consider adapting this book into a film as I believe it would serve very well in that format.

Lastly the analysis of David Bowie's impact on the life of Iggy Pop was greatly interesting. There has been speculation that David Bowie's association with the artist was more of a parasitic relationship with David Bowie using Iggy as some form of inspiration in order to dilute iggy's persona in a more commercially successful way. This book does not force you to believe one way or another on the relationship of the two artists and simply presents all the countering viewpoints.

I would greatly recommend this for any fan of the music or the music industry in general. It is definitely one of the best biographies I've read.

[Carole Tyrrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Open up and Bleed
Iggy Pop was once James Osterberg Jr, a clean cut Grade A student bound for university and voted ‘the most likely to succeed’. Then his life changed forever when he discovered rock music. And became Iggy Pop.
This is the no holds barred biography of a true survivor. A man described in the book as ‘someone with the ego of a skyscraper’ he has been a singer first and foremost with his legendary band, the Stooges and then going solo. Along the way there were the drugs, homelessness, being institutionalised and often managing to seize defeat from the jaws of defeat. Adored by the few who loved him and the band, they always seemed to be on the cusp of success but then it wouldn’t happen. Then he became friends with David Bowie in what seems to have been a genuine friendship between them when they shared an apartment in Berlin.
Success finally smiled his way and who would have begrudged him his moment in the sun? I was really surprised to hear ‘The Passenger’ being used to sell cars. I saw Iggy and The Stooges performance at Glastonbury which was impressive and I owned Raw Power, Funhouse, Lust for Life and The Idiot on vinyl. This book explains why the Stooges remained underdogs for so long.
It was written in 2007 and published in 2008 and a lot has happened since then. But it leaves Iggy living in Miami and after 6 attempts finally being accepted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ron Asheton has died and James Williamson is back. The author is Paul Trynka, ex Mojo editor and is extensively researched. He’s interviewed just about anyone who is or was close to Iggy except for Bowie. Nothing is glossed over even Iggy’s most obnoxious behaviour.
This is the defining biography of Iggy, I enjoyed it a lot.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book I have read about Iggy and by far the most comprehensive...that said the last one was neighbourhood threat which really was mainly surrounding a specific Pop tour and was written by one of the band.
This book delved into background,prior bands,famous alliances and the usual sex,drugs and rock and roll..it dealt with all this well however and didn't become tiresome as some of these books can especially when recounting salacious detail...
It's a book that hints at what to listen to and what to avoid which when exploring an artist's Canon can be useful...that said I already own a few of the 'bad' albums so it's a bit late for me!!
However a great overview of a rock survivor who remains something of a nearly man

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this book - originally being from Michigan and knowing all the areas he hung out in- the author really misrepresented Ypsilanti - stating it was still a small backward farm village like it was when Iggy grew up there - has he been there? Ever?
The detail was just too,too much -I'm impressed by the research that must have been involved, but the flow of the book was treacherously slow. Such minuscule detail on everything and everyone was just was not necessary. Good for background, just not for a continuous read. Midway through I gave up and it went out the donation library in town.
I love Iggy - I'll try another book somewhere down the road and catch up on his life then.
Until them, I'll listen to him host his programs on the BBC One and Double J in Australia.

[Jonny Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a litany of every rock and roll cliché you could imagine and it almosts seems like a work of fiction, until you remember this is Iggy Pop.
It's certainly unflinching in every respect and doesn't shy away from discussing Iggy's shadow self, or try to overly embelish the highlights of his rollercoaster career - in fact, Trynka almost leans in on the idea of a Jekyl and Hyde relationship between Jim Osterberg and his stage persona of Iggy, which is an interesting way to present this man's story.
Well worth a read, and probably merits a revised version given it implies that in 2006 we should expect a quiet life for Iggy here on in, when in fact he's arguably released his most artistically vital records since the Berlin era from 2016 to now.