Iggy Pop - Live San Fran 1981
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: D Concert: B-
Iggy Pop is one of Rock’s most enduring talents, one of
the tried and true authentic Punk acts that never sold out and like Lou Reed,
has stayed true to his roots. This
early concert shows a relatively young Iggy from a November 25th
concert performing the following:
1) Some
Weird Sin
2) Houston
Is Hot Tonight
3) T.V. Eye
4) 1969
5) Rock
& Roll Party
6) Bang
Bang
7) Dum Dum
Boys
8) Eggs On
Plate
9) I’m A
Conservative
10) I Need More
11) Lust For Life
12) Pumpin’ For Jill
Of course, track 11 is now synonymous with Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting
(1996), but the performance here is a bit different and a very likable
alternate to the studio recording that is now Iggy’s most famous song. The other tracks are very good, with the 9th
being so timely, while the third seems appropriate for this hour-long set. I always thought Iggy was very talented, but
he is in exceptional form here, with energy to spare. Too bad this was not longer.
The full frame 1.33 X 1 image is in color, but this is old
NTSC video and probably not even the state of the art for 1981, so expect
bleeding colors, video hazing, the little white in the frame turning yellow
often and a lack of depth and detail.
There is also a copyright at the bottom that never goes away, but those
with 16 X 9 monitor or projector playback can zoom in and cut it off. The Dolby Digital is here in 2.0 Stereo and
5.1 mixes, but the audio is old and uneven early on. Expect ambiance in any surrounds at best. Iggy’s singing is not always clear in
earlier tracks, more a product of this taping than his performance. The only extra here is a preview for the Iggy
& The Stooges – Live In Detroit DVD reviewed elsewhere on this site.
Despite the fidelity limits, there is something much more
energetic and sincere about this taping than most of the digital High
Definition productions we have seen lately, especially of concerts. Why are cameramen afraid to move the HD cams
around too much? Where is the
energy? Where is the innovation? This was pre-MTV and video was its own
separate language, where too many are trying to make HD and film out to be the
same when they are far from it. The
result is that a program like this has more impact, so if you like Iggy or a
good Rock concert, don’t miss it.
- Nicholas Sheffo
