Kill City

"Johanna" and "I Got Nothin'" were both performed live during 1973–74 by the Williamson-era Stooges.

Kill City was originally recorded in 1975 after the disintegration of the Stooges. It was to be used as a demo to give to record labels in hopes of getting Pop a new contract. His vocals were recorded on weekends when he received permission to leave a mental hospital he was staying in at the time for treatment of his long-standing heroin addiction.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

The original 1975 "demo" mix of the album remains unheard, with the exception of three tracks which have been released on various compilations (including A Million in Prizes: The Anthology and Original Punks): "Johanna", "Consolation Prizes" and "Kill City". These tracks sound markedly different from those on the final version of the album, with different guitar parts and, in the case of "Johanna", no saxophone.

Pop biographer Paul Trynka said that rock writer Ben Edmonds "played the first mixes to Seymour Stein in late January 1975".{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3edhCjWheaAC&dq=%22played+the+first+mixes+to+Seymour+Stein+in+late+January+1975%22&pg=PA345|title = Iggy Pop: Open up and Bleed: A Biography|isbn = 9780767927222|last1 = Trynka|first1 = Paul|date = 7 December 2011| publisher=Crown }}

There would be no takers for the album until 1977 when, following the success of Pop's solo albums The Idiot and Lust for Life, Williamson got an advance from Bomp! to release the album, some of which was used to fund studio time to finish off the original recordings by adding overdubs and remixing.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

The master tapes were lost shortly after the release of the original album and all subsequent CD releases were mastered from the original poor quality green vinyl pressing.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} This partly accounts for the somewhat muddy sound of the album.

Pop appeared as himself, performing the album's title track, on the "For Cryin' Out Loud" episode of the Tales from the Crypt TV series, aired on May 22, 1990.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0716849/|title=For Cryin' Out Loud|date=22 May 1990|access-date=5 October 2016|via=IMDb}}

In 2010, Williamson and engineer Ed Cherney remixed the album once more from the original multitracks. The resulting mixes formed a new version of the album, released on Bomp! on October 19, 2010.{{cite web |url=http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/120972-iggy-pop-and-james-williamsons-kill-city-re-mixed-and-remastered-out-10-19-a.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116172816/http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/120972-iggy-pop-and-james-williamsons-kill-city-re-mixed-and-remastered-out-10-19-a.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |title=Iggy Pop & James Williamson's "Kill City" Re-Mixed and Remastered Out 10/19! – #AltSounds |last=Stovin |first=Jack |date=August 12, 2010 |website=AltSounds |access-date=December 20, 2014 }}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Deming |first=Mark |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/kill-city-mw0000618583 |title=Kill City – Iggy Pop / James Williamson |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=December 20, 2014}}

| rev2 = Blender

| rev2score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Smith |first=RJ |date=September 2004 |url=http://blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=2620 |title=Iggy Pop: Kill City |magazine=Blender |issue=29 |access-date=November 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060630183936/http://blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=2620 |archive-date=June 30, 2006 |url-status=dead}}

| rev3 = Christgau's Record Guide

| rev3score = B{{cite book |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |year=1981 |chapter=P |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=P&bk=70 |access-date=March 10, 2019 |via=robertchristgau.com |title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies |title-link=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies |publisher=Ticknor and Fields |isbn=0-89919-026-X}}

| rev4 = Drowned in Sound

| rev4score = 6/10{{cite web |last=Perry |first=Tom |date=December 3, 2010 |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15853/reviews/4141665 |title=Album Review: Iggy Pop and James Williamson – Kill City (remastered) |website=Drowned in Sound |access-date=December 20, 2014 |archive-date=December 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220044418/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15853/reviews/4141665 |url-status=dead }}

| rev5 = Mojo

| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Iggy Pop and James Williamson: Kill City |magazine=Mojo |issue=206 |date=January 2011 |page=110}}

| rev6 = Record Collector

| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Needs |first=Kris |author-link=Kris Needs |date=Christmas 2010 |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/kill-city |title=Iggy Pop & James Williamson – Kill City |magazine=Record Collector |issue=383 |access-date=November 21, 2020}}

| rev7 = Sounds

| rev7Score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Savage |first=Jon |title=More power: The Idiot's Missing Link |date=21 January 1978 |magazine=Sounds |p=28}}

| rev8 = Spin Alternative Record Guide

| rev8score = 6/10{{cite book |last=Rubin |first=Mike |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor1-link=Eric Weisbard |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |year=1995 |chapter=Stooges |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |publisher=Vintage Books |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=378–79}}

| rev9 = Uncut

| rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Cavanagh |first=David |author-link=David Cavanagh |date=January 2011 |title=Iggy Pop & James Williamson: Kill City |magazine=Uncut |issue=164 |page=104}}

}}

Kill City has been generally well received by critics. Nick Kent of New Musical Express called it "a great album".{{cite magazine |last=Kent |first=Nick |author-link=Nick Kent |date=January 28, 1978 |url=http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/iggy-pop-and-james-williamson-kill-city-radar-records |title=Iggy Pop and James Williamson: Kill City (Radar Records) |magazine=New Musical Express |access-date=December 20, 2014 |url-access=subscription |via=Rock's Backpages}}

Mark Deming of AllMusic called the album "a minor triumph", writing: "The music is more open and bluesy than on Raw Power, and while Williamson's guitar remains thick and powerful, here he's willing to make room for pianos, acoustic guitars and saxophones, and the dynamics of the arrangements suggest a more mature approach after the claustrophobia of Raw Power". Martin Aston of BBC Music praised the album, calling it "Iggy's most underrated album" and one that "helped him get back to real life".

The Wire placed Kill City in their list of "100 Records That Set the World on Fire (While No One Was Listening)".{{cite magazine |url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/thewire.html#onfire |title=100 Records That Set the World on Fire (While No One Was Listening) |magazine=The Wire |issue=175 |date=September 1998 |access-date=March 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019022442/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/thewire.html |archive-date=October 19, 2007 |url-status=usurped}}

All songs written by Iggy Pop and James Williamson, except "Master Charge", by Williamson and Scott Thurston.

;Side one

1. "Kill City" – 2:20
2. "Sell Your Love" – 3:36
3. "Beyond the Law" – 3:00
4. "I Got Nothin'" – 3:23
5. "Johanna" – 3:03
6. "Night Theme" – 1:20

;Side two

1. "Night Theme (Reprise)" – 1:04
2. "Consolation Prizes" – 3:17
3. "No Sense of Crime" – 3:42
4. "Lucky Monkeys" – 3:37
5. "Master Charge" – 4:33

• Iggy Pop – vocals
• James Williamson – guitar, backing vocals
• Scott "Troy" Thurston – keyboards, bass guitar ("Kill City", "Beyond the Law", "Johanna" and "Night Theme"), backing vocals, special effects, harmonica
• Brian Glascock – drums, congas, African beaters, backing vocals, guiro
• Steve Tranio – bass guitar ("Sell Your Love", "I Got Nothin'" and "No Sense of Crime")
• Tony "Fox" Sales – backing vocals and bass ("Lucky Monkeys" and "Master Charge")
• Hunt Sales – backing vocals and drums ("Lucky Monkeys" and "Master Charge")
• John "The Rookie" Harden – saxophone
• Gayna – backing vocals on "Night Theme"

; Technical

• James Williamson – production, mixing
• Peter Haden, Tony Gottlieb – assistant engineers
• David Allen – album cover

{{reflist|2}}

• {{Discogs master|50896}}

{{Iggy Pop}}

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Category:Iggy Pop albums

Category:1977 albums

Category:Radar Records albums

Category:Albums produced by James Williamson (musician)