New Values
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = New Values
| type = Studio album
| artist = Iggy Pop
| cover = Iggy Pop-New Values (album cover).jpg
| alt =
| released = April 27, 1979{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1979/Music-Week-1979-05-12.pdf|title=Music Week|page=46}}
| recorded = 1978
| venue =
| studio = Paramount (Hollywood, California)
| genre = {{Flatlist|
}}
| length = 39:26
| label = Arista
| producer = James Williamson
| prev_title = TV Eye Live 1977
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = Soldier
| next_year = 1980
| misc = {{Singles
| name =
| type = studio
| single1= I'm Bored
| single1date= 1979
| single2= Five Foot One
| single2date= 1979
}}
}}
New Values is the third studio album by American musician Iggy Pop. It was released in April 1979 by Arista.
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.{{cite web |url=http://www.iggy-pop.com/intw-williamson.php |title=James Williamson |publisher=iggy-pop.com |accessdate=December 20, 2014 |last1=Brigaudiot |first1=Gui |last2=Pinsard |first2=Tibo |last3=Karantonis |first3=Yannis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305131455/http://www.iggy-pop.com/intw-williamson.php |archive-date=March 5, 2012 |url-status=dead}} 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 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
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/new-values-mw0000049065 |title=New Values – Iggy Pop |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=December 20, 2014 |last=Deming |first=Mark |archive-date=February 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223084306/http://www.allmusic.com/album/new-values-mw0000049065 |url-status=live }}
| rev2 = Blender
| rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine |url=http://blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=2625 |title=Iggy Pop: New Values |magazine=Blender |issue=29 |date=September 2004 |access-date=November 25, 2020 |last=Smith |first=RJ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060630184039/http://blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=2625 |archive-date=June 30, 2006 |url-status=dead}}
| rev3 = Chicago Tribune
| rev3score = {{Rating|3|4}}{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-07-22-9003010792-story.html |title=Pop On Pop: Iggy Rates His Own Music (And So Do We) |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=July 22, 1990 |access-date=November 25, 2020 |last=Kot |first=Greg |author-link=Greg Kot |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809175923/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-07-22-9003010792-story.html |url-status=live }}
| rev4 = Christgau's Record Guide
| rev4score = B+{{cite book |chapter=Iggy Pop: New Values |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=1602 |accessdate=December 20, 2014 |title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies |title-link=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |publisher=Ticknor and Fields |year=1981 |isbn=0-89919-026-X |archive-date=February 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205072335/https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=1602 |url-status=live }}
| rev5 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
| rev5score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|chapter=Iggy Pop|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|location=London|publisher=Omnibus Press|edition=5th concise|year=2011|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}
| rev6 = Tom Hull
| rev7 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide
| rev7score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Iggy Pop |last1=Coleman |first1=Mark |last2=Kemp |first2=Rob |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |location=New York City |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/645 645–46]}}
| rev8 = Spin Alternative Record Guide
| rev8score = 7/10{{cite book |chapter=Stooges |last=Rubin |first=Mike |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor1-link=Eric Weisbard |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |publisher=Vintage Books |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=378–79}}
| rev9 = Uncut
| rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Iggy Pop: New Values |magazine=Uncut |issue=41 |date=October 2000 |page=96}}
}}
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."{{cite magazine |url=http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/iggy-pop-new-values-arista |title=Iggy Pop: New Values (Arista) |magazine=NME |date=April 28, 1979 |accessdate=December 20, 2014 |last=Morley |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Morley |url-access=subscription |via=Rock's Backpages |archive-date=December 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220083006/http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/iggy-pop-new-values-arista |url-status=live }} The New York Times considered New Values to be "bland" compared to the earlier David Bowie-produced albums.{{cite news |last1=Rockwell |first1=John |title=The Pop Life |work=The New York Times |date=14 September 1979 |page=C11}}
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".{{cite web |url=http://www.popmatters.com/feature/030205-iggypop/ |title=The Weird Trilogy: Iggy Pop's Arista Recordings |website=PopMatters |date=February 5, 2003 |accessdate=December 20, 2014 |last=Robinson |first=Charlotte |archive-date=December 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141221115415/http://www.popmatters.com/feature/030205-iggypop/ |url-status=live }}
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.{{cite web |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/08613-frank-black-favourite-albums-the-pixies?page=8 |title=Number 13 Baby: Frank Black's Favourite Albums Revealed |website=The Quietus |date=April 16, 2012 |accessdate=December 20, 2014 |last=Wright |first=Mic |page=8}}
"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.{{cite web |last1=Viglione |first1=Joe |title=Original Soundtrack: Dogs in Space |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dogs-in-space-mw0001880685 |website=Allmusic |access-date=3 February 2022}}
Track listing
{{track listing
| headline = Side A
| title1 = Tell Me a Story
| writer1 = Iggy Pop
| length1 = 2:50
| title2 = New Values
| writer2 = Pop, Scott Thurston
| length2 = 2:39
| title3 = Girls
| writer3 = Pop
| length3 = 3:00
| title4 = I'm Bored
| writer4 = Pop
| length4 = 2:47
| title5 = Don't Look Down
| writer5 = Pop, James Williamson
| length5 = 3:39
| title6 = The Endless Sea
| writer6 = Pop
| length6 = 4:50
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side B
| title1 = Five Foot One
| writer1 = Pop
| length1 = 4:29
| title2 = How Do Ya Fix a Broken Part
| writer2 = Pop
| length2 = 2:55
| title3 = Angel
| writer3 = Pop, Thurston
| length3 = 3:44
| title4 = Curiosity
| writer4 = Pop, Thurston
| length4 = 2:29
| title5 = African Man
| writer5 = Pop, Thurston
| length5 = 3:35
| title6 = Billy Is a Runaway
| writer6 = Pop, Thurston
| length6 = 2:31
}}
{{track listing
| headline = 2000 remastered edition bonus tracks
| title13 = Chains
| note13 = previously unreleased
| writer13 = Pop, Williamson, Thurston
| length13 = 2:40
| title14 = Pretty Flamingo
| note14 = B-side to "Five Foot One"
| writer14 = Pop
| length14 = 2:53
}}
Personnel
- Iggy Pop – vocals
- Scott Thurston – guitars, harp, keyboards, synthesizer, vocals, horn arrangement
- Klaus Krüger – drums
- Jackie Clark – bass
- John Harden – horns
- David Brock – strings, string arrangement
- Earl Shackelford – backing vocals
- The Alfono Sisters (Anna and Mary) – backing vocals on "Don't Look Down" and "Angel"
- James Williamson – guitar, horn and string arrangement, production, mixing
Technical
- Lloyd Malan – production assistance
- Peter Haden – engineering, mixing
- Paul Henry – sleeve design and art direction
- Trevor Rogers – sleeve photography
- Graphyk – sleeve graphics
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for New Values ! Chart (1979) ! Peak |
| scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=236}}
| 36 |
|---|
| {{album chart|New Zealand|18|artist=Iggy Pop|album=New Values|rowheader=true|access-date=November 17, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Sweden|37|artist=Iggy Pop|album=New Values|rowheader=true|access-date=November 17, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|60|date=19790527|rowheader=true|access-date=November 17, 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|180|artist=Iggy Pop|rowheader=true|access-date=November 17, 2021}} |
References
{{reflist|35em}}