The above quote was stated by Iggy Pop in reference to his album 'The Idiot'. I say hisalbum, as it was produced and co-written with David Bowie. It is an amusing quote, and shows how far the album was from his former 'garage' work with The Stooges. Said to have been the first in Bowie's Berlin Trilogy (Heroes, Low) the album was greeted with mixed reviews, especially by Stooges fans. Naturally, now, it has been heralded as a masterpiece. Such is hindsight.

Personally, I love this album. Sister Midnight, Nightclubbing......the drum patterns, the sleezy vocals down off an amphetamine rush. This is a night album, and a joyous meeting of ambiguous legends. I have never been a huge fan of China Girl, but the version on The Idiot is far superior to the later version on Let's Dance. It is a record that explores consciousness and lodges deep within your soul.

The fact that Bowie and Iggy worked together and had such a fascinating relationship (see Todd Haynes) is magnetic in itself, as are stories of drugs, angst and Berlin. However, I fell upon another piece of music folklore which just explodes the mythic appeal and drama. Apparently, The Idiot was the record playing on Ian Curtis' turntable when he died in 1980. There is a film in there.