In his second collaboration with David Bowie, Pop's sound has become less abrasive and more commercial. The voice of desperation and rebellion has shifted to more of a narrative tone depicting late night, low life street images.

- Billboard, 1977.

Bonus Reviews!

If The Idiot exploits the (trance-prone) affinity for the slow rocker that Bowie evinced on Station to Station, this reestablishes the (apollonian) affinity for the dionysiac artist Bowie made so much of five years ago on Mott's All the Young Dudes. Like most rock and rollers, I prefer this to The Idiot because it's faster and more assertive -- which means, among other things, that the nihilistic satire is counteracted by the forward motion of the music itself. A-

- Robert Christgau, Christgau's Record Guide, 1981. 

The pounding drums that open Lust for Life instantly signal that the album is a brighter, harder-rocking affair than The Idiot. While black humor was an undercurrent throughout The Idiot, it is brought to the front on Lust for Life, both musically and lyrically. Using the title track as a template, the record not only rocks, it swings and it swings hard. Bowie wrote most of the music for the record and it reflects his musical ambition, careening from the hard rock of the title track to the strutting piano of "The Passenger," the jaunty ironic sing-along of "Success," to the stylized R&B of "Tonight." While Iggy Pop spent most of the decade trying to escape the pop leanings of Lust for Life, he never made a better record. * * * *

- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, The All-Music Guide to Rock, 1995.

A seminal work, Lust For Life captures the energetic magic of the Stooges but incorporates some dynamic sophistication courtesy of Bowie's influence. * * * * *

- Gary Graff, Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, 1996.

The godfather (and grandfather) of punk hooks up with the Thin White Duke (aka David Bowie wearing the producer's hat) with resounding success on this ultimate combination. A few fans frown at the title track -- one of the greatest R&R anthems -- being used in a Carnival Cruises ad, but it made a great Trainspotting track, and all agree this manifesto represents Iggy at his apogee singing with reckless abandon, flying without a net. * * * *

- Zagat Survey Music Guide - 1,000 Top Albums of All Time, 2003.

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