Beat 'Em Up

Infobox Album
Name = Beat 'Em Up
Type = studio
Longtype =
Artist = Iggy Pop


Released = June 18, 2001
Recorded = at The Hit Factory Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida
Genre = Punk rock
Length = 72:27
Label = Virgin
Producer = Iggy Pop
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:woke4jn75wai link]
* Pitchfork Media Rating-10|2.5 [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/20981/Iggy_Pop_Beat_Em_Up link]
Last album = "Avenue B"
(1999)
This album = "Beat 'Em Up"
(2001)
Next album = "Skull Ring"
(2003)

"Beat 'Em Up", recorded at Hit Factory Criteria studios in Miami Beach, Florida, is the first Iggy Pop album that The Trolls were credited. The Trolls were: Iggy Pop, Whitey Kirst, Pete Marshall, Alex Kirst, Lloyd 'Mooseman' Roberts.

Track listing

All songs composed by Iggy Pop and Alex Kirst, except where indicated

#"Mask" (Iggy Pop/Lloyd "Mooseman" Roberts/Alex Kirst/Whitey Kirst) - 2:53
#"L.O.S.T." - 3:24
#"Howl" - 5:05
#"Football" - 3:52
#"Savior" - 4:37
#"Beat 'Em Up" - 4:26
#"Talking Snake" - 4:28
#"Jerk" - 3:44
#"Death is Certain" - 4:38
#"Go for the Throat" (Pop/Mooseman/Kirst/Kirst) - 3:56
#"Weasels" - 2:59
#"Drink New Blood" - 4:33
#"It's All Shit" - 4:57
#"Ugliness" - 5:37
#"V.I.P." (Pop/Mooseman/Kirst/Kirst) - 13:11

Personnel

*Iggy Pop - vocals

The Trolls
*Whitey Kirst
*Pete Marshall
*Alex Kirst
*Lloyd 'Mooseman' Roberts - bass

Though "Mask" was included on , Beat 'Em Up appears forgotten among fans and critics. The murder by drive-by shooting of bassist Lloyd 'Mooseman' Roberts, a former member of Ice T's Body Count and a Troll at the time of his death, postponed plans to tour, though "Mask" was performed to great effect on the David Letterman Show, cementing Iggy's place as the rock favorite for people who disdain the current landscape of American popular music, regardless of genre, and the eventual Spring and Fall Beat 'Em Up tours were well received.

Beat Em Up was self-produced by Pop, his first such effort. "I'm not saying this is another Raw Power, bit if Raw Power is a true Iggy album, then this is another true Iggy album," Art Collins, Pop's manager said of the work. He added there would be some "ranting on the album, some humor, some rock on it." [ [http://iggypop.org/beatemuptour1.html Iggy Pop: Beat Em Up Tour 2001 ] ]

As a bonus, and unmentioned on the cd, a song acknowledged as "Sterility" on tour playlists [ibid] was included after "VIP". "Sterility" was a rhymic rant, but not in the aggro-core vein of "Mask" or "L.O.S.T" or "Howl" or the title track. "Sterility" is an anthem for those who do disdain the current landscape of American popular music, and culture. Iggy asks "Where is the soul?" in "Mask", and apparently answers in "Sterility" there isn't a home for the soul in contemporary American culture.

"Sterility" examples again Iggy's ability to contemporize country music, blues and soul. The song "Raw Power" best examples that ability.

References