Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed

By Paul Trynka

Book Overview

"Fellow rock stars, casual members of the public, lords and media magnates, countless thousands of people will talk of their encounters with this driven, talented, indomitable creature, a man who has plumbed the depths of depravity, yet emerged with an indisputable nobility. Each of them will share an admiration and appreciation of the contradictions and ironies of his incredible life. Even so, they are unlikely to fully comprehend both the heights and the depths of his experience, for the extremes are simply beyond the realms of most people's understanding." --from the Prologue The first full biography of one of rock 'n' roll's greatest pioneers and legendary wild men Born James Newell Osterberg Jr., Iggy Pop transcended life in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to become a member of the punk band the Stooges, thereby earning the nickname "the Godfather of Punk." He is one of the most riveting and reckless performers in music history, with a commitment to his art that is perilously total. But his personal life was often a shambles, as he struggled with drug addiction, mental illness, and the ever-problematic question of commercial success in the music world. That he is even alive today, let alone performing with undiminished energy, is a wonder. The musical genres of punk, glam, and New Wave were all anticipated and profoundly influenced by his work. Paul Trynka, former editor of Mojo magazine, has spent much time with Iggy's childhood friends, lovers, and fellow musicians, gaining a profound understanding of the particular artistic culture of Ann Arbor, where Iggy and the Stooges were formed in the mid to late sixties. Trynka has conducted over 250 interviews, has traveled to Michigan, New York, California, London, and Berlin, and, in the course of the last decade or so at Mojo , has spoken to dozens of musicians who count Iggy as an influence. This has allowed him to depict, via real-life stories from members of bands like New Order and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy's huge influence on the music scene of the '70s, '80s, and '90s, as well as to portray in unprecedented detail Iggy's relationship with his enigmatic friend and mentor David Bowie. Trynka has also interviewed Iggy Pop himself at his home in Miami for this book. What emerges is a fascinating psychological study of a Jekyll/Hyde personality: the quietly charismatic, thoughtful, well-read Jim Osterberg hitched to the banshee creation and alter ego that is Iggy Pop. Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed is a truly definitive work--not just about Iggy Pop's life and music but also about the death of the hippie dream, the influence of drugs on human creativity, the nature of comradeship, and the depredations of fame.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767923200
• ISBN13: 9780767923200
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

More than a rock and roll biography

In many respects, this isn't simply a history of a rock and roll star, but far more... the tale of perhaps one of the most interesting characters to have ever walked onto a stage. Certainly, the majority of purchasers will be familiar with the career of Iggy Pop and/or The Stooges and they will be left almost fully satisfied. There is more information on their careers here than in any other book. That said, I would recommend this book to anyone, even those not familiar with Mr. Osterberg's work. This is one of the rare books that is hard to put down. You just keep going to see what happens next. As would be expected with such a "stranger than fiction" personality, his life and times are the stuff of excellent reading. Additionally, the book is expertly researched and virtually no stone is left unturned. I have one minor quibble however, and that is the brief documentation of last 10 years (up to the point in time the book was written). While large portions of the book are devoted to The Stooges and collaborations with David Bowie, the late 1990s and early 2000s are only briefly covered. Indeed, the reunion of The Stooges is only given a few pages. If ever there were a "full-circle" moment to a career, this is it and was deserving of more depth than was given here. Overall, the book remains the best ever written on the subject of The Stooges and Iggy Pop's solo career and can be heartily recommended to both fans and non-fans alike.

The Very Best Book on Jim Osterberg/Iggy Pop!

An outstanding book! Paul Trynka had access to all of Jim/Iggy's school mates as well as band members, friends, lovers, fellow musicians, and even his psychiatrist for source material. Mr. Trynka's own love for Iggy and his music really shines in this fascinating account of Jim's life. Jim has lived life on his own terms, without a doubt, and Mr. Trynka has given us a look inside the man himself as well as insight into the Stooges and their music. This is not gushing groupie-style hyperbole or savage diatribe - rather, it is a very balanced and honest account of Jim's life by those who were there with him. Mr. Trynka has captured the feel of 1960s Ann Arbor, and I'm sure everyone can relate to being the "outsider" who tries to fit in with the high school crowd, as Jim did. I agree with another reviewer about the footnotes - they are much more than that, because they flesh out various incidents mentioned in the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Jim, his musical styles, anyone who enjoys reading biographies, and especially anyone who loves excellent writing!

I think Mr. Pop would even agree

This is THE book about Iggy, The Stooges, the people in an out of Jim's life, his family- all of it is right here. I suggest this book to anyone and everyone who LOVES this guy as much as I do. There will never be another performer like Iggy Pop. This is HIS story and it is a fine piece of work. Well done Mr. Trynka. Well done!

Way above average for a rock biography

Rob Trynka has done a great job gathering the details of Iggy's life, including a few "lost" eras when Iggy dropped out of the public eye. The author presents a very readable account that rings true in a way that many rock biographies don't. Even though he interviewed Iggy extensively, he also interviewed seemingly every living musician who's worked with Iggy (with the notable exception of David Bowie, who would not participate). He also interviewed many of Iggy's childhood friends and acquaintances and other musicians from the late-60s Michigan scene. And in recounting a lot of Iggy's self-mythologizing, and a lot of the classic Stooges tales, Trynka will often conclude that the recollections of another witness are more plausible than Iggy's version. That's something you usually won't get in a rock biography whose writer has the access that Trynka had. There are behind-the-scenes recollections from the participants of just about all of Iggy's albums, Stooges and solo. And the author even makes a strong case for the origin of the term "punk" in describing music--citing Lenny Kaye's original review of the first Stooges album, which he called the music of punks cruising for burgers. I'd always wondered where the first reference to "punk rock" appeared. Beyond the 320-page biography, there's an appendix that lists Iggy's albums in chronological order, with original release and label information and info on the musicians. And as hard as it is to get excited about footnotes, they really stand out in this book. Each chapter's notes are like an add-on chapter, where the author provides supporting quotes, and often gives a longer version of a short quote from the narrative. Maybe best of all are the two sections of photos. You can flip through the photos and captions and get a good preview of the full narrative, with great photos from the Stooge and solo eras. But if you read in public (as I did, on the subway) you might want to watch out for the full-nude shot.

The BEST Iggy Pop Bio to date!

Hands down the best Iggy Pop biography written thus far. I may even have to say it's better than his personally penned tome "I Need More". Paul Trynka did the research and delivered the goods! I'm impressed and can't put the darn thing down. It is one of those books you keep rereading. Yep, I need more, lol.