On this day, 9 May 1979, American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster Iggy Pop, played Cardiff University. Support was provided by The Zones.
He had just released his third studio album New Values. 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.
Although guitar was played by Williamson on "Don't Look Down", Scott Thurston played guitar on all other tracks, with Williamson concentrating on production. Likewise, although one of the songs was written by Pop and Williamson, five tracks were collaborations between Pop and Thurston.
Although well-received critically, the album was not a commercial success, only reaching number 180 in the US Billboard 200 chart.
Iggy Pop at Cardiff University
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." The New York Times considered New Values to be "bland" compared to the earlier David Bowie-produced albums.
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".
