With the dissolution of the Stooges, Iggy Pop sought to continue his life long journey through the many hued biz of rock and roll. His last band had broken up, reformed, released one of the finest albums of the decade, began working on new material that could have potentially proved financially useful only to fall apart amongst the flowing smack.

Fortunately (or not) for Iggy, David Bowie had stayed by his side as the duo worked on their respective albums. For a time, it even seemed that Bowie had, to a certain extent, hijacked Iggy’s career and steered it to his liking. Of course, even if this was the case, it proved to raise Iggy’s level of fame and yielded a few post-Stooges classics.

The pair was a bizarre combo, but shared the proclivity to indulge in anything to excess. That wasn’t always revealed in their work together, but on occasion it came through lyrically. Between the years 1977 and ’78, though, Bowie and Iggy worked on three proper discs under the auspices of the Pop banner.

The Idiot and Lust for Life, both studio albums released in ’77 and the live follow up in the next calendar year were basically the result of this collaboration. But also recorded was a set of live Stooges do-overs and assorted ephemera entitled Mantra.

The recording quality wasn’t really any better than on that officially released live disc. And the track listing here actually sports some similarities. Mantra, though, has a few more Stooges tracks. And seeing as Iggy, at this point, was shooting for some sort of substantial music career, the official disc’s lack of throw back tracks could have been meant to separate the singer from his disturbing past. The backing band on Mantra basically works to that end, though.

Accompanied by Bowie on keys and the Sales Brothers (yup, their dad was Soupy Sales), the music sat closer to something wholly conceived by Bowie. His use of that analog synth also easily dates the material here. Not experimental, per se, but not the simple rock that Iggy had come to be associated with. If that weren’t enough to detract from some of the classics here, Iggy seems only to rarely be able to rile himself into a frenzy. Even his scream at the beginning of “Raw Power” sounds a nothing more than second rate.

Most of the tracks, probably accentuated on the Stooges songs when contrasted with the originals, find Iggy crooning more than ever – no doubt a borrowed approach from Bowie. But there are moments that rise above the middling nonsense here. The included rendition of “China Girl” records Iggy having an old tyme freak out amidst the chorus. But of course this is tempered by the effete keys and bass heavy backing.

Having read only positive things about this disc and after taking a look at the track listing, Mantra seemed as if it could deliver an aggressive bookend to ‘70s Iggy, but no. If you’re a fan of the studio albums from the period, though, it’s worth at least one listen.