Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” is definitely a most underrated piece of music. It’s an ideal track to hear when you’re pissed off, angry, energetic or just when driving along – especially in a hurry. It’s got a pounding beat that just keeps pushing forward and it, well, kicks ass.
belvane is fond of a cover version, done by Michael Hutchence and found on the Batman Forever soundtrack. For her, that version is forever linked to a memorable roleplaying experience, a ride on the back of a dragon. I, however, prefer the original version. It doesn’t evoke any feelings of swooping or sweeping or any other convenient flying euphemisms, it just keeps going and going, giving you a feeling of a constant ride in a car, through the city, through the suburbs and out into the free world yonder.
The feel is very gritty. Pop’s voice won’t be considered tender at the best of times, and here he’s at his ruggedest. Brings to mind 50’s Film Noir and 70’s Slums & Drugs feel-bad movies (Things like “Cruisin'” and the like). Bowie’s 1980 “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” has a similar feeling of Urban Dread.
My life has always been on the mellow side. My traumas tend to be of the “oh-my-god-someone-spilled-coffee-on-my-best-shirt” variety and even slipping on an oil-slick on the road and crashing into the sides of the road led to nothing more than a broken headlight and some crumpled tin. We experience vicariously all those dark and exciting things that never happen to us living the Vida Loca, if you’ll pardon my french. Usually through books, occasionally through movies, and less often but often very powerfully through music. The Passenger REALLY takes you there, and it’s scary, and it’s mean, and life really sucks there, but you enjoy every moment. It would be my song of choice for a Cyberpunk soundtrack, too.
Only downside is that it always reminds me (along with the rest of the “Lust for Life” album) of someone I used to date, which is a slight twinge because things were very scary and confused and ultimately rather icky there, but still – the music lives on.

More confused ramblings can be supplied on demand.