The Idiot

Recording began at the Château d'Hérouville in June 1976 and continued into July, with further sessions at Musicland Studios in Munich in August, where Pop recorded most of his vocals. Bowie composed most of the music, and Pop wrote most of the lyrics at the studio, often improvising at the microphone in response to what Bowie was playing. Laurent Thibault, the new owner of the château and a former bassist with Magma, played bass and engineered. Michel Santangeli played drums over rough tracks across two days. In July Bowie's own rhythm section of George Murray and Dennis Davis overdubbed parts on a few songs, including Sister Midnight and Mass Production. Nightclubbing was the last track recorded. Tony Visconti helped mix the album at Hansa Studio 1 in Berlin.

The title comes from Dostoevsky's novel, and the cover photograph by Andy Kent was inspired by Erich Heckel's painting Roquairol. Bowie's Low came out in January 1977, and its success let Bowie persuade RCA to release The Idiot in March. Sister Midnight and China Girl were issued as singles in February and May 1977, both with Baby on the B-side, and neither charted. The album reached number 72 in the United States, number 30 in Britain and number 88 in Australia. Pop toured it from March 1 to April 16, 1977, with Bowie on keyboards and Blondie as the opening act.

Reception

Rolling Stone's John Swenson called it the most savage indictment of rock posturing ever recorded. Looking back for Pitchfork in 2020, Sasha Geffen wrote that it may lack fury but makes up for it with sardonic humor and melodrama. Marking its 35th anniversary, Clash called it a dark, dense and desolate record. Pitchfork placed it at number 96 on its list of the best albums of the 1970s in 2004. It has been cited as an influence on Joy Division, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, and was remastered in the seven-disc box set The Bowie Years, released May 29, 2020.