Avenue B

by

Iggy Pop

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What a sobering, reflective, naked album. I'm not sure how many of Ig's old fans this will appeal to, but actually I know a few people who are really thrilled he's taken some chances with this album. It's scary to listen to because he's so honest about himself, as in "She Called Me Daddy." I love the odd "Nazi Girlfriend" and "Miss Argentina." There are great tunes here, Iggy's in fine form, the production is smoky and understated, and even the cover "Shakin' All Over" has a muted, restrained feel that works. I'm glad Iggy's using his art to reflect the changes in his life; the opening lines "It was the winter of my 50th year when it hit me" are as bold and startling as anything the Stooges ever did--think about it: Iggy Pop has been with us for half of the twentieth century. Goddamn. Thanks, man. Thanks a lot.

It should not come as a surprise to long-time fans that Iggy Pop veered into a spoken word setting, since his gigs over the many years would find him dipping into Beat Generation-inspired gritty prose between songs.

But besides the semi-autobiographical title track and a surprising solid cover of the rock-n-roll classic Shakin' All Over, Pop seemingly does not have the motivation or lyrical focus for this style of performance art. Produced by Don Was, the album had one single - Corruption - but it ultimately fails to be that open door into Pop's psyche after living on the edge for nearly a lifetime; simply, a failed psychophysical experiment where the bulk of the 13 tracks sputter down a dead end street.