'Avenue B' is not only a brave album by Iggy Pop, not only a more than pleasant surprise but a diamond album at that. A diamond buried and only to be found if you keep your ears as open your mind (and that goes both ways obviously).

Yes it is indeed an introspective album, a very "coming from the heart" album and it's delivered in that exclusive and special Iggy Pop way. I dont see anything wrong with that, in fact i see alot to be had here.

There are many great songs in 'Avenue...' which a lot of people (yours truly) included have actually been expecting Iggy Pop to sing at some time. I'm refering more to the style and overall tone of the songs in particular.
"Nazi girlfriend" is a beautiful and very ironic love song which (of course) not everybody would sing and not everybody would hear. All the more reason why it's special. As is "Long distance" and the other stunner (for those accustomed to Iggy's raw and hard rock persona) "Afraid to get close". "Long distance" and "She called me daddy" (whoa, i mean, "She called me daddy???") fall into that category too.

Since music is nothing more than an expression vehicle it is bound to bring up our many different sides. Especially by an artist, performer (call him what you will) who's been at it for decades. Iggy brings out this "new" unknown side to us after 40 years of being the prototype punk-rock daddy (theres that word again) and scores a winner.
Iggy fans with an ear for great music, great lyrics and an honest songwriter will appreciate this album for what it is with minimal effort. I tent to think that those who find it hard to see what's so good about 'Avenue B' are cheating themselves.
Great stuff.

I think it's Iggy anyway....
When Iggy is just speaking (as he does alot here) he sounds like a hybrid of David Bowie and Peter Murphy. The effect here does not work (IMHO).
On his other cds (American Ceasar, Skull Ring,Beat'em Up....to name a few) it works in spades. When "talking" on these other more radical (compared to here) Iggy recordings, there is an underlying vitriol seething under the surface which sooner than not punches itself to the surface through the music and vocals. His "speech" acts as a very brief interlude of intimacy giving the music a deeper layer, and allows his ranting to breathe alittle (along with the listener).
With AVENUE B the overall effect is droll, brooding monologe (however personal) that lacks fire and fortitude.It's as if Iggy is on heavy qualudes, locked away in solitary confinement looking at himself in a mirror, confessing his sins to the world as the blood drains out of him. I prefer the vim and vigor Iggy myself.

Iggy's accessible beatnik rocknroll
Let's face it, Iggy's an acquired taste for most. His albums have never sold much, and therefore his following over a 35 year career is hardcore and loyal. This AVENUE B however, works on a few levels. Play it for someone who likes artists like the Stones, Dylan, U-2, Neil Young, Van Morrison, John Lennon, Doors, and who have heard of Iggy but never bought any of his work, and they'll probably like this. Long-time Stooges/Iggy fans might like some of it, but find the rest forgetable or boring. Even Iggy must find it boring however, to stick to the same musical range he's been doing since '69, and the beatnik poet side of him was probably looking for expression after passing his 50th year. The honesty of the lyrics on AVENUE B rival that of John Lennon on his 1970 PLASTIC ONO BAND album, with its stripped down sound, and overall openness. To the casual Iggy fan, I suggest this along with his BEST OF album to get a good taste of Iggy's musical range. And to his hardcore loyal following, I say cut him a break. He returned to your narrow musical fold with BEAT 'EM UP and SKULL RING, OK?

Call Him Daddy
A shock to some, a let down to others, I consider AVE B one of the more outstanding records of Pop's topsy turvy career. It can all be summed up when you hear him crack up in the middle of the the spoken word peice, "She Called Me Daddy". This may be Ig's most reflective album to date, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's taking himself all that seriously. Whether he means to be or not, the man is flat out hilarious. And always has been. It's one of the reasons I keep coming back for more.

Iggy fans are not known for their love of subtlety, which is why so many die hard fans may have written this one off. But all true Iggy-philes should cherish this one. If you ask me, it takes real balls to be so soul searching. Especially after such a nototious career.

After the punchhline of "No S*#T", I nearly fell on the floor when I heard the opening sentiments of "Nazi Girlfriend". That's not to say there aren't a fair share of poignant moments. Though not known for his ballads, "Long Distance" is peculiarly touching & "I Felt The Luxury" is as gorgeous as it's subject matter. That's not to say he doesn't rock. Never one to keep his shirt on for long,"Corruption" & "Shakin' All Over" do their best to live up to the glory he laid down on RAW POWER nearly 30 years ago.

I've had this album now for nearly 3 years & out all his recent work, I keep coming back to this one. So if AVE B is Iggy's "sensetive" album, he pulls it off for my money. I rank it up with THE IDIOT, LUST FOR LIFE & NEW VALUES as his best post-Stooges work.

Wow, Iggy is as raw as ever
Many regard Iggy Pop as the king of raw, driving, rock and roll. I am one of these people. However I think some of his fans still think his music should be mindless testosterone induced lunacy (don't get me wrong, I love that side of his music), but there has always been much more to Iggy than that.

Iggy Pop is a poet; he has always been intensely witty and perceptive under the guise of his animal energy. This record is as raw as it gets for Iggy, just not in the same way his fans are used to. "Avenue B" is reflective and emotional, and seems to take more time developing these ideas than is typical of any other Iggy record. The man won't conform to any conventions, not even the ones his fans unintentionally impose.

To sum it up, this record is the darkly beautiful account of an aging man who is still struggling with the difficulties of modern life. It is what "Time out of Mind" was for Bob Dylan. I too have to applaud him for taking such a chance, and having the sheer talent to end up with an honest, moving, and uniquely "Iggy" work of art.
James "Iggy" Osterberg's last album of the second millennium is at once confounding, yet immensely compelling. The Godfather of Punk once again largely eschews the anarchic sturm und drang upon which he built his legend to pick up the strangely warm (for him), often nakedly introspective thread that runs from Zombie Birdhouse through Brick by Brick. As on the latter, Iggy has entrusted his reflections to producer and hired gun to the stars Don Was. To both their credits, the result is fresh, textured, and surprising. There are no less than four soul-baring monologues on which Ig's resonant baritone is set against the sort of brooding orchestral backdrop that composer Howard Shore might provide for one of David Cronenberg's more effective nightmares. There are other quirky surprises here: the effective use of Blue Note jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood and a convincing '50s rock-crooner take on Johnny Kidd & the Pirates' chestnut "Shakin' All Over." Yet Iggy's epic, multihued sardonicism remains gratefully intact, as witnessed by the edgy hilarity of "Nazi Girlfriend," the disquieting "Miss Argentina," and the seemingly tongue-in-cheek Latin loopiness of "Ya Yo Habla Espanol." This is not solely a reflection on the break-up of his decade-long marriage, but rather a complex, uneasy meditation on aging, solitude, corruption, and one wide-eyed soul's place in the world. None of it has yet killed him, and we're all the stronger for it. If it's an album more in tune with Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours than anything Ig's godchildren have managed in a decade, just soak it up. The man's taste is impeccable. --Jerry McCulley
Japanese edition of Iggy's 1999 Don Was-produced album with two bonus tracks added, 'Rock Star Grave' & 'Hollywood Affair' (featuring movie star Johnny Depp). 15 tracks total, also featuring the single 'Corruption'. 1999 release.
Japanese Version featuring Two Bonus Track: Rock Star Grave, and Hollywood Affair