Preliminaires
In his 60s, Iggy Pop throws in an unexpected mix of French pop and jazz, in addition to his usual rock strut, for this musical soundtrack to French author Michel Houellebecq’s eventually successful effort to make a film of his fourth novel *The Possibility of An Island*. It’s the story of an entertainer whose success as a social critic has worn him down to humanity and made him wish for an anonymous life on the Spanish coast. Pop’s a capable vocalist to deliver the dark news and worldview, landing somewhere near Leonard Cohen in the basso profundo darklands (“A Machine For Loving”). Yet, it isn’t all debonair serenading, though the Yves Montand and Edith Piaf standard “Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves)” is mighty smooth. “Nice To Be Dead” cranks with an agitated guitar feedback fueling Pop’s deep throat confessions. However, the mood more closely aligns with the subtle pulsing shades of “How Insensitive” where Pop croons off into the distance. “Party Time” begins with 80s-styled keyboards and mechanical beats. “He’s Dead / She’s Alive” is a lo-fi acoustic jam. “King of the Dogs” works its way to New Orleans.
With the passing of Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, Iggy returns to being a solo artist, issuing an LP he claims "comes dangerously near jazz."
Iggy Pop grew so tired of rock ’n’ roll and “idiot thugs with guitars, banging out crappy music” that he felt he needed to post his disgust on his website. That shouldn’t be taken as a retirement announcement, however. The product of immersing himself in jazz and the science-fiction novel The Possibility Of An Island,…
The timing of Iggy Pop's album Preliminaires is probably a product of coincidence and fate rather than careful planning, but it's hard to ignore the fact that just a few months after the unexpected death of Ron Asheton put the Stooges into limbo (at least for a while), Iggy has released an album that almost entirely avoids the issue of rock & roll.
<p>A curious, often haunting little Anglo-French album with strands of jazz, blues, country and electro-pop, says <strong>Stephanie Merritt</strong></p>
<p>The old Iggy makes fleeting appearances on rocker Nice to Be Dead, but otherwise he is beautifully fatigued and insightful, writes <strong>Dave Simpson</strong></p>
Iggy experiments with French ballads and New Orleans Jazz in this departure from his usual style. Rating: * * *