Albums don't often come this brutally frank and some of the raw --- and graphic --- desperation makes the listener cringe. As far as the music goes, however, let's go out on a limb here: the Ig hasn't hit such a focused groove since 1979's New Values --- maybe not even since The Idiot (1977). Acoustic guitars wash over the crooning delivery and (sit down for this) arresting melodies are all over the place. When an artist takes a risk like this, there is usually a dud track or two, so you have to sit through the odd vile lyric (Nazi Girlfriend is the biggest embarrassment), a few brief spoken interludes that are strictly hit-or-miss and the strangely irritating and overlong I Felt the Luxury. In spite of all that, Pop hasn't sounded this good in a couple of decades.

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?

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.

Maybe I've just got an old soul, or something, but I've always preferred the mellower Iggy over the harder stuff-give me "Blah Blah Blah" or "The Idiot" over "American Ceaser" anyday. So I was looking forward to what I had heard was going to be a quieter, more introspective album, but no way did I expect anything like THIS! It's a great record, one to drown your sorrows over the adult beverage of your choice, then smash the glass into the fireplace! Musically (with a only a couple of songs that would be described as harder if it was anyone but Iggy-by his standards, they're ballads), the record as a whole sounds kind of like what it might sound like if Leonard Cohen decided to make a record with America, and had Ken Nording arrange the whole thing. Yet, somehow it works. And it works wonderfully, at that.

Sounds excessive, maybe,

but I do count this within the 5 best albums I have ever heard, and I have close to 10.000.

This is an album full of pain, full of emotion, reflexion, wisdom, poetry, it has it all.

Iggy like you never heard him before, and like he was never heard since