Iggy Pop "Après" (2012)

In 2012, punk icon Iggy Pop released an album titled Après only in France. Why was it only released in France? Because it was rejected by his American record label. Why? Because it was too wild and uncommercial? No. Because it was too mellow and uncommercial. Après was a covers album, featuring Iggy covering songs that you wouldn't imagine him covering, many of them romantic jazz ballads -- some of them sung in French! Certainly, Après would seem to be a radical departure for the former Stooges frontman, although it was similar to some of the tracks on his 2009 album Preliminaires, on which he also crooned some jazz tunes and a few French-language ballads. Even insolent punks grow up sometimes, provided that they live long enough. And besides, what better way was there for a 60-something-year-old Iggy to go against the grain than to record an album that was about as far away from punk rock as you can get?

The Après album is finally about to see the light of day in the U.S. in a limited edition release for Record Store Day Black Friday in November 2022, in both LP and CD formats. The LP will be limited to 4,000 copies and pressed in pink vinyl. The CD will be limited to 1,000 copies. Both formats feature new cover art and a previously unreleased bonus track: a cover of "La Belle Vie", the 1964 French song by Sacha Distel.

The question, of course, is: Does Après succeed? Part of the time, it does. Iggy's crooning voice is a surprisingly good fit for some of the French ballads, namely Joe Dassin's "Et si tu n'existais pas", Georges Brassens' "Les Passantes", and Henry Salvador's "Syracuse". On some others, his voice does not fit quite as well, such as Edith Piaf's "La Vie en rose", and Serge Gainsbourg's "La Javanaise", on which Iggy comes on more like a moaner than a crooner. He almost does justice to Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?", but he sounds just a tiny bit out of his depth on that number. And that is an expected problem when a rock artist attempts a different genre, especially when said artist is best known for being a particularly primitive type of rocker.

Iggy does cover a few songs here that are more familiar to American audiences. He comes on like an American balladeer from the '70's when he croons Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" and the Beatles' "Michelle", making the latter song sound as if it originated from mainland Europe instead of England. The album ends with the Sinatra standard "Only The Lonely" -- another song that Iggy does not quite do justice.

A pleasant surprise: Iggy's rendition of Yoko Ono's tender 2009 song "I'm Going Away Smiling" is a standout track. In Iggy's hands, the song becomes somewhat reminiscent of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day", but without Bowie-like theatrics.

Après is interesting -- and enjoyable -- as a change of pace for Mr. Pop, but is mainly recommended for die-hard fans, as anyone expecting to hear any sign of the punk Iggy will be disappointed.


Iggy Pop - Après

Iggy Pop "Après" (Le Rat Des Villes RDV005) 2012

Track Listing:

1. Et si tu n'existais pas
2. La Javanaise
3. Everybody's Talkin'
4. I'm Going Away Smiling
5. La Vie en rose
6. Les Passantes
7. Syracuse
8. What Is This Thing Called Love?
9. Michelle
10. Only the Lonely

Comments