Iggy Pop "A Million in Prizes: The Anthology" (Virgin)
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Tuesday. Aug 23, 12:39 AM
If your daddy drinks, it’s probably because you've never heard of Iggy Pop.

If your daddy drinks, it’s probably because you've never heard of Iggy Pop. He's worried that you'll live a soulless life, never knowing about pop culture's madman eternal, and that you'll be far worse off for it. Anyone who is even remotely concerned with Iggy's timeless body of work will tell you that his attitude, vocal style, and plethora of urban legends (some true, some not) are essential to understanding modern rock's colorfully jagged roots. If you're not in the know, there’s never been a better time to get hip than now with the release of A Million in Prizes: The Anthology. Heck, even if you have "Gimme Danger" tattooed on your forehead, you still can find goodness in the massive sounding, re-released classics. Think you've heard "Search and Destroy" one too many times? Now you can listen without having to dive for the volume button when the opening solo comes in. There’s even some live tracks, rarities, and of course the 1990 "Well Did You Evah!" duet with Debbie Harry, in case you don’t have the original split with Thompson Twins (if you did, it’s just another reason your daddy hits the bottle).

It’s always a true test of an artist’s career when the arguable “greatest hits” are placed chronologically on a disc. Artist credits start at “The Stooges” then to “Iggy And The Stooges” to finally “Iggy Pop,” and the quality does not falter. Each song is an example of Pop’s overlooked musical talents, and it’s a fine opportunity to observe the man sans myth. Not to say that “I Wanna Be Your Dog” is any less enjoyable without the visuals of a deranged frontman pulling shards of glass out of his midsection followed by a bloody self-inflicted microphone flogging, but this double disc set is a celebration of the music. Sure, it’s just a couple CDs, and not even a complete anthology. But you can still teach your kids about Iggy, and your father’s hell will surely go by.
www.iggypop.com
www.virginrecords.com

Josh Kimmelman

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