   This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. My guest is Iggy Pop, the
godfather of punk, famous for his intense music and wild
performances. When you think of Iggy, you think of loud, fast
and maybe angry music, songs like "Search and Destroy" and "I
Want to Be Your Dog."  So what's he doing singing the Antonio
Carlos Jobim bossa nova "How Insensitive" and the standard
"Autumn Leaves" and an original reminiscent of early Louis
Armstrong? They're on his new CD "Preliminaires." The CD is
inspired by the 2005 novel "The Possibility of an Island" by the
French novelist Michel Houellebecq.  The project began when Iggy
was asked to write songs for a documentary about Houellebecq.
Before we talk about this new direction for the 62-year-old
icon, let's hear the opening track of "Preliminaires," "Autumn
Leaves." The original French title is "Les Feuilles Mortes."
(Soundbite of song, "Les Feuilles Mortes")  Mr. IGGY POP
(Singer): (Singing) Tout doucement, sans faire de bruit Et la
mer efface sur le sable Les pas des amants