Brick By Brick
*Brick By Brick* (1990) presents Iggy Pop in a cleaned-up if not entirely domesticated state, reigning in his crazier impulses in favor of declarations of love and comments upon modern conditions. At the production helm is Don Was, who combines his affection for primal rock with a skillful sense of commercial possibilities. What results is an above-average collection of mostly Pop-penned tunes rendered by an impressive cast of players, ranging from Guns N’ Roses axeman Slash to freelance guitar heroes Waddy Wachtel and David Lindley. Iggy takes the opportunity to diss the rich and vacuous (“Butt Town,” ”Starry Night”), sketch scenes of urban alienation (“Home”) and give comfort to fellow outsiders (“Main Street Eyes,” I Won’t Crap Out”). His familiar doleful croon sounds smooth and confident, especially on the romantically inclined “Candy” (a duet with B-52’s vocalist Kate Pierson) and “Moonlight Lady.” Flashes of Pop’s old punk edge come through in blistering tracks like “P\*\*\*y Power” and “My Baby Wants to Rock & Roll.”
While Don Was is best known for his work with mutant funkateers Was (Not Was), he was also a Motor City boy with fond memories of the Stooges' glory days, and when he was hired to produce an album for Iggy Pop, Was said, "The guy is incredibly intelligent, writes great lyrics, is a great singer, and I just wanted to get that across."