Brick by Brick explained

Brick by Brick
Type:studio
Artist:Iggy Pop
Cover:Iggy Pop Brick by Brick.jpg
Released:June 1990
Recorded:February 15 – March 23, 1990
Studio:
  • Ocean Way, Hollywood
  • Hollywood Sound, Hollywood
Length:54:09
Label:Virgin
Producer:Don Was
Prev Title:Instinct
Prev Year:1988
Next Title:American Caesar
Next Year:1993

Brick by Brick is the ninth studio album by American singer Iggy Pop, released in June 1990 by Virgin Records.

Production and content

After attracting mixed reviews for much of his 1980s output, Pop hired producer Don Was, who was a longtime fan of Pop's earlier group The Stooges, as producer and opted for a hard rock sound. Many songs on the album incorporate a lyrical theme of the United States facing dangers of cultural decay and implosion. Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses fame were featured on the album as songwriters and performers. The cover was drawn by American cartoonist Charles Burns.[1] The album's personnel includes studio musicians Waddy Wachtel and Kenny Aronoff. The album is the first studio album that features Pop contributing guitar. He plays a majority of the guitar parts along with Wachtel and Slash. Was would go on to produce Pop's album Avenue B (1999).

Release

The album peaked at number 90 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the charts for 37 weeks.[2] The song "Livin' On the Edge of the Night" was released before the album as a soundtrack for the hit movie Black Rain starring Michael Douglas and Andy García. The song reached number 16 on Modern Rock Tracks.[3] "Candy" reached number 30 on Mainstream Rock Tracks, number 5 on Modern Rock Tracks and number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The first single from the album, "Home", reached number 2 on Modern Rock Tracks.[3]

Reception

The album gave Pop some of his strongest reviews since his David Bowie collaborations, and "Candy", with the B-52's vocalist Kate Pierson, became his first MTV hit. The video for the song found fairly heavy rotation on that station. Videos were also made for "Home", "Butt Town" and "Livin' on the Edge of the Night".

"Butt Town" received high praise from the MTV animated duo Beavis and Butt-Head; the latter stated, "This song has the best lyrics I've ever heard."

Track listing

All songs written by Iggy Pop, except where noted.

  1. "Home" – 4:00
  2. "Main Street Eyes" – 3:41
  3. "I Won't Crap Out" – 4:02
  4. "Candy" (with Kate Pierson of The B-52's) – 4:13
  5. "Butt Town" – 3:34
  6. "The Undefeated" – 5:05
  7. "Moonlight Lady" – 3:30
  8. "Something Wild" (John Hiatt) – 4:01
  9. "Neon Forest" – 7:05
  10. "Starry Night" – 4:05
  11. "Pussy Power" – 2:47
  12. "My Baby Wants to Rock & Roll" (lyrics: Pop; music: Slash) – 4:46
  13. "Brick by Brick" – 3:30
  14. "Livin' on the Edge of the Night" (Jay Rifkin, Eric Rackin) – 3:38
Alternate versions

Personnel

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Brick by Brick! Chart (1990)! Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[4] 81
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[5] 83

Notes and References

  1. News: Sullivan . Darcy . The Charles Burns Interview by Darcy Sullivan . . February 1992 . April 13, 2018.
  2. Web site: Iggy Pop – Chart history for Billboard 200. Billboard . 14 July 2017. 13 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170513033430/http://www.billboard.com/artist/276499/iggy-pop/chart.
  3. Web site: Iggy Pop – Chart history for Alternative Songs . Billboard . 14 July 2017 . 23 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170723141412/http://www.billboard.com/artist/276499/iggy-pop/chart?f=377.
  4. 221.
  5. Web site: Top RPM Albums: Issue 1004. 17 July 2013 . RPM. November 26, 2023.

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