Love's So Tough
Studio album by
Iron City Houserockers
ReleasedApril 14, 1979
Recorded1978
StudioAgency Recording, Cleveland, Ohio; Asterick Recording, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
GenreRock, Hard Rock, Heartland Rock
Length37:30
LabelMCA
ProducerThe Slimmer Twins (Steve Popovich and Marty Mooney)
Iron City Houserockers chronology
Love's So Tough
(1979)		 Have a Good Time but Get Out Alive!
(1980)
Singles from Love's So Tough
  1. "Hideaway / Blondie"
    Released: July 1979
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB[2]
Rolling StoneFavorable[3]

Love's So Tough is a studio album by the Iron City Houserockers. Released in 1979, the Iron City Houserocker's first album attempts to capture the presence of what was essentially a Pittsburgh bar band playing to a blue collar crowd every night. While Joe Grushecky's songwriting skills are clearly still developing, his potential is visible in cuts such as "Dance With Me" and "Heroes Are Hard to Find". The general sound of the album is reminiscent of a slightly "harder" Bruce Springsteen, and the heavy use of harmonica would be a distinguishing factor of the Houserockers for several albums to come.

Background

In the spring of 1977 Joe Grushecky's brother Jon sent him a full page advertisement from Billboard, about the release of a Ronnie Spector record on Cleveland International Records. The band was known at that time as the Brick Alley Band, and they sent a demo tape to Steve Popovich at Cleveland International Records. After a personal phone call from Steve Popovich, Joe Grushecky and his band drove out to Cleveland and under the guidance of Steve Popovich and Marty Mooney, made a series of recordings that landed a deal with MCA Records.[4]

The song "Blondie" was originally recorded during the Love's So Tough sessions and issued as the B-side to the "Hideaway" single.[5] The song would go on to be completely re-written with the help of Steve Van Zandt and re-recorded during the Have a Good Time... But Get Out Alive sessions and issued on that album in 1980.[6]

The Chuck Berry song "School Days (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)" was also recorded for the album but was cut from the final release. The track was then released on Pumping Iron & Sweating Steel: The Best of the Iron City Houserockers.[7]

A promotional-only picture disc LP containing an exclusive pre-release mix of the album as well as the track "Blondie" was released early to attendees of the 1979 NARM National Convention in North Canton, Ohio.[8]

The album was reissued in CD format in 1999 by Rock Heritage, and again in 2019 in remastered digital format by Cleveland International Records for its 40th anniversary.[9]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "I Can't Take It" (Joe Grushecky) – 3:54
  2. "Hideaway" (Fred Goodman) – 4:31
  3. "Turn It Up" (Grushecky) – 4:54
  4. "Dance with Me" (Grushecky, Art Nardini) – 4:46

Side two

  1. "Love So Tough" (Grushecky, Gil Snyder) – 3:42
  2. "Veronica" (Grushecky) – 3:38
  3. "Heroes Are Hard to Find" (Grushecky, Nardini, Gary Scalese) – 2:55
  4. "Stay with Me Tonight" (Grushecky) – 4:43
  5. "I'm Lucky" (Grushecky, Nardini) – 4:27

Personnel

Iron City Houserockers

with:

"Turn It Up" was recorded at Asterick Recording, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Chart performance

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Billboard Bubbling Under the Top LP's 201
Cash Box Top Albums 164

References

  1. ↑ AllMusic review
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: I". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 27, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ↑ Marcus, Greil (September 6, 1979). "Rough bar-band stuff from Pittsburgh". Rolling Stone. New York, New York: Straight Arrow Publishers Inc.
  4. ↑ Liner notes from Love's So Tough 1999 re-issue
  5. ↑ "Iron City Houserockers – Hideaway (1979, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  6. ↑ Liner notes from Have a Good Time... But Get Out Alive 1999 re-issue
  7. ↑ "Music.aol.com". Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "Iron City House Rockers - Love's So Tough". Discogs.
  9. ↑ "Love's So Tough". Orcd.co.
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