| American Babylon | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Label | Razor & Tie [1] | |||
| Producer | Bruce Springsteen | |||
| Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers chronology | ||||
| ||||
American Babylon is an album by Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers, released in 1995. [2] [3] Grushecky supported the album by playing some East Coast and Midwest shows with Bruce Springsteen, his producer. [4] [5]
The album was produced by Springsteen, who also cowrote "Homestead" and "Dark and Bloody Ground"; Grushecky and Rick Witkowski also contributed.[ clarification needed ] [6] [7] [8] It was recorded at Springsteen's Los Angeles home studio over a period of 18 months. [9] [10] Springsteen played on the album, and Patti Scialfa sang on "Comin' Down Maria". [11]
The songs Grushecky wrote were less personal than those on his previous album, End of the Century, and more about universal themes and the state of America. [12] The album cover photos were shot by Pamela Springsteen. [13]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| Chicago Sun-Times |  [15] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [16] |
| Los Angeles Times | [17] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [18] |
| The Republican | [19] |
Rolling Stone praised Grushecky's "fine line in juke-blues hooks and a spare way with words." [20] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "the Darkness on the Edge of Town aura is inescapable, though Grushecky's limited writing and gravel-gargle voice rarely transcend journeyman status." [17] The Republican concluded that "Grushecky is a cool rockin' daddy in his own right, not a great vocalist, but strong enough to blend upper octave smoothness on 'Chain Smokin'." [19]
The New York Times stated: "For Mr. Grushecky's new songs, the Houserockers have turned into a western auxiliary of the E Street Band. Often, the first verse uses a basic guitar strum and a light drumbeat; the full band kicks in on the second verse, arriving like a rescue team to turn the humdrum into the heroic." [21] Stereo Review thought that "Grushecky's cigarette-rasp voice falls somewhere between that of Southside Johnny and Willy DeVille ... his plainspoken delivery is set off by stark, skeletal arrangements." [22] The Chicago Sun-Times called "No Strings Attached" "Grushecky's best anthem since the glory days of his Iron City Houserockers." [15]
AllMusic wrote that "there are plenty of songs outlining love gone wrong and the struggles of common folk, all delivered in Grushecky's warm, well-worn voice over a barroom mixture of blues-based traditional rock." [14]
All tracks are written by Joe Grushecky, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dark & Bloody Ground" | Bruce Springsteen, Grushecky | |
| 2. | "Chain Smokin'" | ||
| 3. | "Never Be Enough Time" | ||
| 4. | "American Babylon" | ||
| 5. | "Labor of Love" | ||
| 6. | "What Did You Do in the War" | ||
| 7. | "Homestead" | Springsteen, Grushecky | |
| 8. | "Comin' Down Maria" | ||
| 9. | "Talk Show" | ||
| 10. | "No Strings Attached" | ||
| 11. | "Billy's Waltz" | Bill Toms, Grushecky | |
| 12. | "Only Lovers Left Alive" |
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Heartland rock is a genre of rock music characterized by a straightforward, often roots musical style, often with a focus on blue-collar workers, and a conviction that rock music has a social or communal purpose beyond just entertainment.
Live/1975–85 is a live album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, consisting of 40 tracks recorded at various concerts between 1975 and 1985, and released as a box set by Columbia Records on November 10, 1986. It broke the record for advance orders, and, according to RIAA certification, is the second-best-selling live album in the US. Rolling Stone hailed it as "an embarrassment of riches", while The New York Times said it was "an unprecedented event in popular recording" and "monumental".
Guido Marzorati is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. The son of professional musicians, he studied for several years at the Benedetto Marcello Music Conservatory. During this time he learned the acoustic guitar, influenced by The Beatles, Elliott Murphy and Bruce Springsteen, all of whom would eventually mark his style. In August 1999 he recorded his first solo album, Live at Home. In September 2000 he won the Bande Rumorose contest in Copparo (Fe). That same month, specialist magazines Buscadero and The River ran feature articles on Marzorati.
Willie Nile is an American singer-songwriter.
The Iron City Houserockers were an American rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, led by the singer and guitarist Joe Grushecky, from 1976 to 1984.
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Joe Grushecky is a rock musician in the United States known for his work with the Iron City Houserockers in the late 1970s and early 1980s; and for his works since the late the 1980s with his act Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers; and for his solo career. After his days with the Iron City Houserockers he continued to have moderate success, mainly in the Pittsburgh area.
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.
Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive! is a studio album by the Iron City Houserockers. Although well-received critically, commercial success eluded the Iron City Houserockers outside of the rust belt. Among the strongest tracks are the title track, "Don't Let Them Push You Around", "We're Not Dead Yet", the two-part medley of "Old Man Bar" and Junior's Bar", and "Rock Ola" - Grushecky's first truly competent ballad.
Cracking Under Pressure is a 1983 studio album by the Iron City Houserockers. Cracking Under Pressure was the Iron City Houserockers' fourth and final album under the moniker and also their final album released under MCA. Veterans Ned E. Rankin and Marc Reisman had left the band and in their place was heavy keyboards and synthesizers, as was the style at the time. Also unlike previous albums, Cracking Under Pressure included several cover songs: "Loving Cup" by Earth Quake and "Hit the Road Jack" by Percy Mayfield. The songs "Angels", "Cracking Under Pressure", and "There'll Never be Enough Time" have appeared on several later compilations, most of the rest of this album is absent from later compilations and live shows. The band was dropped from MCA Records two days after the album was released, and six months after that - in June 1984 - the band broke up. When the band resurfaced in 1989, it would go by "Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers" - the name by which they still tour today.
Pumping Iron & Sweating Steel: The Best of the Iron City Houserockers is a compilation album by the Iron City Houserockers. Released in 1992 under Rhino Records, it was at the time the only Iron City Houserockers material available on compact disc.
"Land of Hope and Dreams" is a 1999 song written by Bruce Springsteen and performed by Springsteen and the E Street Band. After being performed on tour and released on multiple live albums, a studio recording was released for the first time on Wrecking Ball in 2012.
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