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Last year, the recently-reactivated Cleveland International Records label reissued Joe Grushecky and The Iron City Houserockers’ Have a Good Time…But Get Out Alive! as a deluxe edition for its 40th anniversary.  Now, the label is returning to the catalogue of the Pittsburgh rocker for a slightly belated 25th anniversary edition of The Houserockers’ 1995 album American Babylon which was produced by, and features, Grushecky’s friend Bruce Springsteen.  The 2-CD expansion of American Babylon is due for release on October 29, with a vinyl edition arriving in early 2022.  The vinyl reissue will mark the album’s first appearance in the format in the United States.

A remastered version of the original American Babylon opens the first CD of this collection.  The album features 12 rootsy, deeply felt tracks from Grushecky and The Houserockers – guitarist Bill Toms, drummer Joffo Simmons, keyboardist Joe Pelesky, bassist Art Nardini, and percussionist Bernie Herr – including two co-written by The Boss (“Homestead,” “Dark and Bloody Ground”).  He adds guitar on both tracks as well as harmonica and mandolin on the latter, and also plays on “Chain Smokin’,” “Never Be Enough Time,” “Labor of Love,” “What Did You Do in the War,” “Billy’s Waltz,” and “Only Lovers Left Alive.”  Patti Scialfa sings on “Comin’ Down Maria,” and longtime Springsteen associates Toby Scott and Bob Clearmountain mixed the album.

Previously unreleased demo recordings of “Chain Smokin’,” “Never Be Enough Time,” and “Only Lovers Left Alive” complete the first disc of the new set.   A 13-track bonus disc presents live performances recorded at Nick’s Fat City in Pittsburgh during Grushecky and the band’s 1995 “October Assault” tour which featured Bruce in the band.  (The jaunt also took the band to Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, and Springsteen’s stomping ground of Asbury Park, New Jersey.)  He plays on eight of the 13 songs and steps up to the microphone for his own “Light of Day” and Chuck Berry’s adaptation of “Down the Road Apiece.”  The former has particular meaning to Grushecky; he’s a major supporter of the Light of Day Foundation (named after the song) which hosts yearly concerts to raise money to defeat Parkinson’s and related illnesses ALS and PSP.  Springsteen and Grushecky frequently perform together at these shows.

Grushecky was typically humble when discussing his relationship with Springsteen in a Rolling Stone interview: “It’s a great thing for me to write with a talent like Bruce who is obviously one of the greats. I think that in a quiet way it sort of says something about my writing ability.”  He added, “I was thinking about making a new record and had a couple songs written. My wife suggested ‘Why don’t you ask Bruce to play?’ I hemmed and hawed for a while and finally we got in touch. It sort of just took on a life of its own. It was fun working with Bruce; he added little twists and turns that I wouldn’t have come up with on my own which made the record a lot of fun to do musically. Once we got together, it just seemed like we were real sure of what we were doing. There wasn’t a lot of second guessing and pulling your hair thinking, ‘Is this good?” We just sort of went in and did it in a very relaxed atmosphere, so it was fun.”

The live version of “American Babylon” and demo of “Only Lovers Left Alive” are currently streaming.  Look for the complete 25th anniversary release of the album on October 22 at the links below.

Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers, American Babylon (Razor & Tie RT 2820, 1995 – reissued Cleveland International, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. Dark and Bloody Ground
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
8. Comin’ Down Maria
9. Talk Show
10. No Strings Attached
11. Billy’s Waltz
12. Only Lovers Left Alive

Bonus Tracks

13. Chain Smokin’ (Demo)
14. Never Be Enough Time (Demo)
15. Only Lovers Left Alive (Demo)

CD 2: Live at Nick’s Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA October 1995

1. No Strings Attached
2. Only Lovers Left Alive
3. Bruce Springsteen Intro
4. What Did You Do In The War *
5. Chain Smokin’ *
6. Labor Of Love *
7. Never Enough *
8. Dark and Bloody Ground *
9. Pumping Iron *
10. Homestead *
11. American Babylon *
12. Light of Day feat. Bruce Springsteen
13. Down The Road Apiece feat. Bruce Springsteen

* Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers with Bruce Springsteen​