''Cracking Under Pressure'' is a 1983 studio album by the

Iron City Houserockers The Iron City Houserockers were an American rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, led by the singer and guitarist Joe Grushecky, from 1976 to 1984. History Started in 1976 as the Brick Alley Band by Grushecky, a high school special educati ...

. ''Cracking Under Pressure'' was the

' fourth and final album under the moniker (changed slightly) 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 Percy Mayfield (August 12, 1920August 11, 1984) was an American rhythm and blues singer with a smooth vocal style. He was also a songwriter, known for the songs "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and "Hit the Road Jack", the latter being a song f ...

. The songs "Angels", "Cracking Under Pressure", and "There'll Never be Enough Time" have appeared on several later compilations (and an acoustic version of "Never Be Enough Time" appeared on Grushecky's mid-nineties solo album, "American Babylon"), 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. The album has never been issued on CD, but is available as a digital download from Joe Grushecky's official website.

Track listing

#"Rock and Roll Heart" (Eddie Britt, Joe Grushecky, Art Nardini) - 3:16 #"Loving Cup" (Ken Laguna, Earthquake) - 3:29 #"Angels" (Britt, Grushecky) - 3:36 #"

Hit the Road Jack "Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by the rhythm and blues singer Percy Mayfield and recorded by Ray Charles. The song was a US number 1 hit in 1961, and won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording, becoming one of Charles' sign ...

" (

) - 3:12 #"American Son" (Grushecky) - 3:53 #"Girl Problems" (Grushecky) - 3:36 #"Cracking Under Pressure" (Britt, Grushecky, Nardini) - 4:50 #"Breaking Point" (Britt, Grushecky) - 3:37 #"Soul Rockin'" (Grushecky) - 3:13 #"I Should've Never Let You Go" (Grushecky) - 3:55 #"There'll Never Be Enough Time" (Grushecky) - 4:46

Personnel

* Joe Grushecky - lead vocal, guitar * Eddie Britt - lead guitar (credited as Eddy Britt) * Art Nardini - bass * Gil Snyder - keyboards *Ron Foster - drums

References

External links

Joe Grushecky's official web site

1983 albums Iron City Houserockers albums Albums produced by Mark Dodson MCA Records albums {{1980s-rock-album-stub