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".

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.

[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.