Have a Good Time but Get Out Alive!

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.

Have a Good Time but Get Out Alive!
Studio album by Iron City Houserockers
Released	June 6, 1980
Recorded	1980
Studio	Mediasound, New York City
Genre	Rock, Hard Rock, Heartland Rock
Length	40:44
Label	MCA
Producer	The Slimmer Twins (Steve Popovich and Marty Mooney), Mick Ronson, Steve Van Zandt (uncredited)
Iron City Houserockers chronology
Love's So Tough (1979) Have a Good Time but Get Out Alive! (1980) Blood on the Bricks (1981)
Singles from Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive!
"Hypnotized" Released: July 1980 "Junior's Bar" Released: October 1980 "We're Not Dead Yet" Released: 1980

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Robert Christgau	B−^[2]
Creem	Very favorable^[3]
Rolling Stone	Very favorable^[4]
The Village Voice	Very favorable^[5]

Background

According to the liner notes present on the 1999 and 2020 reissues, E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt produced and arranged five songs ("Junior's Bar", "Angela", "Running Scared", "Blondie", and "Don't Let Them Push You Around"), assisted in re-writing "Blondie" from its original version, and played lead guitar on "Junior's Bar" before leaving due to creative differences with Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson. The version of "Junior's Bar" released as a single contains an entirely different vocal track than the album version.^[6] This version was only available on the original 1980 vinyl single until it was reissued on CD on the 1992 compilation Pumping Iron & Sweating Steel: The Best Of Iron City Houserockers by Rhino Records.

The album was reissued on CD in remastered form for its 40th anniversary in 2020 by Cleveland International Records with a bonus CD of previously unreleased outtakes and demos.^[7]

Track listing

Side one

1. "Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive)" (Joe Grushecky) – 3:49
2. "Don't Let Them Push You Around" (Grushecky) – 2:23
3. "Pumping Iron" (Grushecky) – 3:54
4. "Hypnotized" (Grushecky, Gil Snyder) – 3:20
5. "Price of Love" (Grushecky, Snyder) – 4:04
6. "Angela" (Grushecky) – 3:17

Side two

1. "We're Not Dead Yet" (Dan Beck, Grushecky, Snyder) – 3:01
2. "Blondie" (Grushecky) – 2:44
3. "Old Man Bar" (Bob Boyer, Eddie Britt, Snyder) – 3:14
4. "Junior's Bar" (Britt, Grushecky, Snyder) – 4:17
5. "Runnin' Scared" (Grushecky, Art Nardini, Snyder) – 3:49
6. "Rock Ola" (Grushecky) – 2:52

40th anniversary edition bonus tracks

1. "Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive)" (Demo) (Grushecky) - 5:06
2. "Don't Let Them Push You Around" (Demo) (Grushecky) – 6:20
3. "Pumping Iron" (Demo) (Grushecky) – 4:11
4. "Don't Stop the Music" (Demo) (Grushecky) - 3:47
5. "Angela" (Demo) (Grushecky) – 3:18
6. "Price of Love" (Demo) (Grushecky, Snyder) – 3:57
7. "Hold Out" (Demo) (Grushecky) - 3:48
8. "Rock Ola" (Demo) (Grushecky) – 3:13
9. "Struggle & Die" (Demo) (Grushecky, Beck) - 5:03
10. "Rock Ola" (Extended) (Grushecky) – 4:27
11. "Charlena" (Grushecky) – 2:40
12. "Runnin' Scared" (Demo) (Grushecky, Nardini, Snyder) – 2:44
13. "Runnin' Scared" (Alternate) (Grushecky, Nardini, Snyder) – 3:54
14. "Hypnotized" (A Work in Progress) (Grushecky, Snyder) – 7:48
15. "Rooster Blues" (J.D. Miller) - 3:02
16. "Doo Wah Diddy" (Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich) - 1:44

"Hypnotized" was produced by Ian Hunter. "Don't Let Them Push You Around", "Angela", "Blondie", "Junior's Bar" and "Runnin' Scared" were arranged by Steven Van Zandt.

Personnel

Iron City Houserockers

• Joe Grushecky - lead vocals, guitar
• Eddie Britt - guitar, background vocals
• Art Nardini - bass guitar
• Gil Snyder - keyboards, background vocals, lead vocals on "Old Man Bar", cover design
• Ned E. Rankin - drums
• Marc Reisman - harmonica, background vocals

with:

• Tommy Mandel – organ on "Price of Love"
• Mick Ronson – piano on "Rock Ola", mandolin on "Old Man Bar"
• Steven Van Zandt - guitar on "Junior's Bar"
• Joey Miskulin – accordion on "Old Man Bar"
• Ian Hunter – guitar, background vocals, piano on "Hypnotized"
• Roy Martin – background vocals on "Have a Good Time"
• Ellen Foley – background vocals on "Junior's Bar"

Chart performance

Year	Chart	Peak position
1980	Billboard Bubbling Under the Top LP's	204

References

1. AllMusic review
2. Christgau, Robert (1980). "Consumer Guide Reviews". robertchristgau.com. Robert Christgau. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
3. Hull, Robot (September 1980). "Iron City Houserockers: Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive)". Creem. Birmingham, Michigan: Creem Magazine, Inc.
4. Carson, Tom (August 21, 1980). "New American Classic". Rolling Stone. New York, New York: Straight Arrow Publishers Inc.
5. Marcus, Greil (July 9, 1980). "Iron City Houserockers: Pure Steel". The Village Voice. New York, New York.
6. "Pumping Iron & Sweating Steel: The Best Of Iron City Houserockers" liner notes, 1992.
7. "Iron City Houserockers: Have A Good Time... But Get Out Alive". Store.clevelandinternational.com. Retrieved 24 December 2021.

External links

• Joe Grushecky's official web site
• Rock's So Tough - Iron City Houserockers