Album Of The Week: Sign In Please by Autograph

Last week, the rock world lost another member as Keni Richards, the original drummer of 1980’s rock band Autograph passed away at the age of 60. I thought it would be cool to cover Autograph’s first album as a way to pay tribute to him. In October of 1984, Autograph which was made up of Keni Richards (Drums, Noises), Steve Plunkett (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), Steve Lynch (Lead Guitar), Steven Isham (Keyboards), and Randy Rand (Bass) released their first album Sign In Please via RCA Records. Steve Lynch once commented that the album took only 30 days to record and that, “We were seasoned musicians in the studio so worked very fast and were always well prepared.” While most didn’t believe that the album would be successful, it peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Top 200 and it even earned itself Gold status by 1985. Steve Lynch recently commented on the passing of Richards saying, “He was the mighty force that was our backbone 1983-1988. We wish him a pleasant and peaceful journey. Our love and condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed greatly.”

1. Send Her To Me– The second single released off the album that was a hit for the band. The song is about a guy who let go of a girl that he loved, but he realizes that he made a mistake and wants her back. 4/5

2. Turn Up The Radio– This was a true anthem of the 1980’s to the point that you can’t think of the 80’s without this track that starts with a huge build up before it explodes into an anthem that you can’t help but turn up. 5/5

3. Night Teen & Non-Stop– The keys kick off the track before Keni Richards ushers us in this rockin track about a girl who unravels into a wild thing at night. 4/5

4. Cloud 10– A Styx like song with the keys in the beginning and Plunkett singing over it before the band comes in to get the tempo going. The sing seems to be about how there’s success, but to stay on top is hard. 4/5

5. Deep End– A harder edged song than the previous about someone who no matter what they do they are off the deep end of life. 4/5

6. My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend Isn’t Me– A cool bass riff opens up the track before Lynch gets the ball moving. The song is about a guy who is messing around with a girl he thinks he is with, but in reality he isn’t. 5/5

7. Thrill Of Love– I love the intro of the track because it sounds heavier than most of the songs on the album. This is one of the few times I don’t mind the keyboard playing cause it helps. It’s about the sensation of falling in love. 4.5/5

8. Friday– A cool observant track about life on the Sunset Strip back in the early 80’s back on Friday nights. 4/5

9. In The Night– A decent track about a girl who is basically lonely at home waiting for Mr. Right to come by. 4/5

10. All I’m Gonna Take– A bad ass way to end the album, I love the riff of this song cause it’s more on the serious side. You have to love the harmonizing on the chorus in this track. The song is about being at the point when you feel like enough is enough. 5/5

My Final Thoughts– This was as good as it got for Autograph as the band tried to repeat the success of this album, but to no avail. That is the only problem with releasing a mega successful track like Turn Up The Radio, you better have another on deck because there are other bands looking to take your throne. I am going to give the album 4.35 stars out of five for a final grade.

Soundtrack Saturdays: Fright Night by The J. Geils Band

I know it’s not Halloween or October for that matter, but I couldn’t resist choosing a song that some may find corny for Soundtrack Saturday. If you’re a fan of horror movies and horror films of the great decadent decade known as the 80’s then you are probably a fan of the classic film Fright Night which starred Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall, and Stephen Geoffreys in this film of vampires and teenagers (to read the review, checkout the 31 Days Of Halloween post here) 80’s style. The film was released in 1985 and it boasted a soundtrack that could be the soundtrack to any Halloween party as well as it featured songs from artists like White Sister, April Wine, Devo, Sparks, Ian Hunter, Autograph, and today’s featured artist in Boston’s legendary The J. Geils Band. Synthesizers are in full effect on this track as Seth Justman does his best on vocals as Peter Wolf was not present in the band at this time and the song has a real catchy chorus that gets stuck in your head. It was still a weird part of the decade as bands were experimenting more and more with synths at the time like Van Halen had the year before with 1984. I would definitely check out the film for all the greatness of the 80’s as well as all the other songs you’ll hear during the film. So, let’s give this song a listen below: