Was melodic rock really so bad for Autograph that they had to leech the saccahrine out of their system to record an album of L.A garage rock? Just awful.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Autograph
ALBUM: Get Off Your Ass
LABEL: EMP Label Group
YEAR: 2017
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Simon Daniels – lead vocals, guitar * Steve Lynch – lead guitar * Randy Rand – bass, vocals * Marc Wieland – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Get Off Your Ass! * 02 Every Generation * 03 All I Own * 04 You Are Us, We Are You * 05 Meet Me Half Way * 06 I Lost My Mind In America * 07 All Emotions * 08 Watch It Now * 09 Ready To Get Down * 10 Turn Up The Radio (Live) * 11 All I’m Gonna Take (Acoustic)
RATING: 30/100
WEBLINKS: Official Site
Background
OK, I’ll come right out and say it. From the 80’s, this was one of my most loved bands. I’ll also come out and say that this album really shouldn’t have been released as an Autograph record. Maybe something like Lynch, Rand and Friends, or similar.
I just knew when I read the EMP pre-release doco on this record and they mentioned down-tuned guitars, that the writing was on the wall. And so it proved. Their last studio album from 2003 ‘Buzz’ which featured former member Steve Plunkett (but no Steve Lynch) was a truly dire affair, so the recent track record wasn’t great.
The Songs
Was melodic rock really so bad for these guys that they had to leech the saccahrine out of their system to record an album of L.A garage rock? Because simply, that’s what ‘Get Off Your Ass!’ is all about.
Don’t blame the new guys Daniels and Wieland, this really isn’t their band to tinker with; they are merely the hired hands. For me, there’s not a lot to like, but if one or two tracks do rear their heads, it would have to be ‘Every Generation’ and ‘Meet Me Halfway’. Quite why Lynch had to go and add a live version of ‘Turn Up The Radio’ is beyond ludocrous. It seems so out of place on a record like this.
In Summary
At the end of the day you’ll either love it or hate it, apart from Lynch and Randy Rand (who really should know better), the two new blokes put on a good show but in my books this is not really Autograph as we remember them by.
