Autograph - Loud & Clear

Appearing in 1984, seemingly from out of nowhere, Autograph, unsigned at the time, were hand picked by Van Halen to open a mammoth North American concert trek - an accomplishment that quickly led to their inking with industry giant RCA Records and an ensuing hit single, the energetic and infectious, 'Turn Up the Radio' which made the US top 30. Feted and championed by the hard rock cognoscenti (supporters included Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne) this Los Angeles based quintet made all the right noises to further enhance their career by packing both melody and muscle into their music. Recording a string of highly successful albums the band peaked with this, their third album, unleashing a beast of significant fire power and songs that would stand not only the test of time but would also improve with age. Produced by Brit legend Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Humble Pie, Cinderella) the album exudes Class-A hard rock all the way. One of the all time great yet largely overlooked albums of the 80's LA scene. Rock Candy. 2006.