Customer Reviews

That's the Stuff

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In the mid 80s if you had a pulse you were quite familiar with the monster hit 'Turn Up The Radio' this song defined all that was great about a decade (along with Loverboy and Poison but that's another story)
the entire debut Autograph album was perfection from start to finish...so how do you follow up perfection without it seeming like a let down,well,it's really hard but they tried
this release 'That's The Stuff' is not nearly as bad as most people will lead you to believe,sure it's not as good as 'Sign In Please' but compared to other bands from this time,this CD rocks!
the title cut is filled with the same happy smiling in your face rock and roll as the debut album
and take no prisoners has the echo kind of backing vocals that made Dokken and Ratt famous...Blonde's In Black Cars was the hit off this one,it's actually quite good,sure it didn't go as far as 'Turn Up The Radio' but that kind of song is really once in a lifetime,let's not be too hard on these guys...'You'll Get Over It' is a beautiful love song (mid tempo,not really a ballad) Crazy World is fun,Night Ranger kind of fun...We're An American Band...this sounds almost exactly like the Poison version done over a decade later,I like it but I know I'm in the minority...I think the stand out track on this album is 'Changing Hands' a beautiful ballad that should have been released as a single,sounds very much like Def Leppard from the Hysteria period...Hammerhead shows that the guitar player can really rock (it's instrumental), Built For Speed and Paint This Town are the only ones that aren't quite up to the rest....they aren't bad they just aren't quite as good...think filler from Night Ranger

this band was sadly underrated and this album is actually very good if you give it a chance....if you like Def Lepppard,Van Halen,Night Ranger or any other band that sounds happy while still rocking,then check 'em out

the upside - changing hands,that's the stuff,blondes in black cars,you'll get over it

the downside - the ending 2 songs kind of lose steam,and hey,where is the song 'Six String Fever' from the original release,no mention as to why that's left out? Come on guys,you could have included one more song on a CD (I have the cassette version too and I'm glad,the song is quite good)

the bottom line - definitely worth having at a reasonable price...I wouldn't pay more then 20 buck for it...but it's a piece of 80s music that will live forever...donutman says so!!!

Anyone who knows 80's rock knows the song "Turn up the Radio". A classic tune. Well it was from this band from their debut "Sign in Please" album. This is there second album (Until now very rare on CD, with two different covers), and it is pure ROCK. That's the best way to describe it. Classic 80's!!!!. Great catchy tunes with great vocals by Plunkett, killer guitar riffs by Steve Lynch and the "cheesy" keyboards synonymous with the 80's. "Changing Hands" is the only ballad on the album, something they rarely did as a band, but it works pretty well. There is also a very good guitar solo from Lynch called "Hammerhead". Obviously something he picked up from Eddie Van Halen whilst they were on tour with them. I can't recommend this any higher!!

If you like Autograph try and pick up there other albums. Obviously the original "Sign in Please" also the hard to find "Loud and Clear" (The bands 3rd and final album and another winner!!) also the more recently released "Missing Pieces" a compilation of non-released material. Also pick up Steve Plunkett's fabulous solo effort "My Attitude". These gems are all worth the presence in your 80's collection.

I just got to hear the reissue of this CD, and wow it rocks!! It's about time good music like this gets reissued. There are so many out of print metal CD's that never get heard anymore, and that's a shame. Oh well, at least you can get this one. The sound quality is tremendous compared to Sign in Please on the old RCA label. Buy this CD and help bring real music back!

The cover is great, great enuff for Aerosmith to rip it off, the album however is not great. The first album was a tremendous debut, "Loud n Clear" has moments, but this one...augh! The nine songs (guitar solo Hammerhead is NOT a song) just all sound the same. Same music every song, songs differ in the three or four word title they repeated over and over again. No versus, just the title repeated for 3 1/2 minutes. Here are sample lyrics..."Blondes in Black Cars, crusin down the boulevard, blondes in black cars i see them, blondes in black cars [garbled] [garble] for sure..." Plunket's voice is so low in the mix here, and on Loud N Clear, that you can only make out the three / four word chorus. Mediocre effort by a crappy producer.

AWESOME ALBUM! If you liked Sign in Please you'll Love this. Steve Plunketts vocal ability is truely awesome. Very glad to see this finally out on CD again.

I have known about Autograph since they first started playing the clubs and the first recordings. They are what 80's music was all about, and still are what music should be. It's fun, energetic, and gets you going. There's not a single tune from these guys I don't like and recommend any CD they have, turn it on and turn it up!!

This was a favorite band of mine in the 80's. Listening to it again reminded me that I preferred the production on this one way more than the production on the first album. Which is strange, 'cause Plunkett says they were "rushed" doing THAT'S THE STUFF in the liner notes. Also, in the liner notes, Plunkett refers to the song SIX STRING FEVER. But my copy of the cd DOESN'T INCLUDE THIS SONG! Instead, it is replaced with a remake of WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND. This release should have included AMERICAN BAND on it as a bonus track, 'cause I remember really digging SIX STRING FEVER. So don't expect to get this track on it. Overall, it's a cool album. HAMMERHEAD still sounds awesome.

these are just 2 of the best Albums I think Autograph recorded, it brings back some really good memories I had back in the 80's, especially playing my drums right along to there music. I recommend these albums to anyone who rally love Autograph, and there HOT tracks, I don't think there's one bad song on any of there albums, they may not all be #1 hits, but they're not garbage either, just my opinion :)

I'm sure by now every hard rock fan of the 1980's knows Autograph's story. I won't re-tell it here, but it really blows your mind to wonder, how the hell did these guys miss the boat on stardom???

I've read alot of reviews about how bad this album is, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. The album is solid from start to end, and even though it's not a five-star record, it's definitely a worthwhile addition to your collection. Blondes In Black Cars, Take No Prisoners, You'll Get Over It, That's The Stuff, Crazy World and Paint This Town are easily the favorites on the record. However, nothing on the album falls to the filler level in my mind.

Autograph should have joined Motley Crue, Van Halen, and Ratt as kings of the hair-metal scene during the 80's. However, due to piss-poor management, this great band has been reduced to one-hit wonderdom. I recommend this album to any fans of hard rock music, I can't imagine anyone not liking at least something on the album.

This is my favorite Autograpth album "That's The Stuff." It's about time that ALL the original songs are in the CD like "Six String Fever" which RCA removed on the second re-released CD (Blue Cover) and replaced it with "We're An American Band." I'm glad that they added "We're An American Band" as an extra track on this forth (2009) re-released CD. They should've done that when they re-released the third CD (Red Cover) on the Splitfire label. I have the Original RCA Red Cover CD with track 6 "Six String Fever" which I bought over 10 years ago in Guam for only $6.99 (BRAND NEW). With the 2009 re-released Digitally Remastered CD, the CD sound AWESOME!! Highly Recommended!!