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The Girl Can't Help It (Troup) |
ChooChooCh'boogie (Horton/Darling/Gabler) |
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Bonie Maronie (Williams) |
I'm Ready (Huddleston/Rinker/Gleason) |
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I Got It (Penny/Man) |
Blue Monday (Bartholomew/Domino) |
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No Particular Place to Go (Berry) |
You Gotta Play R&R (Smith/Lincoln) |
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High School Confidential (Hargrave/Lewis) |
Riot In Cell Block #9 (Leiber/Stoller) |
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Something Else (Sheeley/Cochran) |
Roll Missy Roll (Smith/Lincoln) |
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Reelin' And Rockin' (Berry) |
Operator (Smith) |
"Pure bloody enjoyment..." That's Mike Smith's reason for making this album of best-ever rock'n'roll songs. "It's the music I love most, done how I've always wanted to do it." Smithie was never very subtle. It was his roaring, rugged, raucous voice and pounding organ lead that propelled the Dave Clark Five into the 100 million record sales bracket, making them one of the most popular, most distinctive groups of the 60's. But Smith's style is more than just meat and potatoes. This is a performer who has gone through the whole musical menu: classical training, a triumphant international rock'n'roll career, an emotionally gut-wrenching lead performance on the original, huge-selling "Evita" album, singer (with Mike D'Abo) and producer on "Smith & D'Abo", the highly acclaimed musical tribute to the great popular composers, and latterly composer and performer of a string of television theme songs and tunes in the UK and the USA. Now Mike Smith is back on the main course: with eleven songs made classics by his boyhood rock heroes, plus 3 originals with roots in the same era. "Those rock'n'rollers had more energy and output than the national grid." says Smithie, "How can I describe their music...It's raw...It's loud...and it's meant to blow your socks off!" So switch on, turn up the volume, and hold on tight. Smithie's back! - David Block
REVIEW # 1 - FROM CLIFF HITCHCOCK
I had the great fortune to buy this album at Mike's August '03 concert at the Cannery Casino in Las Vegas. And while I despise standing in any kind of line, I waited nearly an hour to get Mike's autograph on it. That's a decision I will never regret.
The album proves once again that the best music was written prior to the 70s! And Mike Smith holds a Masters
degree in presenting it. Every song seems tailor-made for his voice, with singing styles beginning with the swing
era of "Ch'boogie", to the great R&B of Eddie Cochran and Fats. On every count, Mike delivers superb
performances, equal to his DC5 days.
Finally, the album ends with Mikes own composition of "Operator" which proves that his songwriting ability
remains strong. This is perhaps my favorite cut from the ablum.
In a large or small studio, Mike has one of the greatest rock voices of the 20th and 21st centurys. I would not
hestitate to wholeheartedly recommend this album to anyone. - Cliff Hitchcock