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Fran Smith Jr. and The Ten Cent
Millionaires Talented musician and actor Fran Smith Jr. understands well how those in supporting roles often get overlooked. As bass player and supporting vocalist for Philadelphia's The Hooters since 1987, Smith has been touring all over the world, playing that band's Billboard Top 40 hits. Yet while all of those hits were written by Eric Bazilian, Rob Hyman and/or Rick Chertoff, Fran Smith Jr. is quite an adept songwriter as well. His new solo CD Man Meets Machine showcases that ability, throwing the dutiful supporting player into the pop spotlight. He meets that challenge well - with ample aural proof that Fran Smith Jr. knows how to write the kind of melodic pop that used to dominate popular radio years ago. With over twenty-five years in and around the music industry, Smith obviously knows his stuff. Assembling a supporting cast of musician friends (among them Glenn Burtnick, Steve Butler, Pinky Giglio, Joey Maressa Jr and fellow Hooters Bazilian and Hyman), Smith captures elements of past sounds and transforms them into sweetly melodic new creations infused with infectious charm. The polished sounds reflect the innocence of a bygone day, replete with hooks galore. The title track leads off the proceedings in a pleasant way, with 1980s-style synth accents, abundant cowbell, and plenty of guitar and harmonies fusing into a song about contemplating a future where "daytime, nighttime, man meets machine, finding new ways to love / they're doing their best with metal and flesh, 'til man meets machine." Don McLean had his musical homage to Van Gogh way back when, so considering the popularity of The DaVinci Code, you'd think someone might seek to fill that musical gap. Relax - Fran Smith Jr. not only has a song called "Leonardo," but you'd be hard pressed to find another song so catchy. This McCartney-esque tribute to the great master ("his eyes see the light of a world that's in flight") features lovely guitar and bass lines, and the kind of sweet vocals and harmonies that will stick in your head the whole summer long. There's one song here that could be a hit for The Hooters. Not surprisingly, it's the one Smith has co-written with Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian (who join in playing it). "That's The Way I Will Remember" has got the knack of sounding familiar even on first listen, a close cousin to the string of hit songs the band had years ago. It's a song of fond reminisce about a woman gone but not forgotten: "You know there's always something there to remind me / And I will carry you everywhere deep inside me / You found a chink in my armor / You dug a hole in my heart / You're such a beautiful charmer / you left a permanent mark." "ShutDownLand" espouses a carefree lifestyle, running from commitment and criticism into a world of endless parties and good times. "Rudy" is chock full of ringing guitars and rich wall-to-wall sound, think arena rock anthem in the lyrical service of getting someone to unlock the door. The upbeat "Uniforms" relates the tale of a woman obsessed with a passion for men in uniform. At times, Smith has joined the cast members of Beatlemania as Paul McCartney. Thus, his very brief piano ballad "Redberry Shangrala" comes as no surprise. This song, while just over a minute's worth of music, is pure tuneful McCartney (or an incredible simulation thereof). "Waiting In The Rain" paints a dramatic scenario, our hero finds himself touring through a foreign country searching and waiting for a relative stranger who has become the object of his love. Again, this is a very full arrangement, the drama of the music more than matching that of the lyrics. "Love and Exploration" again seems like a lost hit single from the early 1980s. Steve Butler displays slick guitar virtuosity throughout this song that exhorts the combination of love and exploration, from Christopher Columbus to Robinson Crusoe and beyond. "Nothing In Return" tunefully laments that speaking your mind often yields poor results; "Committed" is an excellent variant on a standard blues number with early Beatle influences, all about the difficulties of domestic commitment.. "Hide A Place" is a mid-tempo ballad that sounds very mid-1980s (it was co-written with drummer Joey Maressa). While Smith's lyrics are adequate for his melodic pop means, they don't seem overly ambitious. The one exception is the very humorous, pseudo-British "The Aggravation Song," in which a father tries to explain to his son how marriage simply amounts to aggravation. Smith has fun with nonsensical proclamations like this: "The highest form of ganglious, a modicum of jubilous, sanctity and brevity of puritanical bliss / It's not the action but the prowess / a chronological entity / a vat of forty ouncers and the purpose of derange." "Dots" is another pleasant Beatle-esque cut of highly melodic, guitar-driven pop, which Smith seems to reel off with relative ease. The CD closes with a minute's worth of demented supermarket announcements, further proof that Smith has a sense of humor. Much in the style of The Vinyl Kings and other projects of veteran musicians, *Man Meets Machine* reminds us that well-written melodic pop still exists. The rich arrangements, harmonies and guitar lines combine for a most enjoyable listening experience. Fran Smith Jr. proves that he deserves the spotlight by creating song after song of catchy guitar-driven music that comes and goes in three minutes, but stays in your head for months. If you're a fan of melodic pop, *Man Meets Machine* needs to be your fun musical soundtrack for the summer of 2005.
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