Michael R. Smith

BORN: July 1969JOINED THE DV STAFF: October 2006 / December 2013HOMETOWN: Hyannis, MANOW LIVING IN: Hyannis, MASPOUSE / KIDS?: No, and happily singleFAVORITE ARTIST: MadonnaOTHER ARTISTS I LIKE: ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, U2, Eurythmics, Prince, Blondie, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Jackson, the Monkees, the Go-Gos, the Human league, Duran Duran, Shakespear's Sister, OMD, ELO. Basically anything from the Osmonds to Nine Inch Nails.BEER: No thanks, but I do like Zima. Do they still make Zima?OTHER HOBBIES: I've written and published books on music and movies under the alias of Randolph Michaels. Also, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm addicted to reality television competition shows.PERSONAL MOTTO: Be Prepared. Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout.I WRITE MUSIC REVIEWS BECAUSE: Music has been my true passion for 40 years.
4 Posts
15 Dec

2014 As I Know It And Call It

Michael R. SmithBest Of
 5. Blondie - Ghosts Of Download Debbie Harry & company haven’t sounded this energized since bursting back onto the scene 15 years ago with No Exit. And even though I prefer their previous efforts, Panic Of Girls (2011) and The Curse Of Blondie (2003), there are still some gems to be found on this one. The best of the lot is the infectious Miss Guy-assisted “Rave,” which made both the fans and clubs proud, despite the record company blowing it and not choosing it as a single. Here’s an important tip: skip the misguided cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s…
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05 Oct

Roxy Music Retrospective

Michael R. SmithAnnouncement
The gorgeous models on the sleeve. No, it’s not The Cars. The preening front man and his androgynous keyboard player. No, it’s not Duran Duran. The eight albums in ten years before calling it a day. No, it’s not ABBA. The career slump when they flirted with dance music. No, it’s not U2. It’s the group whose hit single “Pyjamarama” served as inspiration for the name of the most successful British girl group of all time, Bananarama. There’s a great Trivial Pursuit question for you. It’s Roxy Music, of course. One of the most influential British bands that toed the…
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24 Dec

Michael’s Top 5 of 2007

Michael R. SmithBest Of
5. Prince -- Planet EarthFor disc jockeys not to give this album a chance to be heard was a downright shame. The single “Guitar” is funky fun of the first order, while “The One U Wanna C” is the most easily accessible Prince pop song in years. Harkening back to the age of disco, “Chelsea Rodgers” is the one throw-down dance track that will make you get up on your feet and, in Prince’s words, “shake it like a Juicy Juice.” The mid-tempo “Lion Of Judah” starts out sounding a little like the classic “Purple Rain,” but unfortunately that’s where…
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18 Oct

The World Cup of Music: Madonna’s Confessions Tour

Michael R. SmithFeature
The Italians may have won the coveted World Cup, but for whatever reason Madonna never even mentioned it during her second of three sold-out shows at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston on July 9th.  It was just one of many indications that her show was extremely choreographed from start to finish, leaving very little room for spontaneity. Madonna has always had trouble connecting with her audiences over the years, though perhaps that is what preserves the illusion that she is a larger-than-life, untouchable superstar. So, while her fellow Italian-Americans were celebrating in the streets of Boston’s North End, Madonna…
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