Customer Reviews

Smile

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

 

 

I never quite understood the melodic rock community's fascination with Danger Danger. Sure, they wrote some seriously catchy material, but with their innuendo-laden lyrics they were also one of the most juvenile acts of the whole scene. That said; I enjoyed their material enough to take a chance on vocalist Ted Poley's solo work.

2007's Smile is Poley's second solo release, and it's an upbeat, classy AOR/melodic rock album. It's very melodic, with plenty of keyboards. Poley's unique voice sounds just as good as it did 20 years ago, and the lyrical content this time around is more mature, even if it sticks pretty close to the traditional AOR love song subjects. Guitarist J.K. Northrup (ex-King Kobra and keyboardist Eric Ragno (ex-Takara) support Poley on this album, so you know you can count on high quality musicianship, not that I've ever been disappointed by a Frontiers release in that respect.

This one is a no-brainer for Danger Danger fans, and should appeal to fans of AOR and melodic rock in general.

This is one of the most "listenable" pop rock albums I have heard in a long time! Every track is outstanding, from the upbeat "Smile" to the beautiful ballad "More Than Goodbye". This is one you listen to again and again and not tire of it. Ted Poley's vocals are outstanding and JK Northrup is amazing on the guitar work! Well done, well produced album-hope to see these two team up again soon. Definitely would recommend this one.

Ted Poley is back with another solo CD, and this one definitely marks the best work of his solo career. While the first 3 songs are worth the price of the album alone, the crown jewel of this release is track #7, the rocker "If I Can't Change Your Heart" with its unforgettable chorus.

This is a must-own for melodic hard rock fans, and is second only in my mind to Ted's "Disappearing Inc" album done under the moniker of Bone Machine, which you can get on ITunes.

This cd is great. I listen to it all the time. I'm a big fan of ted poley. I would definetly recommend it to others.

Ted Poley is like a new artist to me. Back in the day, Def Leppard was my #1 and Danger Danger was...scary. Like you could catch something just by listening to them. But, I remember always liking the voice! (ok, he was pretty cute, too...) I recently looked them up to see what they were up to and, lo and behold, "the voice" has been doing his own thing pretty much non-stop ever since then! Having done some reading up on the life & times of Ted Poley, it seems life has indeed spun him 'round, yet he's still smiling, and cranking out good music with a positive outlook. Most of it, especially this album, is really good, and not just because it's vaguely Leppard-esque. Great songs, and the voice remains the same!
Waiting Line kicks the album off well, and Smile is a cute song, but I think he saved the best for last. LKSMR is a really strong track, as are Where It Ends (lyrics) and Will Ya (personal fave).
JK Northrup should score movies, the way his playing so perfectly nails the feeling of each individual song. Looking back over Ted's discography, I see he's played with a variety of different guitarists, but I think of all that I've heard so far, JKN is the best fit for him.
While there are many ways to obtain new music these days, buying this CD from Amazon seems to be the way to go, as it's an Italian import (!!!) and hey, then you get the insert! Besides, don't you want a smile on Ted's face? (yeah, I want it!)

The Good
Second solo album for the Danger Danger vocalist. "Waiting Line" is loaded with 80's production values. The melodic feel and vocal hook will make you think you're in the middle of a romantic comedy from the era. Though I haven't heard Poley in about 10 years, he's still in good voice. "Smile" breaks out killer guitar lick and mixes it with a driving piano groove. Poley's delivery is smooth and from the heart. Ted explores his cheating heart on "What If She Knew." "More Than Goodbye" could be the flip-side to "What If..." with its piano and acoustic backing. This track delves into the pain of a break-up. It builds like and 80s power ballad. "Lov on Me" rocks the closest to Poley's Danger Danger days. Guitarist JK Northrup tears it up during his solos.

The Bad
I could have done without the reprise of "If I Can't Change Your Heart (Then Let Me Blow Your Mind). Also, the title is a bit wordy, wouldn't you say?

The Verdict
Not as over the top or pop-metal as his Danger Danger material, but Smile is still a powerhouse in other ways. The melodies and vocal hooks are plentiful and the music is how melodic rock should be.

This is a great sounding solo album from Danger Danger's singer. It is filled with nice melodies and solid grooves and above all it has that sweet voice of Ted Poley which makes you want to smile! He delivers an uplifting set of songs about love and fun in the proud tradition of late 80's and early 90's rock that we all love. The production is great and the layered backing vocals really give the songs depth. I'm very impressed with this album and hope for an even better release from the D2 crew in 2008. This is highly recommended to fans of melodic rock acts such as Danger Danger, Harem Scarem, and Diving for Pearls.

"Smile" is the second and latest to date studio album by "Danger Danger" front-man Ted Poley, originally released in 2007. In contrast to its predecessor, "Smile" as a release falls clearly in the melodic rock/AOR genre perhaps partly influenced by the change in record label (Poley has been signed to "Frontiers" records since "Smile").

From the opening notes of "Waiting line" the AOR atmosphere captivates the listener bringing to front a different side of Poley (sometimes traceable on the more melodic songs of "Danger Danger"). One has to admit that the AOR approach works perfectly on "Smile" with songs like "If I can't change your heart", "Will ya", "Going Blind", "Where it ends" and "What if she knew" being top notch melodic rockers.

At this point one has to give credit to musicians supporting Ted on this excellent album: Guitar hero JK Northrup puts on one his best performances of late, shining on every melodic guitar line while crafting incredible shred-solos. Furthermore the inclusion of keyboardist Eric Ragno is guaranteed to reinforce the melodic nature of the album, in the eyes of experienced fans.

Conclusively, "Smile" is an unexpectedly strong offering by the glamorous singer, easily one of his best efforts to date, clearly comparable to the classic albums the vocalist put out as the front man of "Danger Danger". For fans of "Danger Danger", "Melodica", "China Blue", "Paul Laine" and "Marcello Vestry", this is satisfaction guaranteed.

Solo Ted is good as he has a great voice. I am a fan of D2 (with Ted) and recommend anything he sings.

I bought both SMILE and COLLATERAL DAMAGE. I found both of them good AOR rock from Danger Danger's front man, Ted Poley. Smile is a little more on the light side with less guitar/drum feel than Collateral Damage, but still good.