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Randy is currently in pre-production for an upcoming solo CD project for the NYC-based label, GB Music.

At the production helm, Randy has once again joined forces with Boston producer and former New England drummer, Hirsh Gardner, who will play a dual role in the project, both as producer and providing drums and percussion on various tracks.

Other scheduled guest artists to appear on the project include guitarists Brian Greenway of April Wine and Andre Maquera of 8084.

The CD, tentatively titled "Revelations", features all new material written over the past year and is scheduled for a late 2007 release in both the US and European markets.


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What people are
saying about Randy's
last release with 8084,
The Last Great Train





AOR Dreamzones
Sweden

...What a strong pop/rock album this is from 8084, better than we are used to today.

...Over the 13 lovely pop/rock songs there are not any bad moments at all, just pure mid tempo songs, faster rockers and soaring ballads to cry one or two tears to.

....The production lasts all the way and the booklet and everything that comes along with this disc is of the highest class you can imagine. 8084 is a band worth discovering during 2006 and a nice break from the louder music around us. This is how songs should be written and delivered to us. “The Last Great Train” makes my soul melt a little into complete harmony.


Seven Days
Vermont, USA

...Filled with melodic, textured pop, the new album puts a mature spin on the band's signature sound. But that doesn't mean they've gone soft: Keyboardist/vocalist Randy Smith and guitarist Andre Maquera still deliver plenty of dynamic dazzle.

...the disc boasts 13 tracks of driving, melodic rock. Loaded with catchy hooks, blistering solos, atmospheric keyboards and well-placed acoustic guitar, it's sure to impress long-time fans. It may even create some new ones.

...The Last Great Train delivers a wide range of styles and textures, from the all-out rock of "Breath," "I Know" and closing cut "Thank You," to the more melodic "Alright" and "Shopping List." For chops-hounds, there's the funky instrumental title track and the aptly titled "Guitsophrenic."


Crossrocks
France
85 out of 100
...The assessment remains positive, and it is wise to greet the return of this group whose members dedicated the essence of their existence to the music, without drawing from them the honors which they would undoubtedly have deserved as much as numbers of other groups of the time.


RevelationZ
Denmark

...a flourish of guitars and a strong taste of American blue collar rock.

...‘Alright’ is reminiscent of Tyketto’s acoustic guitar based ‘Strength In Numbers’ album, as is the title track. In fact vocalist Randy Smith frequently recalls Danny Vaughn. His voice has that same edge, creating that same sense of anticipation, projecting that same note of urgency and excitement that lifted Waysted and Tyketto several notches above the rest.

The Message
NH, USA
By: Joe Milliken

...Featuring lead vocalist/guitarist Randy Smith, vocalist / guitarist Andre’ Maquera, bassist / vocalist Roy Brown, and drummer Gary Spaulding, The Last Great Train is a 13 track slab of melodic-driven rock chock-full of catchy hooks, garage-riffing solos, atmospheric keyboard and percussive quirks, and some well-placed acoustic guitar chords.

... The Last Great Train offers up a wide range of styles and textures. From the all-out-rocking of “Breath”, “I Know”, and the closing “Thank You”, to the more melodic side of “Alright”, and “Shopping List”, to the funky instrumentals in the title track and “Guitsophrenic”, Eight-Oh-Eight-Four demonstrates an ability to create interesting, straight-forward melodies combined with just enough rock edginess to balance a fine line between AOR repertoire and the classic rock sound in which the band formulates itself.

...With this release, the creative songwriting ability and instrumental command of Eight-Oh-Eight-Four shines through..


Green Mountain Power Chords
MA - USA
February 23, 2006

..... Frontman Randy Smith's vocals approximate what Rush's Geddy Lee would sound like had he grown up in Georgia, especially on the title cut of their latest CD, The Last Great Train-- there are also dashes of blues, southern rock and funk in the recipe.


Rock of Life
USA
Fourth album by the AOR mainstays; who began their musical journey back in the eighties.

....“The Last Great Train” recalls the seventies arena/AOR rock scene with its memorable riffs and catchy chorus.

... With a vocalist that’s part Geddy Lee, part Don Dokken, and part Jon Bon Jovi; plus a rhythm section that mixes classic seventies arena rock with modern day flair; 8084’s Last Great Train may ride the rock music rails for quite a while.


Powerplay Magazine
United Kingdom

...With elements of bands like Soul Asylum, Highway Nine and Martins Dam, creeping into the proceedings, it makes for an entertaining listen. Songs such as "Sometimes" or "Without U" still retain elements of their old style, but overall it's the new songs that grab your attention the most.

...This album is a bold move, but it's a move that ultimately works, and works very well.


Hardrock Haven
Derric Miller - Staff Writer
HRH Rating: 8.084/10

...8084's sound is all about musicianship. The way they compose tracks, the way they play them, the vocals, everything about The Last Great Train has a focus on musicality. While they can at times sound like everyone from Rush to Bon Jovi, they really just sound like 8084.

...Lead singer Randy Smith is bluesy, but can sound like Geddy Lee when he sings in his higher range. Smith and guitarist Andre Maquera wrote the entire album - a talented duo.

... "Home" is one of the reasons why 8084 gets compared to Bon Jovi, but that's a good thing. Upbeat, acoustic, but with interesting tempo changes, 8084 doesn't color by the numbers. These kinds of bands excel at ballads, and 8084 proves it on "When I Think of You." You'd have to compare it to a song like Mr. Big's "To Be With You," only because these guys have the same kind of outlandish talent. At times, you'll hear a flamenco edge, and the overall guitar playing is crisp and mournful.

...8084's The Last Great Train is something you'll need to hear if you like Journey, Bon Jovi, and any other great band whose music has stood the test of time. Basically, if you enjoy music in the slightest, then you'll dig The Last Great Train.


Sea of Tranquility
USA
Score: 4 stars

...I admit that I missed 8084 back in its late-Eighties glory days, when the Vermont band was produced by the likes of Hirsh Gardner and Aldo Nova and courted by Virgin Records and CBS Records. But now I’ll be seeking out the first three albums — or at least GB Music’s So Far anthology — from this melodic, acoustic-driven AOR quartet.

Featuring songs composed by guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Randy Smith and guitarist André Maquera between 1999 and 2005, The Last Great Train, despite its Northeastern United States origins, sounds as though it was created in the core of America’s heartland. You can practically see the cornfields and late-summer-afternoon storm clouds swirl past your rolled-down car windows when listening to jangly, harmony- and hook-filled songs like the airy opener “Breath,” “Home,” “Shopping List,” “All That I Need” and the memorable title track.

...The disc wraps up with the Southern rock jam “Guitsophrenic” and the pop ditty “Thank You,” which is really a clever kiss-off to an ex-lover. These songs are the voice of experienced musicians putting their own spin on subjects as universal as relationships and getting older.

...The Last Great Train ain’t metal and it ain’t prog, and I don’t care. The soundtrack of my windows-down summer in America’s heartland has arrived.