ENUFF Z'NUFF
? (Stoney Records)
Reviewed by Bill Holmes

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A question mark? Yep, that's the title... as in "I wonder what ever happened to Enuff Z'nuff?"...well, now you know.

These guys have been cranking out album after album of guitar pop over the years and don't seem to get much attention. Admittedly most of their CDs are far from classic albums, but there are always good moments and a cool cover tune, and occasionally they slip in a killer single. This album is no different - some solid crunchy pop, the cover is Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy" and the killer single is "Home Tonight." I was a little disappointed with their straightforward take on Queen but "Home Tonight" sits alongside "There Goes My Heart" as one of the best tracks the band has ever recorded. They were back to the Vie/Znuff/Frigo/Foxx lineup, and I loved Derek Frigo's guitar playing a lot (love his liner notes credit too - "lead guitar and cigarettes"); he can underplay a lead ("Help") that most guitarists would step all over. Sadly, Frigo died last summer from a drug overdose, a haunting reminder of how drugs almost killed half the band a decade earlier.

Now I'll admit that a song title like "Joni Woni Rides The Pony" won't have you running to the record shop, and it is nothing but a dumb rock song. But don't judge a band by its song titles or peace logos. They can still rock out ("Hang On For Life") and the acoustic ballad "How Are You" is a great showcase for the band's unplugged side. "This Guy," "No Place Like Home," "Harleya" and the appropriately titled "Gorgeous" are all solid tracks that validate your purchase. Somehow, despite tragic setbacks and the ignorance of the media, Enuff Z'nuff plows on under the radar. I'm glad my stealth technology keeps finding them.

[Pick this up at www.cduniverse.com.]

© 2005 - Bill Holmes