Enuff Z'nuff - Animals with human intelligence
About two hours after I had decided to review "Animals with human intelligence" as this month's classic I got a message from a friend saying that guitarist Derek Frigo had died. It was a freaky and chilling feeling and sadly this later turned out to be true. Anyway, this will not be a mourning session, rather a celebration of one of the finest guitarists to ever grace the earth and his last album with Enuff Z'nuff. Derek Frigo was beside Chip & Donnie a great part of the band's sound until this point in their career. His energized solos and inventive playing gave the music a spontaneous feel that is often missed on later EZN albums. He was one of those few guitarist that had that special touch where you can tell who it is just by hearing him play. Derek, I hail you whereever you are! Rest in peace...

After the Strength opus, Animals... is a slightly bumpier road. Some songs equal anything that was on Strength and a few even go beyond, but the album also has a couple that are on my least favorite Z'nuff song list. The band still has that nerve and edge in their songwriting that sets them apart from other bands. Their ability to marry Metal, Rock & Pop into something unique is ever present. The order of the day is super catchy Hard Rock which is sometimes thoughtful, sometimes fun, sometimes sad, always memorable.

Even though Vikki Foxx has vanished from the cover photo he is still the one playing the drums on the album.

The ferocious Superstitious opens the disc and it's a cool guitar based song that shows the heavier side of the band. The more melodic Black Rain has a slight psychedelic feel, due to the vocal harmonies and the rythm that slowly creeps up on you. Great performance by Donnie on this one.

Right by your side is a favorite of many fans including me. It is one of those perfect catchy songs that Enuff Z'nuff are so good at doing. Donnie's gentle voice lets the song soar above the ground and the guitar riffs keeps it floating. A song that doesn't grow old or fade with time. I have sung this one far too many times into a phone to the amusement or horror of many friends and the unfortunate parent who picked up the phone.

The party vibe gets turned up with These daze. A hugely catchy and well performed track that I again find it impossible not to sing along with. The guitar has a cool drive to it that is essential for a song of this type. It is classy song with a hint of yearning for the good old days.

Master of pain was my least favorite of the album for a long time. Mostly because of it's frankly boring chorus. The good things about the song are the splendid guitar work and its extreme heaviness, definitely one of the heaviest songs Enuff Z'nuff have ever put down on album. I also love the tone in Donnie's voice when he sings the line "Get set for misery". Too bad the song fades out just when Derek starts shredding.

Innocence is close to perfection. The piano is beautifully used and the song never becomes sentimental. A song Donnie wrote to his younger sisters about growing up and it is a timeless classic. Both sad, hopeful and life affirming with an incredible amount of emotion.

Like These Daze the hard-rocking One step closer to you has a fantastic drive and I find it impossible not to start a sing along. A knockout song with an indescribable energy.

Bring it on home is a little let down by its unvaried chorus but nonetheless it is a great song. This is also the song that was supposed to be in my fave movie, Jerry Maguire, but mysteriously disappeared. It is a hard hitting song both musically and lyrically and if you've just been left or betrayed by your girlfriend then this may not be the best way to get over her. But still, good for a little self-pity.

Takin' a ride is the ultimate psychedelic Enuff Z'nuff song. With a definite smoking feeling along with a Beatles touch I get the perfect picture of Chip, Donnie & John Lennon sitting somewhere getting high and playing this song. Frigo's solo here is perfectly tuned to the oozing atmosphere.

Love train is the all out party song of the album. A simple and nice song that doesn't quite hold my interest in the long run. A good song, but nothing more.

Mary Anne lost her baby is the album's finest moment. A completely moving and rocking song that gets under your skin and stays there. With a sincere message it shows the band taking a step away from he usual love, party & heartbreak lyrics and tackle a difficult subject without becoming tacky. An incredibly smooth song that is over way too soon. Searching for rock perfection? This is as close as you get.

Closing the original release is Rock n world. Like Love Train I would describe this song as good and nothing more. The simple chorus lets the song down and I miss a special touch. Donnie's opening scream is cool though and live this song erm... rocks!

The Spitfire re-release I have also has Fingertips as a bonus track. If you haven't heard this song then it is worth tracking down. It is a beautiful ballad that has everything it needs. Comparing the Spitfire re-release to the original Arista release there are some weird differences in the sound. Fx. on the re-release the beginning of Innocene has a distincly bad sound and I would highly recommend the original Arista release over the Spitfire re-release, which also has a different front cover.

Animals... was the third Enuff Z'nuff album, the last on a major label and from then the band took a downward plummet in every way other than musically. Today the music still endures and this is a fine testament to the strength of the band. It is still one of the most varied Enuff Z'nuff albums and I'm sure that long-time fans as well as new ones will find something to love within its deep ocean of music.

So take one step closer and jump aboard the magical mystery train that is Enuff Z'nuff. It might just take you to a new world.

Written by Steen
Thursday, June 3, 2004
Show all reviews by Steen

Ratings

Steen: 8/10

Members: 7.5/10 - Average of 1 ratings.



Member ratings

This profile has not added a picturebrem

Rating: 7.5/10
No review was posted

This article has been shown 6550 times. Go to the complete list.



RevelationZ Comments


Comment by Jeff (Anonymous) - Monday, June 7, 2004
I like the original better than the re-mastered version by Spitfire! The bonus song is worth it, but some of the songs the vocals and production seems off?
Notice the difference in the right by your side versions??


Comment by for all concerned.... (Anonymous) - Tuesday, June 29, 2004
...if you are a enuff znuf fan..and if your on this site i'm presumming you are...then check out Enuff Znuffs independent stuff...seven, peach fuzz, 1985,live,welcome to blue island,tweaked,10, paraphanelia..each album has a distinct sound...these guys are still the greatest songwriters ever..enuff said.


Comment by Evil (Anonymous) - Friday, July 1, 2005
Am I seeing things or was that Chip on the TV show Hit Me Baby One More Time last week? Playing with Missing Persons?


Comment by Steen (Staff) - Friday, July 1, 2005
Profile picture

View Profile


Comments: 518
I made a news posting about that some days ago. Would have been fun to see that...

Posted by Steen (Staff)
Friday, July 1, 2005

Comment by Maiden Fan (Member) - Tuesday, July 19, 2005
This profile has not added a picture

View Profile


Comments: 46
Ratings: 0
Well this is the first Enuff Z nuff Cd which i received..
I can tell u that this cd has been there in my playlist for quite some time, because many people of this website consider this band as their fav band.. so i thought let me give myself a chance to explore into this band.. And so i did!

Firstly i respect a person's tastes in music .. infact opinions of anyone to be more precise, though at times i have been provocative when it comes to someone critisizing an album which holds dear to me.. So if anyone after reading to what i have to say, feel irritated and if u would like to vent out ur anger(i know what it feels like if someone bashes about some album which may hold dear to u).. u may do as u please.. but not on this comments section, the website looks so good just set aside those brats who use foul language.. mail me at

iron_maiden_hallowed@yahoo.com

Ok, maybe i have given a hint at whats to come.. but wait, not with the idea of solely ciritisizing an album will i write like this.. more so because i feel like this.
I put myself in the shoes of a reviewer and write this, i have been listening to this album for some 2 weeks.. roughly about 10 or more times and this is what i feel about it :-

What defines heavy metal really? Is it those intricate riffs and those power bass lines and those hard hitting drums? Whatever it maybe, this band belongs to heavy metal and thats y it is here.. again as i say all time.. Doesnt really matter, as long as the music rocks and rocks hard..

But still, i had a preconceived notion about heavy metal being somewhat close to iron maiden, metallica, judas priest, black sabbath, pantera and so on.. So it makes me think... what really is heavy metal and does this band belong to the category.. My feeling when i first heard this band was a sound similar to that of def leppard especially the riffs heard, which r not that raw.. and more polished should i say? Also the first and the foremost reason to like a song will obviously be its music.. only after we like it will we take the trouble of looking at the lyrics page.. at least thats the case for me.. Coming to the album


1)Superstitious - The song on the whole is definitely good, worth a listen or two and definitely more.. But does it appeal to me in the same way as my other fav songs would be the question. Y is it like this? Maybe because the riffs r not that raw as i would expect.. also i noticed that the lead guitar is not so predominant as other instruments especially when the lead is playing.. Am i wrong on this one? i dont know.. still i felt so

2)Black rain - Ok.. when i heard the first line of this song, i thought "fine man.. let me switch to the next track", but hey.. i found some really good guitar notes.. but the chorus really kicks everything out of this otherwise "not bad" track.. so overall it really doesnt appeal much to me

3)Right by your side - This song definitely has to be my fav song in this disc.. and probably this song would cement its own position in my ever growing large premanent playlist.. Firstly i love the tone, the singing.. and the highlight of this track starts at 2:15 into the track, where the riff changes from its starting pattern and automatically my head sways into its melody

4)These daze - Firstly i like the riff without a second thought, but i have noticed one thing about the band.. y should u have every song where there is a chorus.. maybe its their style but shouldnt there be more introspection as to whether they really need it? overall definitely worth a listen or more.. but thats it

5)Master of pain - Here i agree with u steen.. i really dont like this song, song has nothing special and wondering when u said that this is one of their "heaviest compositions".. i wonder how would u define whether a song is really heavy.. coz i really dont find this song heavy also

6)Innocence - The starting of the song reminds me of this song - nothings gonna change my love for u by glen medeiros.. if i spelt correctly.. again i have a problem with a genre, is the song too soft to be classified as heavy metal? i say this because i have my drink and i sip it without any power that i would receive from any other song. But set aside definitely a decent track. Again the lead guitar doesnt catch my attention even if its deserving

7)One step close to u - I hear this and i find the songs somewhat similar.. a problem most people will have with heavy metal bands.. but the end result remains whether they like them or not.

8)Bring it on home - The similarity continues on its mission and my eye doesnt see it going anywhere.. sorry for this, but this is what i felt

9)Takin a ride - This song sounds like a 70's or 80's classic song.. clearly the analogy drawn with the beatles.. but sorry, not my kind of music.

10)The love train - There is a certain urge to switch to the next track becaus my instict says that this song is no different.. and i am right to a good extent i suppose

11)Mary anne lost her baby - Steen mentions that this song deviates away from their usual love, party kind of songs.. i delve into the song so much to find its difference. But i conclude that its a decent rocker and nothing more

12)Rock n world - I reach the end of the album and i have nothing to say about this song really. again an "ok" track

Ok! overall, when i give my rating it must be based on my benchmark which i consider to be a perfect or a near perfect album. That credit would either go to powerslave - iron maiden or.. seventh son of a seventh son.

Highlight of the album - Right by your side
Rating in 2 words - Sorry Steen

4/10

Posted by Maiden Fan
Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Comment by Steen (Staff) - Thursday, July 28, 2005
Profile picture

View Profile


Comments: 518
Hey maiden fan,
No need to excuse, it's just your opinion. I would recommend that you put the album away for a couple of months and then give it 10 more spins. See if something has changed. When I got my first Enuff Z'nuff album Strength I didn't like it the first many times I heard it and it was only much later when I gave it a second chance that it suddenly clicked. Anyway, I appreciate the comment even if you don't dig it.... It was worth a shot.

Posted by Steen (Staff)
Thursday, July 28, 2005

Comment by brem (Member) - Thursday, March 12, 2009
This profile has not added a picture

View Profile


Comments: 1
Ratings: 1
this is their album i've heard for a first time..a good songs for me

Posted by brem
Thursday, March 12, 2009










Review by Steen
None

Released by
Arista - 1993

Tracklisting
01 - Superstitious
02 - Black Rain
03 - Right By Your Side
04 - These Daze
05 - Master Of Pain
06 - Innocence
07 - One Step Closer To You
08 - Bring It On Home
09 - Takin' A Ride
10 - The Love Train
11 - Mary Anne Lost Her Baby
12 - Rock 'N' World
13 - Fingertips


Style
Hard Rock

Related links
Visit the band page

Other articles
Welcome to Blue Island - (Michael)

UK Tour, May 2001 - (Michael)

Strength - (Steen)

Favorites - (Michael)

Tour Report - Live in The U.K. - Nov. 2003 with Crash Kelly and Drugdealer Cheerleader - (Michael & Steen)

Enuff Z´Nuff - (Michael)

UK Tour 2005 with Bang Tango, Pretty Boy Floyd and Drugdealer Cheerleader - (Michael & Steen)

? - (Steen)

Interview with Chip Z'nuff - (Steen)

One More for the Road - (Michael)

1985 - (Steen)

Tweaked - (Steen)

Live with Faster Pussycat, Bulletboys and Gypsy Pistoleros - UK Tour 2007 - (Michael & Steen)

Tonight Sold out - (Michael)

Dissonance (Limited Edition) - (Steen)

Dissonance - (Brian)

Live and Peace - (Michael)

Dissonance - (Sandra)



Z supported shopping






Ratings
1 - Horrifying
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below average
5 - Average
6 - Good
7 - Very good
8 - Outstanding
9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

More details...


Daily Spotlight
Treat - Coup De Grace
CoverTalk about a comeback!Treat has made a big contribution in making 2010 a year to remember, Coup De Grace is simply pu....
Read full review















Retro Reviews

(Michael)
UFO - Obsession
Cover In 1978 "Obsession" was released only 8 months behind the exceptional "Lights out". "Lights Out" broke the band in the US by reaching the top 30. No doubt that there was pressur....
Read full review






(Brian)
Gun - Swagger
CoverThe first five steamrollering tracks will have you begging for mercy.Such is the power of this opening salvo from Glasgow band Gun, and their third album 'S....
Read full review








Archive
 · Albums of the month
 · Retro Reviews
































Back to the top - © 2002-2011 RevelationZ Magazine - Back to the top