After their third release,
Animals with human intelligence,
Enuff Z'nuff found themselves in various degrees of trouble. Read the
official Biography for more info. The band did not give up but instead they dug into their extensive archive and released an album of older songs (hence the album title) on an independent label. Most of these songs were originally on the very first
Enuff Z'nuff recording "Hollywood Squares" and as Chip would sometimes joke, the band had forgotten about them until he one day found the master tapes holding up the end of his couch. The result is too good to have been forgotten.
Compared to the first three albums the production is not as full and the songs have a more back to basics feel to them, which I guess is only natural. The album is filled with excellent guitar solos by Gino Martino, while B.W. Boeski pilots the drum sticks. The songs go straight to the point, yet the arrangements are often inventive. The most important thing is that these songs sparkle with life and they give the album an undeniable charm, which is timeless to me. 1985 is an album I can pull out whenever I want to get in a better mood, it works every time.
The opener
Tears of a Clown is also my least favorite song on the album. It is a cover of the Smokey Robinson song. After listening to the original I must say that the band manages to put a big
Enuff Z'nuff stamp on the song, enough to make it sound like one of their own, but still missing that special ingredient the other songs have. The song does however showcase the great Chip & Donnie harmonies.
The most obvious thing that sets
Catholic Girls apart from the rest is its distinct rythm. After a few listens this song will haunt you for a long time. Over time it has grown to be one of my favorite songs by the band. The song has a happy carefree vibe that makes it perfect listening on almost any occasion. It is one of the band's timeless songs.
Day By Day was an instant favorite of mine right from the first listen. Such simple music is made special by the unique tone and melody in Donnie's voice. He carries this song completely, aided by some invigorating guitar licks. The positive vibe flows from this classic rocker and it is a perfect example of
Enuff Z'nuff's strength.
No Second Time is a slow moving ballad and it finds the right atmosphere from the first drum beats. Aided by feathery keys here and there Donnie's emotional voice carries the song as he hits the right note right from the start. The mood of the song fits perfectly with the agonized lyrics and a wonderful guitar solo adds extra emotion.
After pretty cool, or should I say uncool, introduction
Hollywood Squares glides into a solid groove. It is a song with a distinct 80'ies feel to it. The short bridge provides a great segueway into the chorus.
Fingers on it. To say this song had me at "Hi" wouldn't be far from the truth. It opens with a delicious guitar melody that pops up several times during the song and goes into an extremely melodic verse. The guitar helps build up tension to the chorus, which is simple but infectous. The ending is a highlight and the melody evolves as Chip's bass rises in the sound like waves on a sandy beach. Interestingly you can hear this song in the movie Henry: Portrait of a serial killer.
The beginning to
Aroused is a positive factor. It grabs the attention like only certain songs by
Manowar do. Musically it is an uptempo rocker that will get you fired up and ready for action. My favorite moment is the way the song goes into the first verse, lead by a jumping bass line. I like it that way!
Marie opens wildly and with great promise. Unfortunately the song is let down by a rythm that is too static and a chorus that isn't very exciting compared to the other songs. The only "only good" song here.
I'll B The 1 2 Luv U is the first in a duo of love songs that go from an excited in-love feeling to a depressed state of regret.
I'll B The 1 2 Luv U is the positive factor and builds up a feeling of great anticipation. A line like
"I've rented two new videos, I've got some candy for your nose" puts a nice twist in things. My personal highlight is the way Donnie sings "...to love you", which is so passionately phrased.
The second part of the duo,
Goodbye, Goodbye has the nice contrasting element of being very positive musically, with a sing-a-long chorus and a good drive in the verses, while the lyrics are depressed and wallowing in self pity. It is a satisfying end to the album.
The hidden bonus track is a beautiful
Donnie Vie ballad. One of his best. With an acoustic guitar and his voice as the main instruments he goes straight for the heart and hits a bullseye. The song is known as both
You got a hold of me and
Valentine song. What can't be put into doubt is its quality. It stands as one of the best ballads Donnie has ever written. A perfect love letter to his girlfriend once upon a time and for everyone else, a timeless song that can be heard over and over.
The lyrics deal with love and partying in one form or another and the moods go from positive carefree attitude to seriously depressed on the turn of a note in Donnie's voice. This is one of the reasons why I hold
Enuff Z'nuff in so high regard. They are able to transform their songs into recogniseable feelings, and no matter what mood you are in they have a song to get you through it. This is a band with a unique therapeutic quality.
Other bonuses include liner notes by Howard Stern and a very funny inner cover.
This collection of songs from the band's early years prove that you can never get enuff of the good stuff. A bunch of classic songs that should be heard.
Written by
Steen Tuesday, March 7, 2006
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