Oh my God! As one of the biggest Enuff Z’Nuff fans out there to suddenly, out of the blue have a 3 CD compilation of 40 vintage unreleased demos drop on you is enough to break you out of even the most severe lockdown malaise! I was smiling from ear to ear well before hitting ‘play’ I can guarantee you that.
The three discs in this demo collection (if you get the CDs) are enticingly titled ‘McNulty’s Basement’; ‘Prairie Street’ and ‘Longwood Towers’ and they come in a neat box with plenty of notes by Chip and Donnie (so it says I haven’t seen them at this stage); and if you’re a fan you might even have your eye on the limited vinyl edition! But what’s the music like? What’s the quality of the recordings? Well, we’ll get to that in a minute.
The promo material might read “From the collections of Chip and Donnie”, but based on Donnie’s recent proclamation regarding the name ‘Enuff Z’Nuff’ and the admission that the two protagonists can’t work together (though much love to both), you wonder who is getting the cut from this release? Machinations aside though…
All I can think of now is “Jesus there are 40 NEW Enuff Z’Nuff tracks here for me to listen to!” So here I go in semi-blindly after a chat with Chip this morning where he let me know that the demos aren’t in chronological order – the track-listing is his own and based on how he felt they fitted together, so whilst the disc titles are the locations Chip and Donnie recorded in the disc titles don’t contain the demos recorded at that location – there’s mix of songs from each location on each disc.
Disc One: McNulty’s Basement
You might already have heard the single ‘Bye Bye Love’ which is pretty reminiscent of the sound on that classic first record and it sets you up for a ride through 40 demos that range from quite basic to quite decent as far as quality goes when you think this is Chip and Donnie learning about recording as they go. ‘Say it Ain’t So’ that follows is a sumptuous melodic track that shows the quality even of the ideas they pushed aside.
There is some debris on here though – despite an intro that is pure vintage Enuff Z’Nuff the quality of a track like ‘Girl Crazy’ sonically just isn’t there – the drum track is awful, similarly ‘New Night Tonight’ has a good vibe but just meanders not really going anywhere. But even in the less attention grabbing moments there is still a wonderful tale to be told.
‘Tears Away’ that follows is a great track – one that was certainly worth a revisit and like so many here could only be by Enuff Z’Nuff! ‘Just What You Want’ is lilting with a rock heart that isn’t a million miles from UK’s Squeeze, it’s satisfying but like a lot of the tracks here sounds like one that was worth coming back to and could have made the cut.
Deeper in to the first CD ‘Love on Your Mind’ hits a little rockier, it might be a little ‘meat and potatoes’ but has a cool vibe just no huge hook that could have sealed the deal. Nice guitar and vibe but definitely one to leave at home. ‘I Want You Back’ conversely is three minutes of trademark Power Pop and understated as it is is one of my picks of the first disc.
‘Never Let You Go’ adds a little singalong to the mix, it’s nice and loose and comes across as the product of a jam, it’s a lot of fun; and the moodier ‘Everyone Says No’ smacks of what was to come with ‘Strength’. The first disc ends with ‘I Can’t Get Over You’ a song that has all the elements of a great EE ballad and just needed a touch more work on the chorus, It’s another pick of the first disc.
Disc Two: ‘Prairie Street’
Disc two opener ‘Temporarily Disconnected’ is almost there, sporting some great harmonies and arguably should have made an album, ‘The Real Thing that follows has a nice musical kick and again sounds more like ‘Strength’ material, it’s another winner to these ears maybe even my favourite so far. It’s a great opening, and whilst ‘Number One’ adds a dash of Pop and some cool guitars and a high high tempo and ‘Higher’ adds some nice layered melodies, they’re both decent songs but it’s the almost eponymous ‘Enough’s Enough’ that really underlines what a wonderfully creative set of demos we have here.
Ballad ‘Why Does It Have to End’ adds a Beatles-like crunch that became the trademark EE sound and ‘Million Miles Away’ starts out as a pretty standard rocker that is a little too ‘Sunset Strip’ in that I can hear a hundred lesser bands playing it and it being a set staple and fan favourite. ‘Misery’ fires in some angst to rub against teh silky smooth refrain and ‘Soldier’s Story’ brings back that Squeeze Pop feel to great effect.
‘Valentine’ is an interesting extended Donnie Vie ballad that has that trademark melancholy and plenty of dynamics; and ‘Tossed in my Face’ builds nicely with a feelgood vibe that gives a nice juxtaposition. ‘Maybe Someday’ that follows has an almost Zepplinny opening riff that underpins Donnie’s vocal before a searing solo kicks in. Whilst ‘Fallin’ In Love’ stutters and struts without really landing a punch. ‘Will You Remember’ however is real treat, a gentle understated ballad and maybe a little out of character that you feel really deserved a little more work. Final track of the disc ‘1,2,3’ is well worth your consideration to as Donnie wails over the thrust of guitars!
Disc Three: ‘Longwood Towers’
Disc three opener ‘Crazy Night’ is another highpoint with a great riff and great drive but like a lot of the songs here just misses that real killer refrain. ‘Still Lovers’ that follows hot on the heels just misses for me, but ‘Somewhere Else For Me’ and it’s rather lo-fi sound has a real charm and ‘Help’ sounds remarkably familiar and might well be my pick of the bunch.
‘Holdin’ Out 4 More’ gets back to the business of rocking and is another wonderful cut that again you’ll think you’ve heard before, and man those melodies! Approaching the midway point ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ is another more melancholic mid-tempo offering that has its moments lyrically; and ‘How Does It Feel’ packs so much into three minutes it feels like a template to better takes to come rather than a fully-formed song.
‘I Don’t Mind’ has an opening that feels trimmed but builds to a great chorus with a nice bite; whilst ‘So Fine’ rides in on the back of a wailing guitar but feels unresolved; and ‘Cupid’s Laughing’ is another glorious moment of harmony fueled trademark Enuff Z’Nuff. And there’s more to love in the final three with the quirky stripped back ‘Tara Nichole’ leading the way, it’s the most experimental song here that has all the elements in place yet sounds wonderfully early and raw.
Penultimate track ‘No Girl Of Mine’ that clocks in at over five minutes is another winner that melds smooth harmonies with the trademark sound and really has everything but that real killer punch. Final track ‘ Look What You Do’ rocks us out to a close with guitar upfront, it’s a song that gets straight to the point and is a lot of fun that seems unlucky to have remined languishing n the archives – well it’s here now!
If you’re a fan like me then this is pure gold. It gives you an insight into a band that you don’t normally get and for all it’s flaws it adds to the story and shows you how creative those early years before the record deal were. If you look at it one way this is a collection of songs the band didn’t consider made the grade and therefore it’s remarkable how good these cast offs are. If you look at it in another way there’s another classic Enuff Z’Nuff record hidden within these three discs that would put a lot of contemporaries in the shadows. ‘Never Enuff’ – I certainly want more!
9/10 for the fan 7/10 for the curious
