It’s been a few years now since Chip took over vocal duties with Enuff Z’Nuff and as part of the latest three album deal with Frontiers comes the second release – a solo album which follows Enuff Z’Nuff’s Beatles tribute ‘Hard Rock Nite’ and comes in nicely before June’s new original Enuff Z/Nuff record. As Chip told me recently it’s like the old days again when bands would release one or two albums a year.
Out March 18th Chip’s solo album could only possibly disappoint someone who maybe wanted him to veer off into Prog Rock or Jazz, I can reassure you now that this is very much an album that sounds like Chip and his band, indeed there are no real surprises here and for me that’s more than fine.
Before we caught up to discuss the songs on this one, the last time we spoke was to talk about Hard Rock Nite when Chip first dropped that there was a solo record on the way album and here it is with 10 tracks – including one short intro, one cover song and one old Donnie Vie number as well as a make-over of a Rocked up Chip original that we first heard on Enuff Z’Nuff’s 1985 ‘Tweaked’ album.
First though my pet hate – opening credit ‘The Church’ opens and is really just 49 seconds of slow build with a vaguely churchy feel that in no way feels like the opening to ‘Welcome to the Party’ which lights a slow fuse to open the album. It’s a song that you can’t help feeling the Enuff Z’Nuff in it’s DNA and definitely something you could see on the last few Chip steered albums. It’s followed by ‘Doctor (I’m Going Down Can You Save Me?)’ which wears later period psychedelia-washed Beatles on its sleeve, and sports a wonderful descending riff. It’s a great if not entirety unfamiliar opening salvo.
‘Ordinary Man’ follows with a lighter Beatles feel and lovely bounce. It’s all light blue sky and love and peace, uplifting Pop that launches into a cascading guitar solo before grooving back down. ‘Heaven In A Bottle’ conversely is an older track written with former Enuff Z’Nuff vocalist Donnie Vie and a definite favourite here, it’s another vintage track but not one that appeared on the recent ‘Never Enuff’ which makes you wonder exactly how many more songs are out there! It’s a song chock full of lush melodies and classic mid-tempo Enuff Z’Nuff that can’t help make you smile.
It’s followed by ‘Roll On’ a classy, light bright slice of Power Pop before we hit another stand-out ‘I Still Hail You’ one of the most interesting tracks here. It’s a longer song, more expensive that tells a tale of the people that mean so much to Chip. It’s white light and blue skies and comes just before another highlight ‘3 Way’ – a smooth little rock and roller with a wonderful hint of boogie with a bluesy guitar pattern courtesy of gust Joel Hoekstra.
That just leaves us with two – the first ‘Heroin’ a wonderfully rounded out take on the ‘Tweaked’ song that dare I say it sounds even better than the original and as I told Chip today the only Mott the Hoople cover I can honestly say does the band full justice ‘Honaloochie Boogie’. It’s a cool power pop version of what was always one of my favourite Mott songs and a very nice cover indeed.
With guests like Joel Hoekstra, Dax Neilsen (Check out my interview from last week with his Dad Rick HERE) and Steven Adler dropping in you’ll love ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ and there’s not long to wait for teh next Enuff Z’Nuff either!
Stay safe, peace and love. Or as Chip puts it “All songs are written as I see the world through my rose-colored glasses. It’s my heroin letter to the new generation.”
8/10
Tracklist: The Church | Welcome To The Party | Doctor (I’m Going Down Can You Save Me?) | Ordinary Man | Heaven In A Bottle | Roll On | I Still Hail You | 3 Way | Heroin | Honaloochie Boogie
LINE-UP: Chip Znuff – Singer, Bass, Guitar, Melotron | Joel Hoekstra – Lead Guitar | Daxx Nielsen – Acustic Drums | Daniel Hill – Drums, percussion and orchestration | Steven Adler – Acustic Drums
ARTIST CONTACTS:
https://www.enuffznuff.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EnuffZnuffOfficial/
Tweets by EnuffZnuff
https://www.instagram.com/chipznuff/
https://www.instagram.com/enuffznuffofficial/