By the time 1989 rolled around, the hair metal takeover was in full effect. Bands like Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses, Ratt and Warrant dominated the airways with their big hair and hard rock riffs. But, in the year 1989, the hair metal scene was beginning to dry up as a new sound out of Seattle, Washington was starting to form. Luckily, for the Blue Island, Illinois band, Enuff Z’Nuff, they got their big break just before the scene dried up – albeit both a blessing and a curse at the same time.
Their classic debut record features 10 songs with great riffs and power pop melodies. The album’s run time is 43 minutes, which is on the shorter side, but that doesn’t mean their material is anything to overlook. The quartet of Donnie Vie, Derek Frigo, Chip Z’Nuff, and Vikki Fox makes the record memorable.
The album starts off with one of their biggest hits, “New Thing.” This song is more power pop than hard rock and borders on a tune you’d hear Poison sing when they first started out as a band. The four-minute song is one of their best as a band. The chorus contains perfect harmonies between Vie and Z’Nuff that have become staples in the band. “New Thing” has a real foot-tapping quality that makes it worth another listen once the song comes to a close. I love how well the sound quality is, during choruses, you can hear Z’Nuff’s bass before it smoothly fades into the background and gives away for a whammy bar guitar solo from Frigo.
Track two, “She Wants More,” shows the harder and darker side of the band. This heavier track runs just under five minutes. Powered by Fox on the drums, this slow-gliding track has its bright spots on the chorus. However, this song showcases Vie’s lower and mid-register, which shows how versatile he is as a singer.
The famous “Fly High Michelle,” clocks in as track three. This song was the biggest hit from the band. “Fly High Michelle” reached the No. 47 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart when it was released as a single in 1990. This power ballad is everything that an 80’s rock fan would want. It is catchy on the chorus and shows a softer, more loveable side of the band that markets to a broader audience but still brings the rock on the guitar solo from Frigo. Throughout the record, Frigo masters the whammy bar while also bending the guitar strings commemorating the great Eddie Van Halen who mastered that guitar style.
Song four, “Hot Little Summer Girl,” is a pretty good song. But “Fly High Michelle” heavily overshadows the tune. By all means, it’s a solid song with cowbell and call-and-response on the chorus, and it helps move the record along the tracklist. It’s not their best song on the record, but it certainly isn’t their worst.
“In the Groove” is planted right in the middle of the record at song number five. This song chugs at a slower pace but is backed by a wall of sound by Fox and Z’Nuff. Vie can be heard wailing away throughout the song. “In the Groove” has an eerie feel throughout which makes this song stand out from the other songs. It’s more bluesy and has a nastier bite than most songs on this record.
Like “Hot Little Summer Girl,” song six, “Little Indian Angel,” is more filler than a memorable tune. It has hints of power pop sprinkled into the chorus but the overall theme of the song is slightly confusing for a hair metal/power pop band. The highlight on this song is once again Frigo on the guitar. Throughout the record, Frigo brought monstrous solos and riffs which helped Enuff Z’Nuff to appear in the mainstream like in Rolling Stone Magazine and the Howard Stern Show.
As listeners venture down the record, they’ll find “For Now” as song seven. This song sides closer to “New Thing” in terms of falling under the broad power pop umbrella. This song has an earworm quality that, after several “filler” songs sticks out and hooks the listener in. Producer Ron Fajerstein and mixer Paul Lani have done an excellent job of capturing the band’s sound on this song. The guitars aren’t overpowering, the vocals are placed in the midground rather than in your face and the drums are like a pad and support the rest of the band.
Right after “For Now,” the band blasts into “Kiss the Clown.” This song has become a concert staple for the band now (they played it the last time All Music Magazine caught their show – click here to read). This jumpy three-minute song is a nice jump back into the hard rock and metal pool that dominated the airways. Fox pounds the drums with monstrous force on this song and in the blink of an eye, it’s over.
“I Could Never Be Without You,” is another slow ballad that is the second to last song on the record. But, on this record, there is no overtaking “Fly High Michelle” as the true No. 1 ballad on this album. While on any other Enuff Z’Nuff record this song would work, it just gets overshadowed by “Fly High Michelle.” It’s overall a strong song that I wish would have been placed higher up on the track list since it feels buried at the bottom.
The closing song, “Finger On the Trigger,” is an acoustic guitar-driven tune. It’s refreshing to hear a new sound appear so late on the record. “Finger On the Trigger” has a Western cowboy vibe which also creates a new and refreshing feel. Toward the end of the song, the music fades and Vie starts speaking directly to the listener rather than singing to them. It would be fantastic if more artists incorporated this into their songs. It creates a more personable feel for listeners at home.
Since the release of their debut record in 1989, Enuff Z’Nuff has released 15 studio records with the most recent being 2022’s Finer Than Sin. Unfortunately, like any band, there have been multiple lineup changes and deaths of band members. Nowadays, Z’Nuff is the only founding member of the band. But, despite the classic lineup no longer being together, as a band, their debut record is a must for any 80’s hair metal fan. Enuff Z’Nuff is one of – if not the – most underrated band to appear out of all the hairspray and bright colors. The current version of the is always on the road so be sure you catch them when they roll into your city.
Rating: 7/10
Tracklist:
1. New Thing
2. She Wants More
3. Fly High Michelle
4. Hot Little Summer Girl
5. In the Groove
6. Little Indian Angel
7. For Now
8. Kiss the Clown
9. I Could Never Be Without You
10. Finger On the Trigger
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
