The story of Chicago’s Enuff Z’Nuff has the makings of an epic rock n’ roll novel or at least an insightful mini-series. It has all the ingredients of a classic story. There are heroes, villains, high drama, success, disappointments, conflict and unity. Few bands have had such a colourful journey down the rocky road to rock n’ roll stardom. Through all the highs and lows, the band has never lost perspective on what is truly important, the music! Throughout their journey, Enuff Z’Nuff has moved forward honing their craft, creating music that has won over the hearts and devotion of listeners and critics worldwide. Enuff Z’Nuff’s Chip Z’Nuff met band co-founder Donnie Vie through a mutual friend of theirs in 1983. Enuff Z’Nuff soon went into full gear. Quickly after the band formed in 1985, they got funding (with the financial help of a fellow police officer) to record a demo tape they aptly titled HOLLYWOOD SQUARES. After 4 years of playing local gigs and recording countless demos, the band got their big break. With offers from Atlantic (ATCO), Capitol, Chrysalis, and Warner Brothers, the band signed in with Derek Shulman (Bon Jovi, AC/DC) and ATCO records.

In 1989, Enuff Z’Nuff released their self-titled album. In late 1990 they once again settled into the studio, this time to record their follow-up album. Determined to show the world that Enuff Z’Nuff wasn’t the glam/hair-metal band the press made them out to be, they happily ditched the make-up and concentrated on making deep, powerful songs for their next album they would appropriately name STRENGTH. It does well, but doesn’t tear up the charts like the band’s debut had. Someone on the inside starts ripping off the band left and right financially. As Chip put it, “(We found ourselves) a million dollars in the hole despite selling over half a million! We knew it wasn’t a ton of records sold, but it was enough for us to have thought we saw something to grow on.” The future of ATCO suddenly is up in the air. Management advises the band to file bankruptcy and leave the label. Suddenly finding themselves broke, and without a record deal, the band got depressed and started to self destruct. As Donnie would later offer on a VH-1 special, “We watched ourselves go from 40 with a bullet on the charts to the next week…nothing, it was all the sudden gone, it all happened too fast.” Drugs and alcohol became major problems with the band, especially for Donnie and Derek.

Although the band spent a short period of their lives up in the air. Suddenly inspired, they quickly recorded 70 new songs, and got offers, the band decided to go with industry great Clive Davis (Janis Joplin, Santana, Aerosmith) at Arista Records. Donnie had quit the drugs cold turkey. With Donnie’s body still in a state of withdrawal, the band started recording the album ANIMALS WITH HUMAN INTELLIGENCE. But once again things did not work out and the band seemed to fall of the map, Rock had taken a twist with Rage, into Korn then Limp Bizkit, a lot of acts that came through the doors seemed to exit them just as fast. The truth is Enuff Z’Nuff did not stop, they kept going, releasing albums, selling enough to keep on doing it, some shifted up to 100,000 copies, which is no mean feat and the band continue to play and record, but they needed a shift in the media world to enable them to really start building those bridges once again. That shift came with the dawning of a new century and Route 66 got a new turnpike to the ‘Super Highway’.

20 years and one have yet again passed by since the band formed in 1985, much has happened not just to the band (most of which is well documented on their website: http://www.enuffznuff.com ) but also to music in general. The Internet for one thing has changed how a band can survive in the modern age, so in April 2006 we will have an album called GREATEST HITS from Enuff Z’Nuff which will feature 14 tracks from all area’s of the bands career so far, from the quite stunning debut (which is now 17 years old and yet still manages to pack a punch), right through the ‘wonder’ years to the ‘What’ years (What the fuck happened to), and back around to 2006 where the band are looking like there is a real chance of getting back into the ring.

Digital and Satellite Radio is awash with classic rock stations that don’t just play the oldies, far from it, they play Rock music that just sounds good. In the UK there is a ‘Monsters Of Rock’ festival for the first time in a fucking long time, and America looks again to be embracing Def Leppard, Motley Crue, etc. So I believe that there is plenty of room for this band to stretch its talent and really show that it never really went away, you just didn’t know! The fourteen tracks on this GREATEST are all of the highest quality, and they certainly can look to their peers with no shame, no blame and after playing the game, arguments will reign… This is a collection of songs that certainly stands next to any ‘best of’ from Cheap Trick, and for me, that says it all…

5/5