Enuff Z Nuff - '?'
                                                                                                                                                Released through Perris Records on October 26, 2004
                                                                                                                                                                            www.perrisrecords.com

THE BAND:                                                                               
Donnie Vie : Singer, Lead Guitar, Producer, Engineer
Chip Znuff : Electric Bass Guitar, Guitars & Singer,  Producer
Derek Frigo : Lead Guitar
Vic Fox : Drums & Percussion
Ricky Parent : Drums & Percussion

TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) "Gorgeous" -This intro to this track consists of an old western saloon style piano arrangement with Donnie Vie singing a vocal line over the top of it.  After this small intro section there is a pause in the music section to kick off the main body of the song.  For the verse section Vic plays the drum arrangement just using his toms.  This gives the verse section a lot of dept.  One of the coolest things about this song is when listening to the CD through head phones or with a good stereo system is the subtle acoustic guitar arrangement through the verse.  The choruses of this track have one of the hugest hooks I believe I've ever heard.  Vocally the band sounds just as great today as it did in 1987!!  At times through the short verse's the vocal accents Donnie used has a Beatles feel to them.  As the song progresses it almost builds with power.  The song has no guitar solo and you know what it doesn't need one.
2.) "Home Tonight" - Before I break this track down, I wanted to say that I've heard a lot of songs in my life.  But I have never heard a song as well arranged as this song is, and that's including anything the Beatles recorded.   The song opens with Vic counting off the time with his drumsticks.  The musical section of the song begins with the pre-verse.  the smooth well-written bass line for the pre-verse sent chills up my spine.  The musical section for the pre-verse was written where the acoustic is the main instrument used with just a simple electric riff over the top of it.  The band changes keys through the pre-verse and verse sections of the song. The main guitar arrangements of the verse where done with two electric guitars with the acoustic keeping just the rhythm.  For the chorus it sounds like the band changes keys again.  The electric guitar riffs of the chorus section gives the song an almost late fifties feel.  If every band could have a rhythm section as tight as Chip and Vic are on this track every group would be as big as the Beatles. 
3.) "Help" -This ballad opens with a pre-verse that consists of lead vocals along with a keyboard arrangement.  There is a small tambourine section during the pre-verse that was used to set the time of the song.  The chorus was written in a very simple fashion with a solid hook.  For the second pre-verse the band incorporates a simple electric guitar arrangement that fills in several of the empty spaces left by the keyboard.  Even though the guitar solo was short, the guitar plus effects pedal used had the perfect sound for this song.
4.) "No Place Like Home" -This track opens with a classic fifties rock 'n' roll style intro section, with one exception this track has a lot of a heavier feel.  The intro section also consists of a very small lead guitar scale along with a small vocal line.  The verses of the song keep the fifties feel that the intro section has.  Through the verse there are a couple small overdubbed backing vocals.  The choruses of the song are very laid back with huge Enuff z Nuff hooks laced within.  In the laid back fashion the chorus was written makes the song a great song to hear live.  The guitar solo was written and arranged in a classic eighties metal style.  This made for a good mixture of fifties style rock with eighties style metal, very cool, and something I was not expecting.  The outro section ends with a minor lead guitar solo underneath the chorus. 
5.) "Harley" -This ballad opens with a simple intro section along with a vocal line.  The bass line follows along with the vocal line and almost becomes the center piece through the verse sections.  Through the verse there is a very cool hi-hat pattern, that as a drummer, blew me away.  The chorus section of the song like a lot of the bands' music had a very laid back feel.  Through the song there are places where some very nicely placed backing vocals where done.  The solo section was almost on the verge of being very intense in a laid back way.  This is one of the many songs that express why the band has been around as long as they have.
6.) "Hang On For You Life" -The intro to this song opens with a very intense musical arrangement.  The vocal lines of the verses where done using a vocal effect.  At times through the verse the guitar riffs have a punkish feel to them.  For the chorus the band change the timing of the song by using a twelve-note hi-hat rhythm.  It was really hard to tell until the second verse, because of the vocal effect, but it sounds like both Donnie and Chip are doing a duet on this track.  During the breakdown section there are a couple keyboard effects going on underneath the musical arrangement.  The music for this song was so intense I was a little surprised that there was no guitar solo.
7.) "Man With A Woman" -This track opens with a pre-verse.  The pre-verse sections drum arrangement was done using just the toms.  At times the vocal accents through the pre-verse and verse sections have a blues feel.  The verse was very laid back in comparison to the chorus section.  After the first chorus there is a minor lead guitar solo.  Underneath the second verse there is a well placed electric guitar pick slide.  The bass line for this track just blew me away.  I was a little surprised by the horn section on this song.  Horns are not used much in this style of music. 
8.) "How Are You?" -This ballad opens with acoustic guitar.  The verse section really lets the lead vocalist express his vocal ability.  There is a very small keyboard arrangement that was used to fill in the empty spaces left by the acoustic guitar.  The song consists of a acoustic guitar solo.  This ballad is very simple and very well written!!!
9.) "Joni Woni (Likes To Ride The Pony)" -The intro to this track opens with a very heavy musical intro.  The tom-tom rhythms on the opening intro gives the song it's power.  For the verse sections of the song the band pays tribute to the classic glam band Sweet.  In the fashion the verse sections was arranged gives this song a very "Little Willy" feel.  Especially with the backing harmonies.  The choruses of the song are laced with sweet hooks.  If the guys in the band wrote this song with Sweet in mind, then I am glad it is about time someone pays tribute to the originators of eighties style hard rock back in '74. 
10.) "This Guy" -This track opens with a pre-verse.  Once again the vocal hooks of Enuff z Nuff are amazing.  At times the snare tracks sound like they where done with a electric snare drum.  The guitar riffs of the song are very laid back sounding.  The lyrical content of this track is just amazing.  The guitar solo of the song was done using a re-verbed effect.
11.) "Stone Cold Crazy" - cover of the classic Queen song.

    Question is to Enuff Z Nuff as The Sixteenth Chapel was to Michelangelo.  IT IS THE BANDS' MASTER PIECE!!!  There where several great releases released this year and not only does this CD rank up there with those, but it also ranks up there with some of the greatest  releases of all time.