One reviewer said of Enuff Znuff that each album has about 3 or 4 great pop tunes, but the rest of the albums have a little too much 80's hair-metal overtones. That's probably right on the money for the first 3 records. But if you move beyond those, the great songwriting remains, but the over-the-top whammy bar guitar heroics (think CC DeVille of Poison)are gone. Interestingly, so was the over-the-top whammy bar addicted guitarist Derek Frigo.

This album is a collection of leftover tunes that didn't make it onto other records, so you might expect this to be a pretty weak offering. Think again. This is one of their best, and while it makes you wonder why these tunes didn't appear on a previous release, it doesn't matter (because they're out now).

I still marvel over the fact that these guys never really hit it big. Perhaps they just got lumped in with the rest of the 80's glam bands and got lost in the mix. It's a real shame, because this band is better than 99% of what was out then AND what's out now.

For so long, I had heard the name Enuff Z'nuff bandied about in power pop circles as The Great Misunderstood Power-Pop Band who somehow got lumped in with Winger and Bon Jovi simply because of the hair and clothes they chose to wear. So I had to investigate. I'm not one to let preconceptions get in the way of a pop fix.

Most of Enuff Z'nuff's albums contain three or four really good pop songs, but they DO suffer from hair-metal-style production and/or a terrible guitar player who won't leave his whammy bar alone. THIS album is the MAJOR exception to that rule. With the exception of the first two songs, NONE of this reeks of Aquanet and Circus Magazine. Just straight pop songs. And really good ones. Jellyfish would have killed to have had the wonderfully giddy "Message Of Love", and I bet Cheap Trick would have thrown "Vacant Love" onto In Color if they'd thought of it first. Even the ballads (the Badfingerish "Rainy Day") are really gorgeous. Simply put, there are a LOT of really good songs on this album.

Interestingly, what this really is is a collection of outtakes. What that says about the band (or at least where their priorities are) I'll leave up to you.

If you're interested in Enuff Z'nuff's music from a power-pop standpoint, THIS is the place to start. I'd also recommend their newest album Ten, although I don't think it's available as a domestic (read: affordable) release yet.

If you're a fan of Enuff Znuff,you should already own this album. If you're a bit curious on where to start with their collection, this is a great one to get! Enuff's last few studio releases have been a little on the "heavy" side, which is fine, but I prefer songs like these on "Peachfuzz." This album came out in 1996 and contains songs left off of earlier albums. "Let It Go" and "Kitty"(a hidden bonus track) were on a 12" single of "Mother's Eyes" that was released in 1991. Try to imagine Cheap Trick with Elvis Costello on vocals. "Rainy Day" has a laid-back groove with an instantly singable chorus. Donnie Vie can do John Lennon almost better than Lennon and "Make Believe" shows that. This is a feelgood pop album with big hooks and would be a fine addition to any pop collection.