Track listings / Credits / Review / Lyrics

Paraphernalia
July 17, 1998 on Pony Canyon in Japan.
U.S. Release May 4 1999



 

      Real Audio

 
 
 
 
      SONGS Japanese Version
  • I'm The Freak
  • Top Of The Hill
  • Ain't It Funny
  • Believe In Love
  • Habit (So Hard To Break)*
  • Baby You're The Greatest
  • Someday
  • Unemotional*
  • Invisible*
  • All Alone*
  • Everything Works If You Let It**
  • Loser Of The World

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    *Featured on the Vitamin A tape
    **Cover  tune part of the  "Stiff Competition" Cheap Trick Tribute CD
        The Band And Credits
  • Donnie Vie   Vocals Guitar
  • Chip Z'nuff - Bass
  • Ricky Parent - Drums
  • Monaco -   Guitar
  • Produced By Chris Shepard
  • Guest appearances
    • James Young  from Styx
    • Rick Neilson from Cheap Trick
    • Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins
        Review 
    From Rock n world

          Paraphernalia is a great example of why Enuff Z'nuff is one of the top bands playing music today. Unlike other artist who by their 8th studio record sound complacent, and stop growing musically, Enuff Z'nuff's music keeps evolving and getting better.

         Lead by the Strong song writing skills of lead vocalist/guitarist Donnie Vie and Bass player Chip Z'nuff, Paraphernalia is another show case for this song writing duo. Aided by the skillful drumming of Ricky Parent, and the debut of Monaco on an Enuff Z'nuff disk. Parent has been with the band since 93' and has appeared on every Cd since. Monaco who took Geno Martino's place in 96' has not until now been captured in the studio with the band, although he has gained the love and respect of fans through his skills during Enuff Z'nuff's live performances.

           Vie's vocals as always are superb, grainy yet melodic, and of course filled with emotion. Z'nuff sets the groove on the album with tasty bass lines which are, heard throughout the album driving the rockers, and leading a strong underbelly to the ballads. Parent proves once more that he is major league hitter, and his beats and fills on Paraphernalia tell us a little why the fans love him so much. Monaco's leads really shine on all the tracks, giving the z'nuff sounds his unique flavor and style.

         The opening tract Freak is a groovy rocker with a psychedelic feel.  When Lead singer Donnie Vie promised this would be the heaviest record since 91's Strength, he must have had this song in mind. The lyrics the pinnacle of self loathing, are cleaver, and the melodies like so many on this disc, are reminiscent of John Lennon. In fact the Lennon quality of the vocals of Vie are eiree, as if John has come back to sing on this CD.

       Top of the hill is at the top of my list of great songs on this album. The heavy guitar riffs get this song groovin, and the dueling vocal styling, and killer harmonies make this a possible huge hit if radio has the balls to play it. It only gets better from there.  Ain't it funny again takes the Beatles feel, transforms it to a hard rockin 90's hit in a way that only Enuff Z'nuff can.

         The fourth song Believe in love mix melodic electric and acoustic guitars with Vie's unique vocal talents. Again this could be a smash hit for this band. Habit which is one of four songs on this Disc that  appeared on the unreleased Vitamin A album. A melancholy tune which takes the fast pace of this album down a notch. Baby your the  Greatest, another psychedelic rocker packs a powerful combination of vocals, bass, guitar and drums.

         Now on to the inevitable   7th track Ballad, someday. Vie really shines when he gets his voice around emotional music and Someday is a prime example. The beautiful melodies,  piano and sad vocals almost bring a tear to your eyes, if you let  yourself get caught up in the emotion Vie so masterfully places in this power ballad. And imagine the person the song is about, I have a sneaking suspicion it's about Donny himself.

         I could go on and on the fact is all of these songs are great. Following  Enuff Z'nuff tradition there is  not one weak track on this album. Paraphernalia should wake up the music business to the fact that this band is one of the best on the scene. So get ready to shell out the bucks on July 17th to get the Japanese release of this record if you can't hold out until it is released in the US in late summer/early fall.