Revisiting Scott Carr’s In Memoriam on Malcolm Young five years later.
Read MoreAlbum Review: Donnie Vie / Beautiful Things - by Scott Carr
SPOTIFY PLAYLIST - LISTEN WHILE YOU READ
Beautiful Things is the latest solo album from former Enuff Z’Nuff singer and chief songwriter Donnie Vie. The album was released on July 5th via Deko Music, distributed by Warner music Group.
I feel like I am always explaining to people who Donnie Vie is. It's such a shame that more people do not know him. I've penned a few Pencil Storm articles in the past about Enuff Z’Nuff in an effort to spread the word about one of Chicago's best kept power- pop secrets. If you missed my previous ramblings about Donnie and Enuff Z’Nuff, I will give you a quick recap and then move on to Donnie's latest album.
Most people first heard of Enuff Z’Nuff in 1989 when their self-titled debut album hit record shelves and their videos "New Thing" and "Fly High Michelle" were being played in heavy rotation on MTV. The band was formed in 1984 by bassist Chip Z’Nuff, who eventually recruited a young Donnie Vie to front the band. Chip said in an recent interview about Vie, "If it wasn't for Donnie, no one would even know who I am." After years of playing clubs and writing hundreds of songs the duo landed their first major label record deal in 1988. After the success of their debut album the band released another 12 studio albums, as well as a few live records. Donnie took an extended hiatus from the band in 2002 to focus on his solo work. He would eventually return to the band in 2006 for another album, but left again in 2013.
That brings us to present day and the release of Donnie Vie's latest album Beautiful Things.
Beautiful Things is Donnie's fourth official full-length solo album and the follow up to 2014's The White Album.
Beautiful Things began as a crowd-funding project through Pledge Music. Donnie was able to fund the project in record time and he kept the fans updated on a regular basis on the album’s progress. Donnie loves interacting with his fans and getting their input. He even asked fans to submit photos of things that they thought were "beautiful" and he would include those images on the album’s cover art.
Things seemed to going along smoothly but then Pledge Music abruptly folded and ran off with all the money that had been pledged by fans to make Beautiful Things, along with many other crowd-funded projects as well.
The Pledge Music disaster delayed the release of Beautiful Things but Donnie quickly found a label and distribution for the record and it was worth the wait.
Beautiful Things is full of all the elements that you would expect from Donnie: amazing singing and well-crafted pop songs. Donnie has always had a knack for writing perfect power-pop melodies, that at times sound like Elvis Costello or Squeeze with a healthy dose of Lennon & McCartney thrown in for good measure.
Side one of the album opens with some tasteful guitar noodling from Mr. Big Guitarist Paul Gilbert. This guitar intro serves as a soundscape that leads us into the album’s title track: “Beautiful Things" is a perfect mid-tempo opening for the album that finds Donnie in top form vocally.
"Plain Jane" follows and has a more rocked-up vibe that may sound more familiar to fans of Donnie's work with Enuff Z’Nuff. A power-pop gem that will instantly have you humming along.
"Breaking Me Down" features great Beatle-sounding harmonies and some sweet-sounding 12-string electric guitar that brings to mind The Byrds. This is definitely a standout track that falls into the "should be a hit" category.
"I Could Save The World" was the first single released from Beautiful Things. The theme of this song is reminiscing about the days when things were cool and wishing they would return. This track features some beautiful orchestration from former Jellyfish keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. "I Could Save The World" was the first song Donnie had penned in nearly three years and it gave him the confidence to do another record.
Side one wraps up with an introspective piano and vocal piece called "Fly."
Time to flip the record over kids. Yes, there is a vinyl release of Donnie's new record.
"Tender Lights" opens side two with a bit of a country influence but the power-pop hooks and great lyrics shine through brightly.
"I'll Surrender" follows and for me is the album’s highlight. Another perfect Beatle-influenced song. Add this one to Donnie's long list of songs that should be hits.
"Whatever" is a fun upbeat tune that tells the story of Donnie's musical evolution. The jangly guitars bring to mind Revolver/Rubber Soul era Beatles.
"Falling Through The Pages" is my second favorite track from the album, right behind "I'll Surrender." This is probably the most Enuff Z’Nuff sounding track on the record and that's not a bad thing.
The album closes with a piano ballad called "Back From The Blue."
Beautiful Things is a triumph for Donnie Vie and an album that he thought he would not be able to make. It had been four years since his last studio album and he felt like the well had run dry after 30 years of writing songs. Luckily he found the inspiration he needed and delivered an album that is as strong as any of his previous work.
In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock Donnie explains the moment when his extended writer's block came to an end: “The gods left a basket of really cool ideas on my doorstep, and then it was like a build-your-own sundae out of melodies and sounds.”
You can order Beautiful Things here.
Donnie recorded a cover of John Lennon’s “Instant Karma” and it is featured as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of Beautiful Things. Check out the video for that and a few other things below…..
Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps andReturning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly-lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.
Six Albums That Changed My Life - by Scott Carr
The Albums That Changed My Life series on Pencilstorm was conceived and launched by our Virginia correspondent JCE (John Egertson to his friends & family) last November, and will continue as our regular Sunday feature until we run out of submissions. To view the complete series, click on the Music heading on the Pencilstorm home page.
Albums that changed my life? Man, that's a tough one.
I always struggle when it comes to making "best of" lists. I've been a music fan since my pre-teen days and there has been so much music in my life, it's not easy to whittle that down to just a few choices.
Along the way there have been records that have had a bigger impact than others, so here are some that could be considered "life changing"....
KISS - ROCK AND ROLL OVER (1976)
Kiss in the ‘70's without hesitation had the biggest influence on my musical journey.
You could insert any Kiss album from the decade here (yes, even Dynasty) and I would not argue.
Rock And Roll Over for me is Kiss sounding like Kiss. Bare bones, no frills Rock N Roll. I love the songs on this record and Eddie Kramer’s production captures Kiss at their best. Another highlight for me on this record is Ace Frehley’s lead guitar work, amazing! Ace was in top form on this release. I only wish he had been confident enough to supply a lead vocal on the record but in all honesty, I would not change a thing about it. Plus that cover artwork is probably my favorite Kiss album cover of all time.
Rock and Roll Over on most days is my favorite Kiss record. I don't know if I can pick one Kiss album as life-changing but I would just say experiencing Kiss in the ‘70's changed my life forever. According to my mom I first saw Kiss on television on the Midnight Special. She pulled me and my brothers out of our slumber to witness the spectacle, I have no solid memory of that event but I'm told I was present. I do remember seeing Kiss for the first time on the Destroyer tour and from there on the rest is Kisstory.
IRON MAIDEN - IRON MAIDEN (1980)
After Kiss, my next big evolution in music was "metal." Kiss really weren't metal, so I wasn't really sure what "metal" was. I had heard some Sabbath records but Sabbath didn't really feel like my band. I love Sabbath but they felt like they were a generation older than myself. When I was a kid I was told by older kids that Black Sabbath created Heavy Metal and I was like, "Cool."
Seeing Judas Priest open for Kiss on the Dynasty tour really opened my eyes to a new breed of metal that would soon be invading American shores.
In 1980 the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was taking shape and Iron Maiden led the way. I bought their first album just based on the cover artwork alone. The music on the vinyl sounded exactly the way the cover looked. It was heavy and raw. I loved everything about it. This started a new chapter in my musical journey. At that point I started buying all kinds of European metal by bands like Diamond Head, Motorhead, Saxon, Def Leppard and the list went on and on. From 1980 to 1985 or so, I was a total metalhead kid.
RAMONES - RAMONES (1976)
I discovered the first Ramones record from going through my uncle’s record collection. He had moved away and left all his records at my Grandma's house. He said I could go through them and take whatever I wanted. His collection was mostly hippie stoner rock records, which I didn't appreciate at the time. I left lots of cool stuff behind, but I did take all of his Budgie records.
One of the cool records I found in my uncle's collection was the first Ramones record. I had no idea what it was but seeing those four guys leaned up against a brick wall wearing leather jackets and ripped jeans and the bold RAMONES logo above them really caught my attention.
When I put it on the turntable for the first time, I felt like I was listening to something from another planet. I had never heard anything like it before. All the songs were fast and under three minutes long, I think the longest song on the record is maybe two and a half minutes long. Again, another album that sounded exactly how the cover looks. They looked like punks and sounded like punks.
I never became a full fledged punk rocker but this record certainly struck a chord with me and I've been listening to Ramones records for decades now.
CHEAP TRICK - CHEAP TRICK (1977)
Still my favorite Cheap Trick album to this day.
I saw Cheap Trick in 1978 opening for AC/DC and soon started buying their records. At the time I was only aware of In Color and Heaven Tonight.
My first exposure to the band’s debut album was on the soundtrack to the movie Over The Edge. Back in those days there was no quick resource like Wikipedia to look up a band’s discography, so you just kinda discovered things by mistake. In July of 1979 I took my birthday money to the record store to buy some new records and while looking in the Cheap Trick section, I found a copy of their debut album. I clutched onto it like I had found the Holy Grail. I rushed to checkout counter and gave the clerk my birthday money and ran home to put the record on my turntable.
The whole album is perfection. I think it's really the only Cheap Trick studio album that accurately captures their raw power-pop energy. They have other great albums, but this one is their best in my book. Again, like Kiss, you could put any ‘70's Cheap Trick album in this spot and I would not be upset.
THE KNACK - GET THE KNACK (1979)
Just like Cheap Trick's 1977 debut album, Get The Knack is pure power-pop perfection from beginning to end.
The Knack really had their own thing going, they weren't really new wave and they weren't punk but they fell somewhere in the middle of both genres.
This is definitely one of my all-time favorite albums.
I wrote about it in a past Pencil Storm piece and you can check it out here
JELLYFISH - SPILT MILK (1993)
An unlikely masterpiece of an album that came out during the fall of glam metal and the rise of grunge.
Jellyfish were equal parts Queen, Beach Boys, The Beatles and a pinch of The Partridge Family.
During the early ‘90's I was a bit lost musically because everything was changing and I had been knee-deep in the MTV Glam Rock scene. By that time glam metal was becoming pretty disposable and even bands like Guns N Roses seemed like their time had come and gone. I wasn't in tune with the Seattle stuff. I liked the sentiment of it all, but it just really didn't strike a chord within me.
Jellyfish was like breathing new life into my floundering musical journey. Their first album Bellybutton came out in 1990 and spawned a minor hit with the single "Baby's Coming Back." Almost two and half years later the band returned with an album that leaned more towards their Queen influences and is way more adventurous than their debut.
Sadly Jellyfish did not last long after this record. They were gone in a flash but with just two albums they gained a fan base that hopes one day maybe we will see album number three.
So, I think I will leave you with those six uniquely different records. If I look at my choices too long, I will probably rewrite this entire thing. I think that covers the bases pretty well for me, though: Rock, Metal, Punk and Power Pop.
_____________________________
Honorable mention: I don't know if these albums qualify as "life changing" but they are albums that I consider near-perfect ear candy and are go-to albums I listen to when I feel like there is nothing to listen to.….
BLUE OYSTER CULT - FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN
BILLY SQUIER - DON'T SAY NO
REO SPEEDWAGON - HI INFIDELITY
APRIL WINE - NATURE OF THE BEAST
DEF LEPPARD - HIGH N DRY
ALICE COOPER - FROM THE INSIDE
ENUFF Z NUFF - STRENGTH
THE POSIES - FROSTING ON THE BEATER
QUEEN - A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
THIN LIZZY - BLACK ROSE
Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps and Returning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.
August 1989: Enuff Z'nuff Release Their Debut Album - by Scott Carr
By the end of the 1980's the world of heavy metal glam-rock had become pretty nameless and faceless. The last round of bands scoring contracts with the major labels all seemed to be cut from the same fabric. It was becoming increasingly tough to tell one band from the next. Metal Edge magazine was packed cover to cover with all the latest groups, each trying to outdo the next by seeing who had to biggest hair or wore most make-up.
Although Enuff Z'nuff fit the image of what was going on at that time, their music put them in a different league all their own.
Hailing from Blue Island, IL Enuff Z'nuff was formed by bassist Chip Z'nuff and lead vocalist/guitarist Donnie Vie. The band got their start as Enough's Z'nuff in 1984 and quickly recorded a demo of original material. The band gained a quick following around the Chicago area playing clubs and their song "Fingers On It" received strong local airplay.
The band went through a few line up changes during their early years but by 1988 lead guitarist Derek Frigo and drummer Vikki Fox had rounded out what would become known as the classic Enuff Z'nuff line up.
The band eventually signed to Atco records and released their self titled debut album on August 22, 1989.
The album's first single "New Thing" was accompanied by flashy video tailor-made for the glam rock that was a staple on MTV. The video was in heavy rotation and followed by another glamtastic video for the album's power ballad and biggest hit "Fly High Michelle." Elsewhere on the record you will find uptempo rockers like "Kiss The Clown," "Little Indian Angel" and "Hot Little Summer Girl." There were no more singles pulled from the record but there were at least three more tracks that should have been hits: "I Could Never Be Without You," "For Now" and "She Wants More" are all standout tracks from the record.
While the band's image was all glam there was an undercurrent of psychedelia that set them apart from all the other acts of the day.
Musically they were a blend of The Beatles, Kiss, Cheap Trick, Slade and Van Halen. Guitarist Derek Frigo pushed their sound in more of a heavy metal style but underneath it all Enuff Z'nuff were a Power Pop band. Frigo once commented that without his guitar playing the band was basically be the Bay City Rollers.
I'll admit that I am a fan of The Rollers but there is much more depth to the music that Enuff Z'nuff were creating. Their sound would be fully realized on their next album, Strength, but their debut laid out the groundwork and was the perfect late summer record. It was full of hooks and harmonies and the energy was in the grooves.
Enufff Z'nuff captured the attention of some industry heavyweights who all had great things to say about the band.
Rolling Stone magazine called them "the next big thing" and "heavy metal Beatles."
The band also caught the attention of shock jock Howard Stern and were featrued on his radio show numerous times. Stern often said "this band deserves rock star status."
....and the praise continued:
David Letterman; "When it comes to rock and roll, these guys are all you need"
Paul Stanley; "Their debut album is a classic!"
Litte Steven Van Zandt; "Enuff Z'nuff are one of the most underrated bands of all time"
Although it seemed like everything was heading in the right direction for Enuff Z'nuff, the big break never came. The band was dropped from Atlantic after the release of Strength in 1991. They signed with Arista for their third record, Animals With Human Intelligence, in 1993 but they would soon find themselves without a record deal again.
After two failed attempts at the majors Enuff Z'nuff began making music on their own terms and started releasing their music independently. Most bands probably would have thrown in the towel but Enuff Z'nuff weren't quitters. They were always about writing the next record and moving on. To date they have released a total of 14 studio records and several live and compilation records.
Since the release of their 1989 debut Enuff Z'nuff have been through many line-up changes with Donnie Vie and Chip Z'nuff being the only consistent members until Vie left the band for good several years ago. Guitarist Derek Frigo passed away after years of heavy drug addiction and drummer Vikki Fox left after recording the band's third studio record. Sadly, longtime drummer Ricky Parent passed away after a battle with cancer.
Vocalist and chief songwriter Donnie Vie left the band after years of being frustrated of not being able to break out of the glam rock bubble that the industry still seems to put them in. Donnie has been creating some amazing solo records and is preparing to release his latest record, Beautiful Things, later this year.
Bassist Chip Z'nuff is still carrying on the name Enuff Z'nuff with an all new line-up and they recently released the album Diamond Boy.
Many things have changed since the release of their debut in 1989 but the record still holds up. It's one of those albums that take you back in time to when you first heard it. It feels like the summer of 1989, but somehow doesn't feel dated.
Fans of Enuff Z'nuff are still getting high on a "new thing" almost thirty years later.
If you are looking to explore more music from Enuff Z'nuff , here are my top 5 you should seek out along with their debut.
1. Strength (1991) - Their 1991 sophomore release. Many fans consider this to be their masterpiece.
2. 1985 (1994) - An archival release of the bands original demo. This album captures the band in full on power pop mode.
3. 10 (2000) - Another great power poppy record from the band.
4. Paraphernalia (1998) - They cover Cheap Trick on this one, so it must be good.
5. Dissonance (2008) - Last record recorded with Donnie Vie, and features guest appearance from Jake E. Lee.
A pic of me with Chip Z'nuff and Derek Frigo. A band I was in got to open a show for them during their tour of their debut album. RIP Derek.
Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps andReturning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.
Ricki & Colin's Strange Tales from the Cheap Trick Merch Table
This piece originally ran back in October of 2014, and Pencilstorm management is reprinting it now to encourage all of our readers to travel to the Ohio State Fair this Saturday, August 4th, to see the mighty Cheap Trick open for Styx. (And let's face facts, it's gonna be an early night for ya, NOBODY in their right frickin' rock & roll minds would stay for Styx's entire set.)
The Watershed show opening for Cheap Trick at the House Of Blues in Myrtle Beach, S.C. last week went great, there'll be various blogs about different aspects of the trip over the next coupla weeks, here's the first installment.
Tale # 1
Ricki C. - Classic merch moment: At a bar adjacent to the Myrtle Beach House of Blues where we're all kicking back after the show, Watershed drummer Dave Masica walks up to me with a "Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock & Hall of Fame" t-shirt draped over his shoulder. He pulls it off, hands it to me and says, "That guy over there wants to buy this, but I didn't know what to tell him, or how much they cost. I told him to talk to you."
"Where did you get this?" I ask Dave. (We had WICTITR&RHOF t's at the show, but weren't selling them. We brought them for Colin to throw out into the audience as prizes during a quiz in the middle of set-ender "The Best Is Yet To Come.") "I found it on the floor of the dressing room," Dave answers. I shrug my shoulders, walk over to the guy and charge him 20 bucks for the shirt we normally sell for $15. (I had come up $10 short on my merch totals that night according to Watershed road manager extraordinaire Michael "Biggie" McDermott, and figured this was my best shot at turning that deficit into a surplus.) (By the way, I probably came up short because I left Colin in charge of the merch table while Biggie & I loaded out the gear after Watershed's set and Colin gave stuff away.)
Later that night, at yet another bar, Colin asks me if I picked up his WICTITR&RHOF shirt from the dressing room and I realize that I have unwittingly sold the sweaty, crummy t-shirt Colin had been wearing most of that day to some unsuspecting Rick Nielsen fan, who thought he was getting high-quality Cheap Trick merch. Ooops. Open message to random drunk Myrtle Beach guy: I'll make it up to you someday down the road.
Tale # 2
Colin G. - So after we finished our set opening for Cheap Trick, I fight my way through the crowd to head out by the merch table because sometimes it helps to sell stuff if a band member is there bullshitting. Ricki C. uses this opportunity to jam me there alone while making sure Biggie didn't need help backstage. I suspect he was going to the dressing room to make a peanut butter sandwich, but I can't prove it.
Anyway, it's kinda slow because people are waiting for Trick to come on, but one middle-aged woman is slowing picking up Watershed CDs and very thoroughly looking them over. Eventually she looks up at me and asks, "Which one has all the songs I know on it?"
"Come again?" I reply.
"Which one of these CDs has the songs I know on it?"
"Uh…."
This was a tricky question. See, with a band of our stature people usually know all of our songs or, as is much more likely, none of our songs. Thankfully, she could see I was struggling and added, "What's that one…..'I Want You to Want Me.'"
"Oh, that is a Cheap Trick song. That CD you are holding says Watershed on it. See right there? (I pointed to the big word Watershed on the front cover.) That means it's a Watershed CD, not a Cheap Trick CD."
"So you aren't in Cheap Trick?"
"No, I'm in Watershed"
Never mind I had just come off stage and was still wearing my Watershed Hitless Wonder blue jumpsuit
"Do you have any Cheap Trick CDs to sell?"
"No ma'am."
"Ok, goodbye."
Tale #3
Colin G. - So now I am standing at the merch table with Ricki, Dave and Joe after Cheap Trick is done and it is mayhem. People are stacked three deep buying CDs, books, T-shirts, etc. and being good rock soldiers we are chatting with folks, offering to sign stuff and all that.
A woman leans forward and says loudly above the din of post show chaos, "Do you know who Richard Petty is?"
"Excuse me?" I said, not quite sure I was hearing her right.
"I said, DO YOU KNOW WHO RICHARD PETTY IS???" This time she said it quite loudly and seemed a little upset.
"Uh, like Richard Petty the race car driver?" was my unsure reply, spoken like a clueless Yankee.
"Yes, that one. You know, he told his sons that if they ever wanted to be famous they needed to write their names legibly so people can read them."
"You want me to sign my name more like Richard Petty's sons?"
"You already signed but I can barely read it. And you never even asked my name."
I mounted a weak defense: "Well, at least we are out here signing and being friendly. Doesn't that count for something? Besides, see that guy right there, he is an author and is really smart, I bet he will ask your name."
"Well, if you want to be famous and get on TV you better learn to write your autograph better, like Richard Petty's kids do."
Right then Joe O. leaned in and asked who he should sign this book to.
"Ha! Told you he would ask," I said, triumphant at the end.
Learn more about Ricki and Colin and the rest of the Pencilstorm contributors by clicking here.
Your Steel Panther Primer: Five Things You Need To Know - by Scott Carr
Steel Panther bring their "Sunset Strip Live" Tour to Express Live on Friday May 4th with special guest Cadaver Dogs.
Steel Panther is a throwback to all the excesses of 80's glam rock with a healthy dose of raunchy humor thrown in. They have the attitude, the look, the sound and the show. I guess you could call them a comedic glam rock parody tribute band?
Here are five quick things you need to know about Steel Panther before the show:
1. Steel Panther formed in in the early 2000's performing on the Sunset Strip under the name Metal Shop. They changed their name to Metal Skool and then eventually settled on Steel Panther as their name.
2. Steel Panther's major label debut Feel The Steel was released in 2009. The album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Comedy Album chart and peaked at No. 98 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album made it on to the Grammy's Best Comedy Album ballot, but failed to get the nomination.
3. The band's second album Balls Out also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Comedy Album chart and peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Steel Panther opened for Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Buckcherry and Guns N Roses in support of Balls Out. They also performed at the Download Festival for a crowd of 100,000.
4. Steel Panther were voted "Live Act of the Year" at the Loudwire Music Awards in 2012 and 2013
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5. Steel Panther's newest studio record Lower The Bar was released in 2017. The album features a cover of Cheap Trick's 1982 classic "She's Tight." Robin Zander from Cheap Trick makes a guest appearance on the track and in the video for the song.
Tickets are on sale now for $29.50 in advance and $32.00 day of show. Doors open at 7pm
Express Live is located at 405 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH 43215
www.promowestlive.com
www.steelpantherrocks.com
Check out some Steel Panther videos below. Watch at your own risk.........
Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps andReturning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.