Lost/Forgotten Album #316

[Jon]

I'm giggling as I post this, the 45th album in the series I thought up all by myself.

You see, many moon ago Scott Gabbert sent in a request for this album to be posted even though it was already posted on another site (whose name shall not be mentioned). I waited for the right moment to post it, and the moment is now because SCOTT GABBERT IS AWAY!!!!!!

Oh, boy. That made me giggle some more.

Now he won't be the first person to view this even though you requested it! It's just so damn hilarious.

Okay. Let me collect myself for a moment.........

All good now.

Enough Is Enough, released in 1986, is Billy Squier's fifth album and is the followup to 1984's Signs Of Life the album that spawned the video that supposedly killed his career. That could be true, but I'm not a big fan of SOL and it might have turned off a lot of people as well.

1981's Don't Say No was certified 3x platinum and reached #5 on the U.S. charts, 1982's Emotions In Motion was certified 2x platinum and also reached #5 and SOL was certified platinum and reached #11. 

As for Enough Is Enough, it has not reached any certification and peaked at #61 on the charts. A couple singled were released with "Love Is The Hero" (featuring Freddie Mercury) reaching #17 on the AOR chart and "Shot O' Love" reaching #30 on the same chart.

I wasn't swayed by the video and I didn't lose interest in Billy Squier due to SOL or the video because I did buy this on cassette when it came out and listened to it a lot. I mean A LOT. Unlike the previous album, this one isn't over-populated by keyboards and most of the tracks rock and rock hard. This also includes my favorite mellow tune from Mr. Squier, "Til It's Over". 

For me, there's always been a track or two (more than that with SOL) that I don't particularly like, but there's not one track off this album that I don't like. Shame that this didn't erase the bad listening (or visual) experience of the previous album. This album should have been huge.

No review on allmusic.com except for this small blurb on a specific edition of this album:

.... Enough Is Enough veers closest to Squier's Emotions in Motion/Don't Say No heydays.....

Enough Is Enough

1. Shot O' Love
2. Love Is The Hero
3. Lady With A Tenor Sax
4. All We Have To Give
5. Come Home
6. Break The Silence
7. Powerhouse
8. Lonely One
9. Til It's Over
10. Wink Of An Eye

Availability: For this album only, you can find a copy for around $6, or you can go with the remastered triple album set from BGO (featured here) which includes this, Hear & Now and Creatures Of Habit for around $13. 

[Scott]

Boo...

[RJhog (Admin)]

I like Billy Squier.  I'm really familiar mostly with the hits, though I do own a couple of albums.  I do find it somewhat comical that a video tanked his career.  I guess image really does have a lot to do with success in the pop/rock world.

The opener is kind of busy at the beginning, but it's a fair track.  I'm not crazy about Love Is The Hero.  It sounds a lot like a syruppy soundtrack song.  Lady With a Tenor Sax is a pretty good pop song.  This album features a lot of keyboards. All We Have To Give is pretty good.  It almost sounds like a soundtrack song too.  

The album continues on in a mediocre, bland fashion until Lonely One.  It's another soundtrack sounding song, but I do like it.  And 'Til It's Over keeps the goodness going.  It's the best song here. By a long shot, actually.  That's a compliment to this song, not a knock on the rest of the album.  The closer is pretty good too.  I like the last three song sequence.

Decent album, with a lull at the beginning of the second half.  Nice post.

[Scott]

So you’re saying I am a big influence on what and when you post? I’m flattered…

Let me start by saying that I believe Squires trinity of Don’t Say Not through Signs of Life is as fine of an album streak as anyone of the time. I like all three, and though that unnamed video that killed his career was truly something that hurt the eyes, the son g is still a good, one. Strange times those were…

The first thing I notice on this album is that signature snare drum sound and feel is gone and the keyboards sound far more 80’s-ish than ever. I loved the drums on his earlier stuff, thought it really set him apart and was a signature sound.

I didn’t care for the opener but it had a good riff to work with and then it fell off. The ‘single’, Love Is The Hero, is a cool song though. Mercury really works well with Squire, though he could help anything sound better. The chorus is on it is way catchy. Lady With a Tenor Sax loses me a bit, though I really like the lazy bass line (another signature sound/feel of his) – it’s the late 80’s keyboard clichés that I don’t like.

All We Have To Give is not bringing me back, it’s a dull and lifeless ballad. Maybe this is an attempt at mainstreaming his songwriting? I get wanting to break out a bit, and maybe that’s what he’s trying to do, it’s just not connecting with me.

Powerhouse gives me that Billy Squire riff and feel, somewhat, but it’s the bass line and keyboards that throw me off yet again. Im in m’eh-ville with side two so far.

Til It’s Over – billed as Squires best “mellow” song – it’s off to a very nice start. I’ll give you the fact that this is very nice mellow tune, his best ever? Not so sure I’d go that far as Nobody Knows and In Your Eyes are better IMO.

Wink Of An Eye may be the best track on here, this is what I was expecting to hear and I didn’t get it until the last track, well, OK the first side was good, not great just good, and then the closer nailed what I wanted, just a tad too late and thus purchasing is likely not an option, but I’d still like to hear more of his later work…

[Jon]

SQUIER, not SQUIRE.

[Scott]

Autocorrect

[RJhog (Admin)]

Are you referring to Jon as autocorrect?

[Scott]

Yes ... in some weird subliminal way.