As one can tell from the title, this is a compilation of mostly unreleased demos which is aimed at the fan who just can’t get enough. These are (for the most part) high-quality studio demos from the 80’s, when bassist Chip Z’nuff and vocalist Donnie Vie were starting their journey. One has to wonder just how much they were writing and recording during this time as Fronters released ‘Clowns Lounge’ back in 2016 which was also demos from 1988-89, yet they are not duplicated on this 40-song set. Apparently, the CD and vinyl version contain lots of notes about the material, but as I only have the digital version I can’t really comment.
I have been a fan of this band for years, with their Beatle-esque approach to melodic soft rock, yet this is aimed at the fan who lives and breathes for material no matter the quality. None of this is unlistenable, but there are few standouts among this set, which is why they stayed as demos and never made it any further. This is no good as an introduction, as one needs to look to the albums (especially the ones featuring both these guys) as opposed to delving into this. However, for fans this is going to be invaluable as it shows the main players at the beginning of their career as they started to hone their ideas and skills.
Rating: 7/10
