XYZ - Take what you can, off their stunning self-titled debut album, released in 1989. XYZ were undoubtedly one of the US's best hard rock outfits at the time. They were formed by vocalist Terry Ilous and guitarist Marc Diglio, both of whom had been in a number of small Italian groups. They relocated to Los Angeles and recruited bassist Patt Fontaine and drummer Paul Monroe, falling under the wing of Don Dokken, who produced this album, which came out on the Enigma label. Initially playing a blues/based style of hard rock, their sound was moulded in the studio by him, so much so that Ilous sounded exactly like Dokken at times, with Diglio playing some of the best licks to come out of any band around at the time. The debut album was relatively successful, with the band embarking on a US tour with Alice Cooper and Enuff Z'Nuff. A second album, called "Hungry", released on Capital Records, came out in 1991, featuring a stunning version of Free's Fire and Water.This album, unfortunately, was a commercial failure and they split shortly afterwards. A live album surfaced a few years ago and Ilous feature with King Kobra guitarist Jeff Northrup in "The Cage" in 1996. XYZ's debut album, rare and elusive as it is, is one of the best hard rock albums of all time

XYZ 
XYZ - What keeps me loving you, from their self-titled debut album, released in 1989. This album, produced by Don Dokken of Dokken f ame, must surely rate as one of the best debut hard rock albums of the eighties. A French-American based outfit based in Los Angeles, the band evolved out of an outfit that included vocalist and keyboard player Terry Stalloni (Ilous) and bassist Patt Fontaine, together with Uncle RV Alliroll on guitars and Paul Villet on drums. Alliroll and Villet were r eplaced by Marc Diglio and Paul Monroe respectively. Signing to Enigma Records, having met with resistance from most major labels, they released this a wesome and much sought after album in 1989. The guitar work is exceptional, as are the vocals. They toured the US with Alice Cooper and Enuff Z' Nuff, attracting the attention of Capitol Records. Their second album, "Hungry", was released in 1991. Also very good, it nonetheless paled in comparison to the d ebut, and it unfortunately failed commercially. They split a while later. A live album, "Take what you can", recorded in the US between June 1990 and M arch 1992, and featuring four tracks from their very first EP, was released on Axe Killer Records in 1997. XYZ's blues tinged hard rock was matched only by the likes of Cry of Love and England's Thunder, but this debut remains an elusive but essential album for fans of the genre.
  
 

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