From: HEGE@finabo.abo.fi (Kaj H{ggman DC)
Subject: Extreme's 3rd album
Organization: Abo Akademi University, Finland
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 20:31:18 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.23


It's called "Extreme III Sides Of A Story" and it's 

             F * C K I N G    G R E A T !

Compared to "Extreme  II Pornograffiti" it's even better, oh, my, oh, my!
Will we get "Extreme  IV Your Eyes Only" or something like that? Who knows.
There certainly is a pattern.

If you haven't notised by now, I am quite excited about it after hearing
it only once, so this review might be a little biased :-) For those who
don't mind - here we go (sorry about my "analyze" of the lyrics, I'm really
not very good at that):

The album is divided into three "parts"
Yours     - songs 1-6
          - heavy and funky
          - lyrics about war/peace
Mine      - songs 7-11
          - more acoustic and slow songs
          - lyrics about love/god/world
The Truth - songs 12-14
          - acoustic and orchestral 
          - lyrics about jesus, "we have to change", "a new day is coming"  

YOURS

1. Warheads
          - intro with a Sgt/father and son speaking with each other (well,
            the son doesn't get a change to say that much :-), airacrafts, 
            alarms and helicopters
          - a fast song, a real "headbanger" that reminds me of some song 
            from their 1st album (that I don't like that much) featuring a 
            wah-wah'ed solo by Nuno

2. Rest In Peace
          - the song everybody must've heard by know
          - a hit and a very good song, great riffs, Nuno plays Hendrixish
            (he must've listened to "Voodoo Chile")

3. Politicalamity
          - now, English isn't my mother tongue, but I like that word!
          - a funky song with great guitar riffs and horn arrangements.
            Nuno plays Hendrixish again and uses the wah-wah.

4. Color Me Blind
          - a little faster song, maybe a hit?
          - good vocals by the guys
          - Van Halenish riffs with overtones and a great, wild solo
          - I liked it, some people might think it sonds a little too
            "sweet", though

5. Cupid's Dead
          - the song starts with drums and turns out to be a jazzish funky
            song with good riffs (again) and a catchy chorus
          - again a song for all you guitar players out here

6. Peacemaker Die
          - a Van Halenish intro and a slow/heavy riff
          - the song changes a lot in the middle
          - Nuno shows how fast he can play the strings damped (is that what
            is called?)

MINE

7. Seven Sundays
          - a song starting with strings and orchestra continuing with only
            vocals and piano
          - nice, but again, some might think the song is a little too "sweet"
            (my friend AHLE does :-)

8. Tragic Comic
          - the songs begins with some base, followed by some acoustic
            guitar riffs and drums and with Hammond organ (played by Nuno) 
            and good vocals
          - another "nice" song

9. Our Father
          - some "acoustic" sounds on the electric as intro, followed with
            some heavy EVHish riffs, and a short solo by Nuno
          - influenced by Van Halen? Well, could be a hit.

10. Stop The World
          - a little strange intro
          - a slow song, but "heavy" song, quite beautiful, reminds me of 
            "Song For Love" from Pornograffiti
          - could be a hit ?

11. God Isn't Dead?
          - a short song with piano, violins and vocals

THE TRUTH

12. Rise'n Shine
          - intro with somebody winding up a music(al) box and letting it play
          - a slow song with acoustic guitar and some orchestral parts in it

13. Am I Ever Gonna Change
          - the song starts with some beautiful vocals and then changes into
            something heavier
          - massive guitar sound with lots of echo
          - ends with a priest talking

14. Who Cares?
          - intro on piano, includes lots of violin and orchestral arrangements
            and vocals
          - the effects used makes me think of some experiments Zeppelin did 
            in the "good ol' days"
          - a "different" song, quite sad
          - ends with that music(al) box mentioned earlier

The addresses to GreenPeace and Amnesty International are on the cover.
These guys really have something to say OR are very good businessmen (see
ZZ Top below)...

Nuno thanx (among others) Dweezil Zappa (& Family). How did these guys get
together? Why did Dweezil play that solo on Pornograffiti?

Extreme thanx (among others) Queen (of course, what else could they do :-),
David Lee Roth (surpised?), Winger (why?) and ZZ Top ('cause they sing about
re-cycling :-).

And it all ends with the text "AIDS Doesn't Discriminate".    

The overall sound is heavy and great, they use lots of orchestral sounds and
strange sounds (makes me think of Steve Vai's "Passion and Warfare"), 

AND playing time is 76:11 ! 

Nuno is (of course) excellent (he seems to be influenced by Hendrix and EVH, 
among others), constantly playing those riffs/solos mixed together, and some 
great rythm. too. This guy has developed from a good guitarist knowing all
the "tricks" into a musician, who knows how to arrange music. A great
combination.

What else can I say? The CD is extremely good value for the money!
Buy it!

-=HeGe=-

Kaj Haggman             Internet: Hege@abo.fi     Phone:   +358-21-654467
Abo Akademi University  Bitnet:   Hege@finabo     FAX:     +358-21-654497
Computing Center        PSImail:  22101410::HEGE
SF-20500 Abo, FINLAND   X.400:    s=hege o=abo prmd=inet admd=fumail c=fi  
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