Extreme - Pornograffitti (1990)

Emerging as the death knell was rang for the mainstream metal movement that had dominated the 1980s, Extreme largely got their act together as grunge swept away the more flamboyant of the metal genre in favour of a very low-fi approach to music: tough time to be launching a career! Pornograffitti was the second album from the band, the first being their self-titled debut a year earlier in 1989, and really showcased the band’s talent and set them up perfectly for their album III Sides to Every Story released in 1992. What Pornograffitti delivered was 13 polished hard rock tracks with good commercial potential, strong musicianship – in particular from guitarist Nuno Bettencourt – and an original edge that would see Extreme explode into the mainstream, albeit somewhat for the wrong reasons.

Thunder and rain fades in at the start of the album before a piano intro to Decadence Dance breaks through for a moment before a more ominous tone slowly builds in a dramatic fashion and then Bettencourt begins to hit some chords and we’re off. A powerful rocker in the style of Sammy Hagar, Ted Nugent . . . and even Kiss on a good day . . . opens the album proper with Cherone turning in a fine performance and Bettencourt showcasing his style with some good flourishes. The chorus harks back a year or two to the height of the ‘hair metal’ bands in both its catchy approach and the vocal harmony styling but the track motors along well and gives a strong kick-start to the album. The half-time mid-section leading to the guitar solo works well too and when you get the feeling that there’s’ going to be one almighty shred, Bettencourt plays it cool and melodically which makes a refreshing change for guitarists of the period.

Li’l Jack Horny, whilst an unbearably corny title, opens with some guitar harmonics before descending into a sleazy guitar riff for a mid-tempo shuffle complete with the odd blast from a brass section. Again, it’s apparent that Extreme are intent on providing substance with their tracks musically and vocally strong with clearly defined sections to them and strong riffs which set them apart from many of their peers and was more akin to Van Halen – whom Cherone would later join – than the whole hair metal scene. Bettencourt finally lets rip on L’il Jack with a shred too – just for good measure!

When I’m President opens with a Beastie Boys style rapped into before a syncopated riff breaks through and Cherone re-emerges with a semi-rapped verse, but slowly and in a rock style over which a strong harmony vocal is sung. Lyrically, Cherone’s social conscience is to the fore here too which makes a welcome change from the run of the mill metal lyrics prevalent in the day, something that didn’t sit well with the ‘cock rock’ posturing of Van Halen some years later!

Next-up is my personal favourite from Pornograffitti, Get The Funk Out. As a track it has it all, good vocals and great hook, funky bassline, brass section, strong riff and great solo from Bettencourt . . . who could ask for more: if this track doesn’t make you want to dance, nothing will! Get the Funk Out was reasonably well received as a single release too and received heavy airplay from MTV at the time, and still crops up from time to time on ‘classic rock’ programs. I can’t help thinking that if this track had been released 5 years earlier Extreme would have been huge.

That said, More Than Words is next which, as we all know . . . well most of us . . . was massive hit in both the UK and US and is a lilting, tender ballad featuring Cherone and Bettencourt with the latter playing acoustic guitar. It’s a really good track and a million miles from the insincere syrup dished out by Mr Big et al but unfortunately didn’t serve the band as well as it might. Unfortunately, as with Take My Breath Away by Berlin a few years earlier, More Than Words attracted a huge new audience eager to hear more from this ‘balladeering duo’ only to find that they were in fact, a powerful hard-rock band a nothing like More Than Words. Thus their biggest hit became a nail in the coffin and millstone around the neck of the band from which their career would gradually descend.

Money (In God We Trust) is another politicised lyric with a pounding rock backbone which is a theme carried into the more lyrically light-hearted It’s A Monster which opens with feedback accompanying a drum break intro and again the band really push the track along. The chorus is again catchy and the brass section makes an appearance. Extreme certainly mastered combining commerciality without compromising on the power of their music which was a trick missed by many of their peers. Bettencourt’s wailing guitar solo and dynamic runs are a real highlight here too.

The title track is a mid-tempo riff-fest with Bettencourt again providing a heavy but funky riff around which the track is woven – no three chord wonders here, each riff is complex but accessible and provide the perfect foil for Gary Cherone’s powerful and melodic vocal lines. Unsurprisingly, the theme here is the abundance/prevalence of sex in its many forms in society in general and appears as somewhat of a distancing from, and expression of distaste for, the obsession with sex as a marketing tool in music and the wider media.

When I First Kissed You slows the mood with a piano-backed ballad opening almost harking back to the mellow jazz of the Rat Pack, with a good, slow walking bassline from Pat Badger and some smooth crooning from Gary Cherone on this lounge lizard track. This shows a whole other side to Extreme as it’s a soft jazz number – even referring to Sinatra – and a million miles away from the rest of the album but it works very well, giving the listener a breather and allowing Cherone to demonstrate he’s not only a rock singer! On the downside, the keyboard strings should have been cut in favour of a string section but you can’t have everything can you?

Suzie (Wants Her All Day What) thumps away in much the same manner as the rest of the album and certainly gives you a kick after mellowing to the preceding track.

He-Man Woman Hater opens with a hundred mile an hour shred from Bettencourt to a overworking click track and is impeccably played throughout. At the time Bettencourt was being courted int he same circles as Vai etc as a new ‘guitar hero’ but, sadly, with the demise of the band doesn’t seem to get much of a reference in the present day. Once the lengthy guitar solo intro abates, the track proper comes in and is again a mid-tempo rocker and I have to confess that by now things are maybe getting a little samey but not at all disagreeable.

Song For Love is a tender love song with a strong but cheesy chorus – this is moving dangerously into 80s formula ballad territory which, in my opinion, is very dangerous territory and one that should be plundered with caution: few bands have been there and emerged with any musical credibility! Song For Love was released as a single and reached number 12 in the UK further reinforcing the public’s perception that Extreme were balladeers . . . not a good thing for their longevity as it was definitely not the case but I’m sure the record company thought they’d make hay whilst the sun shone.

The final track on the album, Hole Hearted, reached number 4 when released as a single in the US so guess what kind of track it was? Yes, it was an acoustic track but fortunately an upbeat one and not of the syrup variety. In fact, Hole Hearted is one of the standout tracks on the album with Bettencourt providing some good guitar work and Cherone singing really well and the whole track staying just the right side of formula ballad to remain credible. There’s almost a bluegrass feel to the track with some slide guitar thrown-in and the vocal melody is excellent. The track ends with thunder and rain and the album’s over as it began.

Pornograffitti is a good album, not great, but very good – there’s just a tendency to slip a little towards cheesy from time to time that prevents it from being a great album. As far as Extreme go, it’s their strongest album and whilst the follow-up had some good moments too, the fun element that they had here had somewhat dissipated by that release which was a pity. If you like your rock loud, funky and catchy with lashings of strong guitar work and solos then Pornograffitti is an album you must hear.

• Gary Cherone – Vocals
• Nuno Bettencourt – Guitar
• Pat Badger – Bass
• Paul Geary – Drums