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""Pornograffitti" is a pivotal record in Extreme's short but intense career and a must-have for the melodic funk metal fan."
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5/5
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Extreme has only been around for a few years and has only one record to his credit when he is about to release what would be his most popular album. It is not the breakthrough of grunge that will divert the Bostonians from their glam-funk-metal style and "Pornograffitti" is the perfect illustration.
Half of the tracks on "Pornograffitti" offer a very melodious funk metal with a lot of choruses and an originality in the guitar riffs ('Get The Funk Out', 'Suzi' or 'It's A Monster'). The rhythmic section is well set up even if Paul Geary on drums is a little too linear and staggered with the exuberance of Nuno Bettencourt, Portuguese guitarist who was brought up on the sounds of Al Dimeola and Eddy Van Halen (his master) with an amazing technique and a sense of groove out of the ordinary, whose main quality is to compose melodies and above all soli of an extreme creativity. Each instrumental sequence is a masterpiece of harmony carried by a capacity to surprise, in particular by the use of the dissonance.
Adept of original introductions, Extreme starts its album with 'Decadence Dance', a rather intriguing track with its sound of stormy rain behind some piano notes that does not allow to guess what will be the next events. 'Li'l Jack Horny", in a style close to "Decadence Dance", demonstrates the qualities of the band in its propensity to include all kinds of instruments. This time, it is horns which come to accompany the verses and to transcend the choruses. Among the many qualities of Extreme, we have the duo of lyricists Cherone-Bettencourt who concocts since the first album of texts engaged and strongly politicized. Just in the title, "Pornograffitti" (which will be the title of one of the songs in which Extreme denounces the too deep incursion of pornography in the modern western society) the tone is given.
In the song 'When I'm President', Extreme expresses himself in rapped form by revealing his possible projects if Cherone or Bettencourt were to be elected president of the United States. 'Money(In God We Trust)' is in the same vein with a criticism of the money king. No need to dwell on the ballad 'More Than Words', a real acoustic hit characteristic of the glam bands of the time, but rather on the strange 'When I First Kissed You'. A sort of tribute to the cabaret music of the 40's, Nuno Bettencourt takes us on a journey through his piano and Cherone's mellow voice finishes the magic. Nuno's orchestrations already start to make their appearance in this track, and will find their climax in the album that will follow.
Among the highlights, besides the violin-filled power ballad 'Song For Love' and the acoustic hit 'Hole Hearted', is the devastatingly riffy 'He-Man Woman Hater'. The intro played by Nuno's buddy Dweezil Zappa, with tapping and delay, gives way to a magnificent composition of pure metal in which is engraved a solo of anthology.
The production signed Nuno Bettencourt has not aged too badly compared to the clothing style of the musicians on the clips and photos of the time. "Pornograffitti" is still a very listenable record, almost 20 years after its release and, if it is not already a classic in your record library, it is highly recommended to add it to your favorites. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Decadence Dance 06:49 02. Li'l Jack Horny 04:51 03. When I'm President 04:21 04. Get The Funk Out 04:24 05. More Than Words 05:34 06. Money (In God We Trust) 04:11 07. It ('s a Monster) 04:24 08. Pornograffitti 06:15 09. When I First Kissed You 04:00 10. Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?) 03:38 11. He-Man Woman Hater" 06:20 12. Song For Love 05:55 13. Hole Hearted 03:39
LINEUP:
Gary Cherone: Chant Nuno Bettencourt: Chant / Guitares / Claviers Paul Badger: Chant / Basse Paul Geary : Batterie
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READERS
2.5/5 (2 view(s))
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STAFF:
4.8/5 (6 view(s))
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