Extreme

This album exhibits great lyrical and instrumental composition! Gary Cherone's vocal execution is "A" 4/40 on many tracks. Rough enough to ride the jagged edge of heavy metal, but yet, well refined during tracks like "Rock A Bye Bye." And harmony! My god! The WHOLE band is able to contribute their vocal artistry on many of the songs contained within. I now have an adequate defense against the claims that that harmony is dead in today's modern music. Sure, my ear picks up reminiscent tones of earlier bands like Queen, but come on! I believe that even Freddy would be somewhat pleased with the little "Rock A Bye" ditty. No wonder Van Halen wanted Cherone as their front man when Sammy made his exit.

Nuno Bettencourt is phenomenal on this whole album. Perhaps I am hearing evidence of influential artists like Vetto Bratta, Brian May, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, and tidbits of others, but the clarity of keyed notes and technical mastery brings forth a refreshing cacophony of sound fidelity.

Bottom line! This release deserves allot more respect than was first awarded over a decade ago. Other than "Three Sides To Every Story", this album displays the very best that Extreme had to offer...and more! It is difficult to fathom that THIS was their début release.

When you think of the glam metal movement of the eighties, Extreme is NOT a band that is likely to come to mind. If you DO remember them, it's for their ballads Hole Hearted and/or More Than Words, from their 1990 sophomore album noth their rockers. Other bands of the eighties tended to steal the spotlight, and thus these guys were, in a sense, left out in the cold. They were never immortalized the way bands like Poison were. That's a real shame, since these guys were extremely talented musicians. Nuno Bettencourt has got to be the most underrated guitar virtuoso on the planet. And of course, Gary Cherone is one hell of a singer (though it was a different story when he joined Van Halen, but try to forget about that.) Read on for my review of Extreme's 1989 self-titled debut album.

Little Girls - Bluesy hard rock. The harmonica is a nice touch.

Wind Me Up - Melodic hard rock. Inventive lyrics.

Kid Ego - Biggest hit off the album. Funk-based rock.

Watching Waiting - The power ballad of the album. Very good.

Mutha (Don't Wanna Go to School Today) - This one features Nuno's best guitar on the entire album. Cool lyrics too.

Teacher's Pet - Classic heavy glam rock. Reminds me of Van Halen's Hot For Teacher, ironic considering where Gary ended up!

Big Boys Don't Cry - Hard, glam rock. Good track.

Smoke Signals - More classic, funk-based rock.

Flesh 'N' Blood - NOT THE POISON SONG. Classic eighties glam rock at its best.

Rock a Bye Bye - The slowest ballad on the album. The orchestral touch was a good idea.

Play With Me - Fast and frantic rock, these kinds of songs are what the band did best.

Overall, Extreme's debut is excellent. It's a little uneven at times (as other reviews have stated), but it's still a good album through and through. If you're a fan of Queen, Poison, or David Lee Roth-era Van Halen, I think you'll like Extreme, since they sound like a fusion of those three bands. If you're into eighties glam rock, don't overlook Extreme - they're the unsung heroes of the genre.