Review: Extreme - Pornograffitti Remastered

Ever since I first heard the piano notes and a woman’s voice crying out “Francis…!” I have been in love with Extreme’s second album. I owned the original on cassette before upgrading to CD years later. And now, the band has released a remastered, double disc, 25^th Anniversary edition of the album, which sounds even better than ever.

Extreme is an amazing band that I have always believed never got the proper amount of attention and respect they deserved. And while their debut album was a solid, hard rock effort, it was their second release, Pornograffitti that showed the band and their fans the true sound of Extreme. Rock, Pop, Jazz, and Funk all blended into one amazing wall of music was the pronounced sound of Extreme. That was never showcased more than on Pornograffitti.

The remastered album brings back many memories with much more clarity. Almost every song on the record is a hit; the exception being “When I First Kissed You,” which is a song that I just never liked. I always felt that it was too swoony, that the band was trying too hard to be Frank Sinatra, or some jazz club act. And perhaps that was their intent for this one song, but it never sat well with me. Every other song on the record is fantastic! And while the remastered album memorized from my youth sounds truly outstanding, it is the bonus disc that makes this collection worth owning.

Along with the entire Pornografitti album, there is a second disc of deliciousness. B-sides “Nice Place To Visit” and “Sex N Love” are included in the package. Also on disc are two remix versions of “Get The Funk Out”, radio edits of “Money (In God We Trust) and “Decadence Dance,” and several versions of the bands biggest hit “More Than Words.” Four different versions of “More Than Words” are also contained, including an A Cappella version and a radio edit.

Overall, owning Extreme II: Pornograffitti is a no-brainer. The album still holds up 25 years later and sounds much better than any Nick Jonas, Taylor Swift, One Direction garbage that Ryan Seacrest shoved down our throats on New Year’s Eve. Extreme’s second album is funk rock at its finest. Even if you already own the record, do yourself a favor and get this double disc anniversary edition. It’s a huge upgrade for a small amount of dough.  

Track Listing

DISC ONE:

Decadence Dance

Lil Jack Horny

When I’m President

Get The Funk Out

More Than Words

Money (In God We Trust)

It’s (a Monster)

Pornograffitti

When I First Kissed You

Suzi (Wants Her All Day What)

He-Man Woman Hater

Song For Love

Hole Hearted

DISC TWO:

More Than Words Remix

Nice Place To Visit (Single B-side)

More Than Words – Radio Edit

Decadence Dance – Edit

Money (In God We Trust ) – Edit

More Than Words – A Capella

Get The Funk Out – What The Funk Mix

More Than Words – Non Percussion Version

Get The Funk Out – 12 Inch Remix

Sex N Love (Single B-side)

Extreme II: Pornograffitti Gets 25th Anniversary Treatment

Extreme II: Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairy Tale) first came out on A&M Records in August 1990, the follow-up to the band’s 1989 debut. The album is considered, according to the newly penned liner notes by Metal Hammer’s Malcolm Dome contained in the accompanying booklet, as the “definitive album” of the band’s career.

“This was the album where we found ourselves,” says vocalist Gary Cherone. “Our first album showed us to be the bastard sons of Queen, Aerosmith and Van Halen. But on the second record, we discovered our style and sound.”

The deluxe edition reissue includes a full second album of rare mixes and B-sides re-mastered from the original tapes, and is scheduled for release on January 20, 2015. The original album, which went double platinum in the U.S. with more than two million sold, cracking the Billboard 200 Top 10, featured the chart-topping single “More Than Words,” the Top 5 “Hole Hearted” and the rock radio standout “Get the Funk Out,” which included vocals by Pat Travers. Dweezil Zappa, (whose solo album guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was about to produce) added some guitar riffs to “He-Man Woman Hater” when the band recorded some of the album at Scream Studios in Studio City, CA.

Bettencourt was instrumental in initially composing the original songs, leaving Cherone alone to write the lyrics, which Cherone describes as “a coming of age tale… about an innocent boy who is growing up and exposed to sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.”

Bettencourt himself doesn’t see the disc as “a concept album,” but admits in the liner notes, “I suppose what happened was a little like writing a play, and then trying to make sure the songs fit into the plot.”

Among the collectibles on the second disc of the package are a B-side a cappella version of “More Than Words,” rare B-sides “Nice Place to Visit” and “Sex N’ Love” and 7” and 12” remixes of “Get The Funk Out.”

The album has come to define the band’s career.

“I still constantly have musicians say to me that the album meant so much to them, and that proves what an impact it had. Its success established us as a major band,” recalls “decadent drummer” Paul Geary.

“We came into our own on this album,” admits bassist/vocalist Pat Badger. “We honed in on our hard rock sound. The songs were riff-driven yet also had a little funk groove. But we were still diverse, which has always been one of our trademarks.”

“It seems like another lifetime to me,” says Bettencourt, “I listen to it, and I can criticize some things. But I am still proud of it. And so many fans do still say it’s their favorite album.”

Extreme will support the release of the reissued Extreme II: Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairy Tale) on their ‘Pornograffitti Live – 25^th Anniversary Tour, with a series of concerts in the new year where they will play the entire album front to back, including the following January dates:

January 16: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT

January 17: State Theater, Portland, ME

January 18: The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY

January 20: Bergen P.A.C, Englewood, NJ

January 21: House of Blues, Boston, MA

January 22: Penn’s Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA

January 24: The Space at Westbury, Westbury, NY

January 25: Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, MD

January 27: Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH

January 28: House of Blues, Chicago, IL

January 29: Mill City Nights, Minneapolis, MN

January 31: FireKeepers Casino, Battle Creek, MI

For more information, go to www.extreme-band.com/site/

I got to see Extreme last summer at M3 and they were on fire! Definitely check this show out if they are coming near your hometown. Extreme rocks!