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Rating: Strange story that of Extreme: practically unnoticed at their debut in 1989 with the self-titled album, they rose to fame thanks to "More than Words", a ballad that immediately became a number one hit in the charts around the world, but also unfortunately a sort of curse, labeling them as a "one-hit wonder" band and consequently leading them to find less and less success and appreciation with their subsequent works, until their premature demise within 4 years.
No impression was ever more wrong, because that song does not represent what Extreme were at all: an extremely underrated band, with a thousand facets, composed of serious and capable professionals able to blend rock, metal, funk, and... yes, even more "banal" and commercial pieces like "More than Words" indeed.
This is more evident than ever with "III Sides...", their third album and sign of their definitive maturation: courageously, the Boston quartet decided not to ride the wave of success (it would have been much simpler and more profitable to churn out a CD in the style of the predecessor, including a chart-topping single and living off its success), but chose to continue on their path, daring as they have always done, going against the tide, perhaps disregarding easy money and charts.
The album in question is a kind of concept: it is divided into 3 parts ("Yours", "Mine", and "The Truth"), which represent a sort of triple vision of the music of the group: indeed, never like in this CD is it possible to find elements ranging from their trademark funk-rock to properly heavy metal accelerations, even venturing into symphonic opera (and here the definition of those who saw them as the heirs of Queen is apt). Extreme prove capable of moving with absolute naturalness from one genre to another: to the fast and adrenaline-filled "Warheads" that opens the platter, a calm and thought-out "Stop the World" (excellent ballad and one of the singles) opposes, to the lighter and carefree atmospheres of "Tragic Comic" (another single, dominated by acoustic instruments) responds a splendid orchestral composition like the ballad "Seven Sundays", up to bold experiments like the rap inserts in "Cupid's Dead", perhaps the most challenging track to interpret, but featuring an applaud-worthy guitar-bass unison instrumental section.
Over all, the work on the six-string by Nuno Bettencourt stands out, one of the best rhythmic guitarists around, capable of mastering the most disparate techniques and genres and blending them into thought-out solos that never represent a pure display of technique, so much so that the two best can be found in "Rest in Peace" (first single from the album), where the blues references are evident, and in "Who Cares?": few notes, but of intensity and expressiveness difficult to imitate.
Also standing out is the bass work by Pat Badger, both in the rhythm section in the company of Paul Geary behind the drums and as a worthy support to Nuno, also starring in several episodes: the already mentioned duet-duel in "Cupid's Dead" and the solo in "Stop the World", another small gem of expressiveness that few single notes can deliver!
The work concludes with the final opus (it cannot be called otherwise) "Everything Under the Sun": 22 minutes of suite, in which all the souls of the group converge: the intro of music box notes opens "Rise 'n' Shine", an acoustic track where we find the inevitable Gary Cherone - Nuno duet on vocals, then moving on to the more sustained rhythms of "Am I Ever Gonna Change?", with its catchy chorus flowing into the concluding "Who Cares?", dominated by piano and symphonic orchestra masterfully directed by the usual Nuno, where there is also room for Cherone's excellent interpretation, inspired and guided by his passion for theater opera; a suite that also features the most serious and profound lyrics written by the duo Cherone-Nuno, the true thinking minds and composers of the combo. Lyrics that depart from the playful and sometimes borderline censorable ones of previous works, to embrace more mature, social themes, touching on the sphere of human feelings and even the religious realm (the moving "God isn't Dead?" is the perfect example).
Ultimately, an album undoubtedly difficult to listen to from beginning to end, also due to the considerable overall length (about 76 min.), but undoubtedly better than any other showcasing all the talent the four were masters of: a work certainly not very commercial and almost impossible to play on the radio or MTV and therefore did not achieve the success it deserved, marking the beginning of the descending path for the group; however, an excellent album capable of satisfying various tastes, and it is precisely this characteristic that makes it even more of a true masterpiece.
P.S.: in the cassette edition there is an additional track, namely "Don't Leave Me Alone": it is a sweet piano ballad with a Gary-Nuno duet on vocals, and it is a real shame that it was not included on the CD…
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Warheads (05:18)
Hey Kid, wanna have some fun? Choose a side and here's your gun Brought up knowing right from wrong, squash the meek, inherit the strong Just try and cross the line, Don't even bother to waste my time What's that look in your eyes? It's time I cut you down to size This world ain't big enough for two, And I've got my sights on you WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE, I'M A WARHEAD, YOU'RE A WARHEAD A WARHEAD JUST LIKE ME? HE'S A WARHEAD, SHE'S A WARHEAD WATCH 'EM SCREAM 'N YELL WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE, A WARHEAD TOO WHEN I BLOW THEM STRAIGHT TO HELL Ramboy, it's us and them Just like your Daddy in Vietnam Monkey see, Monkey do, Your boy's grown up Just like you This world ain't Big enough for two and I've got my eye on you CHORUS I've seen Black heads, White heads, Red heads, Dead heads, Big heads, Shit heads, but, there's no heads Like WARHEADS!
02 Rest in Peace (06:01)
Let's talk of peace,
Sounds so cliche
A novelty, catch phrase of the day
Middle, index,
Sign of the time
Just as complex,
As water to...
Someone said give peace a chance
And, that's all that we're saying
While we're sitting on the fence
Pretending,
Our hearts are in the right place
But, your face
Shows a trace of,
Hypocrisy,
Don't tread on me,
Now you can see
Make love not war, sounds so absurd to me
We can't afford to say these words, lightly
Or else our world, will truly, rest in peace
Let's not pretend,
to justify
Rather amend,
Where treasures lie
Straight through the heart,
Peace can be found
That's where you start,
Not all around
Someone said give peace a chance
And, that's all that we're saying
While we're sitting on the fence
Pretending,
Our hearts are in the right place
But, your face
Shows a trace of,
Hypocrisy,
Don't tread on me, boy
Now you can see
03 Politicalamity (05:04)
Wars 'n rumors
Of wars, no one knows what for
Toys and soldiers
Deployed, on some foreign shore
Lords and rulers
Destroy, diplomatic rapport
Communists, dictatorships
Democracies, hypocrisies
Ask not what your country can do?
To a one world governmental zoo
POLITICAL, POLITICAL
POLITICALAMITY
IT'S AN-AR-CHY
POLITICAL, POLITICAL
POLITICALAMITY
Rich 'n poor
Salute your country's colors
Less is more
When one oppresses the other
Pride 'n power
Decorated upon collars
Donkeys, bears 'n elephants
All paper-trained on parliament
Ask not what your country can do?
To a one world governmental zoo
04 Color Me Blind (05:00)
I had a dream, Last night I was blind And I couldn't see Color of any kind Picture the world, minus a rainbow When day becomes night, then where will the sun go Dancing alone, just me and my shadow Color me blind, so I can see no evil WHY DO WE DREAM, IN BLACK AND WHITE? COLOR ME BLIND WHY DO WE DREAM IN BLACK AND WHITE? COLOR ME BLIND I had a dream, I was looking, over the mountain But I've, I've yet to see the, The so-called promised land Picture the world, Without any color You couldn't tell, One face from the other I don't understand Why we fight with our brother Color me blind Just to love one another Color me, color you, COLOR ME BLIND
05 Cupid's Dead (05:56)
''You see the papers today?''
I read the news today, oh boy
About a tragic comedy
Newspaper hinted suicide
The letterhead read ''"Dear Johnny"''
The tainted truth was all it said
Sleep tight now that you've made your bed
An arrow that once pierced my heart
Points to the apple on your head
Three sides to every story
Yours, mine and Monday morning's
''"Cupid's dead"'', headlines read
Cupid's dead, oh no no
''"Cupid's dead"'', headlines read
Cupid's dead, oh no no
''Paper here. Get your papers here.
Extra. "Cupid's Dead."''
Oh, Romeo, Oh, Romeo
Where did our love go, Romeo?
If you read between the headlines
You wouldn't be the last to know
No mystery yet to unfold
A paperboy left in the cold
A love was said to never die
Withered away and just got old
Three sides to every story
Yours, mine and Monday morning's
''"Cupid's dead"'', headlines read
Cupid's dead, oh no no
''"Cupid's dead"'', headlines read
Cupid's dead, oh no no
"Our top story tonight is a crime of passion
The victim, an unidentified man,
is found in bed, wearing only a diaper,
holding a bow an arrow in one hand,
and clutching a letter in the other.
The letter simply read, ''Cupid's dead.''"
''(Extra, extra, extra, extra)''
Read all about it
Cupid's dead
Cupid is dead, deceased, I got peace of mind
Still it's hard to forget what it leaves behind
A lot of love lost, your feelings are wasted
Tasted the sweetness but now you're faced with
The thought of being alone, no more companionship
You can handle it, just abandon it
Leave it behind and look for the brighter day
Give it some time, 'cause it won't come right away
You gotta be standing strong, hold on to your dignity
Don't sit around saying, ''"Look what ya did to me."''
It's time to move on, you gotta continue
To look for a love of a life that's within you
Cupid is dead now, it's time to rely on
Yourself to cope, you got no shoulder to cry on
Cupid's Dead
07 Seven Sundays (04:18)
One day
we'll find the time
to spend, together
until then, My Love
If I had one wish
It wouldn't be hard to choose
Seven Sundays in a row
'cause that's the day
That I spend with you
Someday soon,
you and I
will hold each other
once again, My Love
If I had one wish
It wouldn't be hard to choose
Seven Sundays in a row
Seven Sundays in a row
Seven Sundays in a row
'cause that's the day
That I spend with you
If I had one wish
It wouldn't be hard to choose
08 Tragic Comic (04:44)
Flowers, I sent,
were found dead on their arrival
The words, I said,
inserted foot in my mouthful
So when, we dance,
My lead it ain't so graceful
(Isn't so, not ain't so)
I'm a hapless romantic
St-t-tuttering po-poet
Just call me a tragic comic
Cause I'm, in, in love with you
And when, we dine,
I forget to push in your seat
I wear, the wine,
spilling hearts all over my sleeve
A stitch, in time,
proposing down on my knees
(Splitting between the seams)
I'm a hapless romantic
St-t-tuttering po-poet
Just call me a tragic comic
Cause I'm, in, in love with you
Nobody, can know the,
trouble I've, seen
Nobody, can know the,
trouble I, get into,
when I'm with you
10 Stop the World (05:57)
All the world's
a masquerade
made up of fools
and philosophers
Were it to rain
on our charade,
all washes away,
except for our true colors
If any people bothered
looking for truth, please,
STOP THE WORLD
from spinning 'round
instead we choose to follow
footsteps of fools, please
STOP THE WORLD
from spinning 'round
If nothing's new under the sun
for me and you
Won't somebody please...
STOP THE WORLD
STOP THE WORLD
I WANNA GET OFF
STOP THE WORLD
STOP THE WORLD
WHERE THERE IS LOVE
If we forget
yesterday,
We're bound to repeat it
tomorrow
It's not too late
to start today,
Better off safe,
than sorry
Do unto those as you would
do to yourselves, please,
STOP THE WORLD
from spinning 'round
We need more feet to walk
in one another's shoes, please
STOP THE WORLD
from spinning 'round
There's nothing new
under the sun
for me and you,
Won't somebody please...
12 Everything Under the Sun: I. Rise 'n Shine - II. Am I Ever Gonna Change - III. Who Cares? (21:38)
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