Saudades de Rock - Dark Publications

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Album Description
Extreme is a US Rock band that achieved popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some of Extreme's influences, Queen and Van Halen (the latter of which Gary Cherone would eventually join and later leave), are readily apparent from their music's multi-part vocal harmonies and electric guitar tone and instrumental techniques. The band lends the listener a sound that blends the genre of glam metal with the shredding guitar work of thrash metal. Being asked about their style, Extreme categorized their music as 'Funky Metal'. Extreme has released four studio albums, two EPs (in Japan) and two compilations since its formation. The band was one of the most successful of those from the early 1990s, selling over 10 million albums worldwide. Extreme rose to fame with its 1990 release Pornograffitti, which peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200.

Customer Reviews: Read 62 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

It's about time. August 12, 2008
14 out of 17 found this review helpful

One of the most underrated bands of all time is back with a new album. Extreme's Saudades De Rock is the type of album I have been waiting for. Straight up rock! It does not try to reinvent the wheel, yet manages to sound fresh and fun. Gary's vocals are a bit raspy this time around but I like it as it fits the style of music they are now playing. Nuno is great on lead guitar as usual. Pat Badger tears it up on base. Pat has always been a great bass player but has been overshadowed by Nuno through the years. New Drummer Kevin is the perfect fit and gives Extreme a new dimension that they have never had before. Admittedly this album takes a few listens to really catch on but once it does there is no stopping it. Fans of the band or just plain ol' great rock and roll should pick this up.

1) Star - 6/10 - I can't get past the chorus. I love the rest of the song. Not the best way to start off the album but many other fans I know love it.

2) Comfortably Dumb - 10/10 - Love this song. I read that it has grown on some. This was great to me on listen #1.

3) Learn to Love - 10/10 - WOW! Just WOW! First time I listened I thought it was good but now every time I hear it I just get pumped. My fav. Chorus on the album.

4) Take Us Alive- 8/10 - First off this is a GREAT Live song! Loved it in concert. Rockabilly is alive and well.

5) Run - 8/10 - A lot of people like this song and think it' the best on the album. Not my fav. but a good tune.

6) Last Hour - 8/10 - A great rock/blues song that takes some time to catch.

7) Flower Man - 7/10 - This sounds like Nuno's Solo work.

8 ) King of the Ladies - 8/10 - A fun rock, almost hip/hop song that shoul never be taken too seriously.

9) Ghost - 8.5/10 - An Almost perfect ballad
.
10) Slide - 10/10 - took a bit but I LOVE this song.

11) Interface - 6/10 - I never cared for this song when it was done by Dramagods. But it is growing on me. First listen of this song by Dramagods or Extreme I would have given it a 3/10. So it has grown on me but I don't think it will much more.

12) Sunrise - 8/10 - It's a really good rock song that sounds nothing like the rest of the album. I may end up loving this one.

13) Peace - 8.5/10 - I nice way to end a great album.

14) Bonus track (americocaine demo) No rating because it's not really part of the album.

As a whole I would give this album 9/10. Not perfect but close.

4 out of 5 stars

Extreme V: Saudades De Rock. August 30, 2008
9 out of 11 found this review helpful

I wondered if Extreme was going to ever make another cd. I enjoyed Gary Cherone's queer response to VH1's Band Reunited, and how Nuno Bettencourt refused to even be filmed for the show three or four years ago.

Well here they are with Paul Geary managing, and a new drummer in his place. "Saudades De Rock" is pretty good. Better than the dismal and depressing "Waiting For The Punchline", their last cd back in 1995.

There are plenty of good songs this time around, and the humor is back as well. "Star", "Take Us Alive", "Run", "Flower Man", "Interface" and "Peace (Saudade)" are all good songs. "Comfortably Dumb" is a play on Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb", updated for the ignorant youth of today. "Flower Man" is yet another criticism of John Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance" which the band explored on the song "Rest In Peace" from their excellent 1992 cd "III Sides To Every Story".

There are some ho-hum tracks like "Learn To Love", "Ghost" and "Sunrise" that detract from the flow of the disc. Still, for a band that's been away for 13 years, this is good stuff. I'd easily place it under "III Sides" and over "Waiting", "Pornograffiti" and their debut.

In the liner notes the band says they're back. I'm hoping this means more cds in the future. Drummer Kevin Figueiredo is a perfect match for the band. And let me say that I do miss rock guitar playing such as you hear here with Nuno's virtuoso performances on several of the tracks. They just don't make music like this nowadays. It's all emo or whine-fest. No one know how to play their guitars anymore.

Extreme does a good job with "Saudades De Rock" and if you are a hardcore fan looking for that old Extreme vibe with something new, this one is for you.

4 out of 5 stars

A solid release that should make fans happy. August 13, 2008
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Extreme first came onto the hard rock scene in 1989 with their self titled debut. It was a decent album that was really set apart by Nuno Bettencourt's amazing guitar work on the album along with Gary Cherone's gutsy vocals.

However, on their 1990 release Pornograffiti, they really pulled out the stops and quickly made me a fan. While many people remember this album mainly for the ballad More Than Words when minus that song, the album rocked like almost no album that I've heard then or since. Nuno quickly was rightfully elevated to guitar god status and the band became huge selling around 3 million copies.

But in 1991 Nirvana and grunge hit big and Extreme got caught in the hair band backlash that IMO they really didn't deserve. So it was with no fanfare and only Gold album sales with 1992's III Sides To Every Story which was my favorite album that came out that particular year.
The band then was really jaded with how quickly a band can get popular and then have those same fans turn on them when their material itself actually got stronger.
So that jaded mentality caused their (up till recently) final album Waiting For The Punchline (released in 1995) to reak of mediocrity with only a few good songs on it. They just sounded unhappy on it and not really wanting to record an album at that point after the sales debacle of their fantastic 3rd album.

3/4's of the original lineup (minus the original drummer who is a successful manager of bands such as Godsmack) has returned though in 2008 with an album called Saudades De Rock which is for the most part a proper return to form for this underrated band. It definitely makes the bad taste of Waiting for the Punchline an complete afterthought as this new album contains some of their better songs since their 3rd album.

The album retains for the most part the raw production style of their 4th album but the songwriting is much improved. The album just rocks from start to finish with great variety throughout. The only thing keeping me from giving this a full 5 star rating however is that there really aren't that many songs on here that jump out at you like a lot of their classic material did, but for people who have been waiting for Extreme to get back to making music, it will make them very happy indeed. The band sounds energized, relaxed and having fun again which is what fans want to hear.

This has been quite a comeback year for veteran acts from the 80's with fantastic new albums by Whitesnake, Dokken, Testament and now a splendidly solid release from Extreme.

2 out of 5 stars

Extreme(ly) disappointed August 12, 2008
7 out of 16 found this review helpful

I am not hear to bash the band or be ignorant and write a review without have listening to the album. I picked up with Frontiers release issued back on August 4th, and must say I am a bit bummed out by this release. I had HUGE hopes that Extreme would release a classic album in the vein of Pronograffiti or III Sides to Every Story, but to my dismay, this release picks up where Waiting for the Punchline left off. I was not a fan of Waiting for the Punchline album, even though it has solid production and a few solid songs the whole Extreme sound had changed. Even though this album had HUGE potential because the guitar riffs and guitarwork from Nuno are everywhere on this, Nuno's playing is a real bright spot, yet, the lack of memorable Choruses, Big vocal harmonies and the god-awful production (who the hell mixed this album?!?) sink this comeback album. This is not old school Extreme, it's just a straight ahead rock album with Gary Cherone on vocals, and Nuno on guitar (anyone remember Van Halen III?) . Very little (if barely any) of that classic Extreme sound are present here. And that's ashame because you can hear that these songs want to get going but never go anywhere. While the album is not definitely a waste of time, check it out if you're a fan and you be the judge. Oh yeah, the Frontiers version includes the bonus 1985 demo of Americocaine, and that bonus track is the most classic sounding Extreme song on the new record.

5 out of 5 stars

EXTREME IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER! August 12, 2008
6 out of 10 found this review helpful

as they say, not a bum track in the bunch, how great it is to hear these guys again after THIRTEEN YEARS with brand new ROCK AND ROLL in today's vapid music scene.......welcome back, boys, we missed you! TEN STARS IF I COULD GO THAT HIGH!!!! ya haven't aged a day!

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