THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 2, 1995 TAG: 9503020077
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE SMALLWOOD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
DON'T LET THOSE pretty acoustic ballads fool you. Extreme's a rock band. And ``Waiting for the Punchline,'' the latest LP from the Boston four-piece responsible for '91 chart-burners ``More Than Words'' and ``Hole Hearted,'' proves it.
It's not grunge, metal, power-pop, or punk. It's rock, pure and simple.
``It was like capturing a live rehearsal,'' said album producer and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt in a phone interview from Beantown. ``It was sort of like to let anybody who's into Extreme be in the rehearsal room with us.''
The result is a powerhouse platter, chock full of organic grooves from bassist Pat Badger and new drummer Mike Mangini, Bettencourt's tastefully explosive technique and Gary Cherone's earnest soul-screams - and only one ballad, buried deep into the disc.
Extreme brings that sound to the Boathouse in Norfolk Saturday.
``With every sort of new category or style of music, whether it's Nirvana or Pearl Jam, there sort of comes a hundred bands afterwards that sort of say, `Hello, I'm here and I've been doing this too,' '' the guitarist explained of ``Hip Today,'' the album's first single.
``People try to jump on the bandwagon. Fashion is fashion, anybody should wear what they want. But musically, it's getting a bit ridiculous when people start chasing the wind just to fit in. You've just got to do what you do to be around for awhile.''
Bettencourt's stylish playing has served Extreme very well in its many creative adventures, from 1991's acoustic-focused, multi-platinum breakthrough ``Pornograffiti'' to the ambitious progressive-rock romp of 1992's ``III Sides To Every Story'' and now ``Punchline.''
``I've always been very intensely involved in what I do, so if that comes across as talent, it's sort of talent for being that involved,'' Bettencourt said. ``I've always treated it song by song, sometimes there are songs that you do some crazy things on and sometimes there isn't. That's where the talent comes in. It's not really playing those things, the talent is knowing when to shut up.''
Bettencourt's caveat on ``Punchline'' is ``Midnight Express,'' a pulsing Eastern-tinged instrumental that showcases his abilities.
``That one, I didn't know when to shut up,'' the guitarist said with a laugh. ``That's more of a rhythmic sort of a show-off than anything else. It's just a vibe.''
So is the band hungry for more chart-toppers?
``Hits are just hits,'' Bettencourt said. ``They're not any reflection on what the record is or what we are. They're just a song that everybody likes. We never thought about it when we did `More Than Words,' so why start thinking now? Hits are funny things these days, they could be anything.'' MEMO: CONCERT FACTS
Who: Extreme, with Flesh
When: 9 p.m. Saturday
Where: the Boathouse, Norfolk
Tickets: $11.50 advance. To order, call 671-8100.
Information: 622-6395 ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MICHAEL HALSBAND, A&M Records
Extreme, from left, Nuno Bettencourt, Mike Mangini, Gary Cherone and
Pat Badger, will visit Norfolk on Saturday.
by CNB