From the late '80's through to the mid '90's, Extreme
was one of the biggest names within the hard rock scene, with a string
of hit singles and sales of over ten million albums to their name.
But in 1996, the music scene had shifted, and the Boston
(Massachusetts) based four-piece act decided to disband in order to
pursue other musical endeavours.
But even after finding considerable success in a host
of other ventures (vocalist Gary Cherone with Van Halen and Tribe Of
Judah, and guitarist Nuno Bettencourt with Mourning Widows, Population
1 and DramaGods), Cherone and Bettencourt, along with original bassist
Pat Badger and new drummer Kevin Figueiredo, have reunited once again
under the banner of Extreme, with their latest album 'Saudades De Rock'
boasting the first new material from the band in twelve long years.
During a brief spell at his Boston home, I caught up with
Cherone to discuss Extreme's new experimental sound and their latest
effort 'Saudades De Rock'.
Of course no conversation with Cherone could get underway
without asking the obvious - why did the band decide now was the right
time to reactivate Extreme on a full-time basis, despite the band's
willingness to play the odd show here and there over the last couple
of years?
"It's funny you know, because throughout the years,
Bettencourt and I have always been close. There were no fights when
Extreme disbanded. We've always been brothers, and mutual fans of each
others projects that we've done throughout the years. So we always knew
that Extreme would always get back together. It was never a question
of if. It was always a question of when. It's just been that in the
past couple of years, we seemed to be colliding more. I mean we did
these one-off returns in 2005 and in 2006, but over the last three or
four years, it just seemed to be getting more frequent. That's when
I really started bugging him! (Laughs) I told him that if we're going
to do things, then let's do it! It was as simple as that. He was finishing
up the Perry Farrell Satellite Party project (Bettencourt was a member
of the band from 2004 through to 2007) he was doing, which he actually
quit sooner than I thought, to tell you the truth, and we started recording
in late 2007. Even before that though, we were writing. We were having
writing sessions all the time, where he would come up here to Boston,
or if I was in L.A., we would hook up for a weekend and write some songs.
It was always that relationship. But the one thing that always kept
us from doing Extreme full-time was an agreement between the two of
us. We both decided a long time ago was that if we were going to do
Extreme again, it really had to be based on new music. So the timing
was right for us, and we surprised ourselves with the amount of material
that we wrote, and the album that we eventually came up with. We're
ready to go."
Although getting together on and off over the years to
write songs, it wasn't until the band were together in the one place
for writing sessions that the material really started pouring out of
the song writing pair.
"That's exactly what happened. Bettencourt and I
would get together and have these little writing sessions with an acoustic
guitar or a piano. But when we got into the rehearsal studio and plugged
in, everybody was overflowing with ideas. Throughout my whole career,
I have been trying to keep up with Bettencourt's inspiration. There
was so much music coming out of him, and so many ideas. And believe
it or not, we were writing a couple of songs a day! There was an overwhelming
amount of material coming out of those sessions. The hard part of putting
the new Extreme album together was cutting tracks away, and letting
the cream rise so to speak. We had to balance off the ballads with the
rockers, and balancing off the pair of them with the more eclectic songs
we came up with. That was tough. But I think we managed to do that."
While all of Extreme's albums in the past have always
had their own individual character and feel, 'Saudades De Rock' is something
different for the band, with the thirteen tracks on the album seemingly
touching upon all facets of the band's past, while presenting some previously
unheard new sounds from the band.
"You know what? You nailed it! I think you described
it perfectly. It took us a while to understand what it was, because
we would be in the belly of the whale writing this stuff. We would have
outside listeners like family members and managers saying to us, 'Wow!
'Star' could have come right off 'Pornograffitti' (1990)'. 'Ghost' would
remind people of 'III Sides To Every Story' (1992), and maybe 'King
Of The Ladies' has that fun spirit that meant it would easily slot into
our first album (1989). Or maybe some of the rawer sounding stuff could
have found a home on 'Waiting For The Punchline' (1995). That was some
of the classic elements we didn't have to really try too hard to write.
We never actually thought about it, or really preconceived anything.
We just ended up writing just for the sake of the song, so all that
stuff really came out quite naturally. But there were some newer elements
which reflected where we had been in the last ten years. I think that
shows the different influences and experiences we had been through in
that time, which was finally starting to show through on some of this
new material. Songs like 'Take Us Alive', 'Learn To Love', or even 'Sunrise',
are just some of the new directions and grooves that we went in and
did differently. Again, it's a combination of players and chemistry,
and maybe subliminally, our new drummer Figueiredo with his personality.
I have been saying to myself that we really made a selfish album. We
made an album for ourselves. And I think it was very liberating to do
that. Not that we didn't do that in the past! (Laughs) The easy part
really was just getting together."
Unlike 'Waiting For The Punchline', 'Saudades De Rock'
marks a return of the band's harmony vocals and more straightforward
rock sound. It's a fact that's not lost on Cherone one bit.
"I think following up 'III Sides To Every Story', combined with
the endless cycle of making an album and touring it constantly over
that many years, and just some of the pressures of life on the road
and all of that other stuff, we went into 'Waiting For The Punchline'
with a different mindset. It wasn't necessarily the clearest vision,
because we simply stripped down everything. We stripped down too much.
We pulled some of the classic elements of Extreme's sound and the harmonies
off that album. We were biting our nose to spite our face by doing that,
and I think we lost a little perspective during the recording of that
album. I still think that album is good, but I think we succeeded on
this album what we tried to do with 'Waiting For The Punchline'. We
stripped down too much on 'Waiting For The Punchline', and it's taken
us thirteen years after that to know what we wanted. There just wasn't
the pressure of the record company to follow up another 'More Than Words'
while we were making 'Saudades De Rock'. Coming back fresh, I think
Bettencourt's production on this album has brought out some of the best
performances in Extreme's career. I think the singing in particular
is better. And I don't just think my vocals, but Bettencourt's too with
his harmonies. Bettencourt is playing his ass off as well. If you're
an Extreme fan, and I don't know how many are out there, you will not
be disappointed with this album. I think it's all of the above. I think
it's a piece of every album we've ever done, plus something new."
Extreme has always attracted as much acclaim as they did
criticism for their eclectic sound and reluctance to limit themselves
to any one particular genre. And in true Extreme form, 'Saudades De
Rock' looks set to divide the masses once again with its wide and varied
mix of influences and styles presented throughout.
"I think that with all Extreme albums, there's always
going to be some surprises. We've streamed 'Star' as the first song
off the new album on the website, and I think we've received around
seventy-five to eighty percent positive reviews. But I think like all
Extreme albums, whether you release 'Rest In Peace', 'Warheads', 'Decadence
Dance' or 'When I First Kissed You', you could misdirect people. With
this album, I think people are going to have to digest the whole album
more than just the once to know just where the band is at these days.
I'll give you an example. I remember when every time I would get a new
Queen album, I would always be initially disappointed. I remember picking
up 'The Game' (1980) and thinking it was nothing like 'Jazz' (1978).
I really didn't know if I liked it or not. But I ended up loving it!
Queen was Queen, and they were always off to do a new thing with every
new album. Again, I think our philosophy is the same. Don't get me wrong,
and just for the record, I'm not comparing Extreme with Queen. But I
think we always try and do something new with every album, much like
Queen did. I think Extreme is an anomaly. We're a quirky band. We don't
fit into any genre. We're lumped in with a lot of the hair bands from
the '80's, but I think that's only because we came out before Nirvana
and Pearl Jam. But I think fans and critics of Extreme know what we
are, and that this band has held its own and that we've separated ourselves
from some of our contemporaries."
One interesting track that appears on 'Saudades De Rock'
is 'Interface', which appears in re-recorded form from 'Love', the 2005
debut effort from Bettencourt's other outfit DramaGods.
"That's right. It's a brilliant song. That was just
one of the songs that we brought up in conversation during the writing
sessions for the album. Bettencourt always loved the song, and I guess
when he wrote it back in the day, he always pictured it as an Extreme
song. It was a great song, and happens to be one of my favourite songs
on that particular album. He mentioned it, and nobody was opposed to
doing it. It ended up being one of the cream songs that rose to the
top. Only a small number of people heard the DramaGods album, so if
this draws attention to that album, then that's great. A great song
is a great song no matter who does it."
Not only did Extreme pinch 'Interface' from DramaGods,
but they also borrowed their drummer Figueiredo as well.
"(Laughs) Very good! I like that. First and foremost,
Bettencourt and I always talked about getting Extreme back together,
but only if there was something new to offer. We didn't want to punch
in and do a nostalgic tour. We played here and there, but they were
just one offs for fun. But we never ever thought of touring purely off
our back catalogue. So the first reason we got back together was the
purely to make new music. But secondly, Bettencourt found a drummer
that he was happy with. I think that's the secret behind Bettencourt's
success, as well as Extreme's. That was an easy decision. When Bettencourt
and I decided to put the band back together, drummers were talked about.
Although Paul Geary came and did a few of the one off shows with us
in the past, he's now pretty much retired. So he was ruled out straight
away. Michael Mangini on the other hand was in a different place, and
we were in a different place too. So that didn't work out. That's when
Bettencourt suggested Figueiredo. Bettencourt was a fan of Figueiredo's
playing, and I had seen Figueiredo play for years, so it was an easy
decision to get him in the band. He's from the east coast, so he was
just an easy fit. Plus, because he was from the east coast and grew
up in the same area, him and Pat Badger (Bassist) hit it off immediately.
He's just a regular guy. And he's a John Bonham fan too! (Laughs)"
Being as diverse sounding as 'Saudades De Rock' is, I
imagined that there wouldn't be any one clear favourite track that all
four members of the band would agree on as their particular favourite
to play once touring commences. And I suspected, Cherone confirmed it
all depends on what mood the band are all in.
"It's funny because we can now let the touring fights
begin! (Laughs) We're already jostling for positions for particular
favourites. You know, you get in those moods, and favourites will always
change. One personal favourite for me is 'Learn To Love'. I remember
when we wrote it, and we were going to do it like any other song. Nobody
really thinks in terms of singles, we just write and whatever happens
just happens. Even if the arrangement gets long or epic, like on 'Last
Hour'. But the one song that I tend to gravitate towards is 'Learn To
Love'. I thought that was something new for Extreme. It has a little
rock and roll soul in the chorus, and this blues like soul thing going
on around it. Some people call it an album track, but another one of
my favourites is 'Sunrise'. I think it has this real Led Zeppelin 'Houses
Of The Holy' (1973) kind of vibe to it. I love 'Ghost' and 'Interface'
too. I think 'Take Us Alive' could be an Extreme classic. That's a real
rock/country thing. That has more of a Led Zeppelin country take on
it. For some strange reason, I think we'll probably play that one for
the rest of our lives. Everyone's got their favourites. I think 'Comfortably
Dumb' might be a live thing. 'Star' and 'Slide' are live tracks too.
'Peace (Saudade)' is a track that we may end the show with, with Bettencourt
sitting at the piano. We may even save that as an encore. The album
has a lot of different flavours, so it depends on the mood you're in
when it comes to picking any one stand out."
One track that didn't get a mention from Cherone is the
absolutely rocking 'King Of The Ladies'.
"You know what's so funny about that? That's the
track that everyone mentions as their favourite, hence why I didn't
mention it. When we wrote that, it was so fun. I think it's got a great
guitar riff, and the chorus could be a Kiss chorus. And live, I think
the fans are going to eat it up. That song has a hint of the first two
albums. It has a real fun vibe to it, and it's got that little rock
something going on."
Undoubtedly one of Cherone's strongest performances on
'Saudades De Rock' is on 'Learn To Love', where he clearly pushes his
high end vocals to heights previously unheard of before. But as Cherone
reveals, the challenge will be reproducing those vocals on a nightly
basis on tour.
"Believe it or not, but I have this 'Live Items Veto
Clause'! (Laughs) Whenever I see it in the set list, and my voice is
shit that night, I will take a magic marker and scratch it off the set
list. To tell you the truth, going into this tour, that's one of the
songs that I'm looking forward to most doing live. It's also going to
be one of the biggest challenges too because of that same reason. Even
when we wrote it, I was thinking to myself that I had better be on my
game in the studio to sing it. And even when I had finished recording
it, I remember thinking, I don't know if I can pull this shit off live!
It actually reminded me of some of the stuff I was doing in Van Halen.
It was almost out of my key. But overall, I think it's one of the band's
best performances on the album. That's why I'm excited to do it. Then
again, I think I'm going to have to pick my nights when I do it. I'm
thinking sometime around the last hour. They're the ones I have to be
careful of doing, in regards to being able to do them well. I'll probably
pick and choose the nights I sing that one for sure."
One song that's unlikely to be aired from the new album
is the European bonus track 'Americocaine', which is lifted from the
band's original demo from 1985.
"That's right. The Japanese version of the album
also has another track on the album, and that is called 'Mr. Bates'.
Both those tracks were early Extreme club songs. Some of those songs
made it to the first album. Personally, 'Mr. Bates' really sounds like
the embryonic stage of the band, and before Bettencourt and I really
found ourselves as songwriters, which really only presented itself from
'Pornograffitti' onwards. 'Americocaine' was the first song that we
ever wrote, and we co-wrote it with Paul Mangone, who was my bass player
in my band before Extreme (The Dream). Extreme recorded a version of
the song after that, and then Bettencourt came in and put an incredible
lead to it, as well as adding in a new middle eight. I think it's cool
because from 1985 to 2008, it shows the growth of the band! (Laughs)"
With Extreme rarities clearly still sitting in the vaults,
and the band in action, one has to wonder if there's a possibility of
that material ever seeing the light of day sometime soon.
"Absolutely! When we were putting together tracks
for bonuses or b-sides for 'Saudades De Rock', we went through a bunch
of b-sides that we had. That's something that I've personally always
wanted to compile into one package. I think when the profile is back
up; it may lend itself to a box set with a bonus disc. Literally, there's
got to be fifteen to twenty tracks that never got released. Those are
tracks that are in different stages of production. There's some really
early stuff, that if you're an Extreme fan, you can see the growth of
the band and how the band developed into what we became. And some of
those songs were on the first album. So those will come out in a box
set most likely, and hopefully in the not too distant future if things
go according to plan."
Aside from breaking new ground in the musical sense, Extreme
are also trying out something new on the label front, with 'Saudades
De Rock' being released through the newly established Open E Records.
"Open E Records is an independent label, and distributed
through Universal Records here in the U.S., and through other distributors
in the rest of the world. So 'Saudades De Rock' is an independent album.
We have our bases covered, and the label is doing a good job promoting
and publishing the album. In this day and age, an album is only as good
as the tour. Albums will come and go, but you have to keep your profile
up there on the road. Luckily with Extreme, we'll be playing all the
different markets, from Japan, Australia, Europe, South America, Canada,
South Korea and the U.K. Hopefully we will keep the life of this album
going, and it will give 'Saudades De Rock' a good shot as far as maybe
having an opportunity of being successful. We're all very excited. We're
quite literally chomping at the bit at the moment. We're two weeks away
from touring this album. It seems like old times again. And you can
be sure that we'll be back in Australia before the end of the year as
well. We're working on the details as we speak. You can expect to see
us down there on the 'Take Us Alive' world tour, and we'll have a beer
backstage."
I would like to thank Gary Cherone for his generous
time, and Jeanna Sims at Stomp Records Distribution for making the interview
possible.
For more information on Extreme, check out - http://www.extreme-band.com
© Justin Donnelly - justindonnelly@ozemail.com.au
