Extreme

小簡(jiǎn)介
“極端樂(lè)隊(duì)”——這一頭銜對(duì)那些對(duì)音樂(lè)本身持嚴(yán)肅態(tài)度的人來(lái)講至少應(yīng)該意味著以下幾點(diǎn)：天才般的靈感與創(chuàng)意、出色的創(chuàng)作、演繹實(shí)力，執(zhí)著的價(jià)值觀以及聽(tīng)眾瘋狂的喝彩與掌聲。Extreme正是以此區(qū)別于那些如Bon Jovi(邦·喬維)、Europe(歐洲)之類(lèi)空洞無(wú)物的銷(xiāo)量冠軍，而成為新一代真正的重金屬/硬搖滾樂(lè)迷心中的偶像。成立于1986年的Extreme由樂(lè)隊(duì)靈魂人物、吉他手Nuno與主唱Gary阿低音吉他手Pat、鼓手Paul(后于1995年由Mike取代)組成。1989年他們的初試啼聲之作《Extreme I》專(zhuān)輯與單曲“Kid Ego”(少年自尊)一推出，評(píng)論界即對(duì)這專(zhuān)輯推崇備至，認(rèn)為這是一張高水準(zhǔn)的搖滾樂(lè)專(zhuān)輯，可惜叫好不叫座，當(dāng)時(shí)的樂(lè)迷們似乎更愿意看到他們心中的偶像在電視中口吐臟話(huà)，在舞臺(tái)上叼著煙大摔吉他之類(lèi)傲慢不馴的舉止，而Extreme的小伙子們則顯得過(guò)于文靜，缺少花俏的包裝與花邊新聞，這也使MTV等娛樂(lè)業(yè)的宣傳機(jī)器忽視了他們極高的音樂(lè)水準(zhǔn)與嚴(yán)肅的立意。我行我素的樂(lè)隊(duì)成員們堅(jiān)持著自己的分格并沒(méi)向媚俗的音樂(lè)傳媒和樂(lè)迷們屈服，于1990年推出極為經(jīng)典之作——《Pornograffitti》(風(fēng)情畫(huà))。這張專(zhuān)輯被公認(rèn)為最佳的重金屬/硬搖滾唱片之一，在這張唱片中樂(lè)隊(duì)成員們充分表現(xiàn)了自己的天才和技藝，樹(shù)立了非常個(gè)性化的極端式重金屬風(fēng)格。然而，這張專(zhuān)輯并非是一張純Thrash Metal(激流金屬)專(zhuān)輯，其中也有一些風(fēng)格大異其趣的曲子。如令人心醉的抒情慢歌“More Than Words”，Garry富于情感的嗓音在木吉他的伴奏下唱出了一位渴望愛(ài)情而又靦腆的年青人的心聲，Gary的氣息控制得恰到好處，而Nuno的吉他在這種抒情的曲目中仍不忘顯示一下其技藝，干凈而果斷的切音，恰到好處的泛音無(wú)不反映出他良好的樂(lè)感。這首歌最后也被發(fā)行為單曲，而被電臺(tái)廣為播放最后竟打上Billboard單曲榜冠軍的位置，成為流行樂(lè)迷們心中Extreme的代名詞。整張專(zhuān)輯有令人嘆為“聽(tīng)”止之感，銷(xiāo)量高達(dá)300多萬(wàn)張。而Extreme事業(yè)上真正的高峰期并非如此而已，1992年的《III Side To Every Story》(故事的三面性)更加強(qiáng)烈地震撼了人們的心靈。這是一張概念性專(zhuān)輯，像Extreme這樣一只年輕的金屬樂(lè)隊(duì)所創(chuàng)作的這張專(zhuān)輯，水準(zhǔn)甚至超越了那些老前輩。新作推出后評(píng)論界好評(píng)如潮，專(zhuān)輯中除保持了上張專(zhuān)輯中Extreme特有的演奏演唱風(fēng)格之外，在音樂(lè)鋪排和作品內(nèi)涵的深度上均達(dá)到了一個(gè)新的高度。Extreme在95年推出一張更為自我的專(zhuān)輯《Waiting For The Punchline》。
Although guitarist Nuno Bettencourt's style was derived from Eddie Van Halen, his heart remained with the progressive hard rock of Queen, as well as Beatlesque pop and touches of lounge jazz. Consequently, Extreme's music was never easy to classify, since it rarely confined itself to heavy metal, hard rock, or pop. The Massachusetts-based band formed in 1985; Bettencourt had already played in a local band with bassist Pat Badger, while singer Gary Cherone fronted his own group with drummer Paul Geary. The two bands merged, and Cherone and Bettencourt formed a songwriting partnership that would eventually place Extreme atop the Billboard charts (if only for a short period).
Coupling the technical proficiency of Bettencourt's guitar with a funky rhythmic base, the band issued a self-titled debut album in 1989. It peaked at number 80, a modest feat for a new band, and the song "Play with Me" was used to orchestrate the chase scene during Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Extreme had begun to earn respect in the heavy metal world, but it wasn't until the arrival of the band's follow-up effort, Pornograffitti (particularly the the Everly Brothers-style acoustic ballad "More Than Words"), that a mainstream audience latched onto the group's sound. "More Than Words" became a number one hit, while its follow-up single, an acoustic-based pop/rocker named "Hole Hearted," hit number four. Extreme were now one of the most popular artists in the pop-metal genre, but the looming arrival of grunge music — not to mention the band's own shifting tastes — combined to make Extreme's reign relatively short-lived.
The band's third album, III Sides to Every Story, was an ambitious effort whose sales (while strong at first) couldn't match those of Pornograffitti. Geary left the lineup soon after, seeking a career in music business instead, and a revised version of the band (featuring the percussion of Mike Mangini, formerly of Annihilator) returned in 1995 with Waiting for the Punchline. It, too, suffered from a lack of sales. Accordingly, Extreme's bandmates announced their breakup the following year. Bettencourt went on to launch a solo career, issuing the Schizophonic album in 1997, before forming the band Mourning Widows, which released Mourning Widows in 1999 and Furnished Souls for Rent in 2000. Meanwhile, Cherone enjoyed a brief stint as the vocalist for Van Halen, but his one album with the band, 1998's Van Halen III, was slammed by critics and fans alike, resulting in poor sales and Cherone's eventual exit. A 13-track best-of collection named An Accidental Collision of Atoms kept Extreme's legacy alive in 2000, and the band quietly reunited in 2004 for a small series of shows. The reunion gigs continued into 2008, when a new album, Saudades de Rock, marked the group's first batch of new material in 13 years.