Band:	Extreme
Album:	Extreme II: Pornograffitti
Style:	Heavy metal, Funk rock
Release date:	1990

01. Decadence Dance
02. Li'l Jack Horny
03. When I'm President
04. Get The Funk Out
05. More Than Words
06. Money (In God We Trust)
07. It ('s A Monster)
08. Pornograffitti
09. When I First Kissed You
10. Suzie (Wants Her All Day What?)
11. He Man Woman Hater
12. Song For Love
13. Hole Hearted

For a brief period in the late 80s and early 90s, funk rock was all the rage; finding themselves in the right place at the right time with the right album was Extreme, who found themselves one of the hottest commodities at the time. Extreme II: Pornograffiti (hereafter Pornograffiti) is the crowning achievement in the band's career, featuring not only that song, but also some of the best funk rock you will hear.

Featuring the talents of Nuno Bettencourt, who puts on a hell of a clinic on the guitar throughout the album, alongside Cherone who, radiates happiness and charisma in his singing, together they lead one hell of a double team that runs throughout Pornograffiti. Running the gamut of upbeat in your face funk ("Get The Funk Out"), introspective acoustic moments ("More Than Words") and rueful jazz ("When I First Kissed You"), the band are experts at whatever they put their hands to.

It is at the band's most upbeat moments that they really excel, combining flashy yet infectious music with catchy as all hell choruses. Tracks like "Decadence Dance", "Get The Funk Out" and "It ('s A Monster)" show the band at their best, showing some of the best examples of how to marry technical wizardry ala Bettencourt with pop sensibilities without compromising on either. The slow songs are extremely (had to get that in at least once) well done, with "When I First Kissed You" nailing the smoky jazz café feel on the head. "More Than Words" is also a great song; the only thing I dislike about it is that it proved too successful ironically, casting a shadow over the rest of the album, which deserves to be heard in full. Whenever you hear Extreme's name, that song pops up in the next breath and it does a disservice to the other classics on here.

While Bettencourt and Cherone get the spotlight, Badger's bass work and Geary's skills behind the drums deserve a good chunk of credit for providing the backbone that the former two build upon. Badger is able to match Bettencourt in flashiness while also holding down the rhythm, merging both responsibilities with a level of expertise and ease. Geary is a solid base off which the band can focus themselves; it may not be flashy but it works perfectly here.

"Song For Love" is by far and away the weakest track here, bland and generic in an ocean of creativity and invention. Sounding clunky and forced, I find myself reaching for the skip button in quick fashion. With a chorus that serves to plummet the song down several notches than elevate it to new heights, it is a song I could do without. "Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)" is listenable but seems very by the numbers compared to the rest of the album; I would dare say it is filler, which is unnecessary considering the length of this album (still an hour long should the song have been discarded).

Pornograffiti is an album that is the gold standard for funk rock. While the genre has long lost its spark and popularity, Extreme have created an album that outlives the genre and shouldn't be forgotten about or left to gather dust. It is one of the most vital albums of the 90s, even in the post-grunge landscape that washed away the sands from beneath Extreme's feet.