I don’t buy many CDs these days. And that’s not because I download my music, either dubiously or officially; rather, as a married man with three kids it’s not often I have income expendable enough to indulge personal interests. I suppose it’s also because I am embarrassingly out of touch with music these days and I don’t get to hear much by way of new music. Most of my CD purchases are of music from bands or artists that I’ve listened to for 10 years or more. I also tend towards specific bands and songwriters so my music collection is not exactly a smorgasbord of diversity. When a band I like puts out a new album, that’s usually the occasion that I fork over the cash. Or I let someone else do it for me! And over the last few months, I’ve gotten more new music than I have in the last couple of years.
The first CD was Saudades de Rock (translated, ‘a longing for rock’) by 90s rock band Extreme. They’ve actually been inactive for roughly 13 years, the different members having become involved in other solo or band projects after the lukewarm response to their last album, Waiting for the Punchline (1995). I haven’t listened to them much in these intervening 13 years but I will say that, musically, this is an impressive collection of songs.
One of the elements of Extreme’s music that I always appreciated was Cherone’s lyrics, which were often satirical, thoughtful and, especially on Three Sides to Every Story, filled with Scripture references and themes. Three Sides in particular is arguably a concept album that moves from the political to the personal in order to portray humankind’s need for God. Punchline continued this tendency but with a darker edge, both musically and lyrically.
This was also true for Cherone’s one-album stint with Van Halen on Van Halen III (1998), particularly on the songs “Once” and “Fire in the Hole.” On the latter you could hear him belt out the passage from the Epistle of James on the tongue as a fire as the song faded—and that passage holds the key to understanding the rest of the lyrics. After leaving Van Halen Cherone recorded an album called Exit Elvis with a one-off band Tribe of Judah, and this album was permeated with ideas both theological and philosophical, with many of the songs unpacking Dostoevsky’s words, “If there is no God then everything is permissible.”
So getting back to Extreme’s new CD, I was hopeful and interested to see if Cherone’s lyrics would continue to explore spiritual issues. While the lyrics remain thoughtful and, at times, politically conservative (“Flower Man”), there is not much by way of overt spiritual exploration. I must confess, this was somewhat disappointing given Cherone’s record thus far.
The album is filled with guitarist Nuno Bettencourt’s trademark virtuosity and riffing, often betraying the influence of Led Zeppelin and Van Halen. Though he is probably a better guitarist than either Page or Van Halen from a technical perspective, his playing is also melodic and song-driven, making this an incredibly listenable album. So for fans of straight ahead rock music with intelligence who are looking for something to sink their ears into, Saudades de Rock will satisfy that longing.
The first CD was Saudades de Rock (translated, ‘a longing for rock’) by 90s rock band Extreme. They’ve actually been inactive for roughly 13 years, the different members having become involved in other solo or band projects after the lukewarm response to their last album, Waiting for the Punchline (1995). I haven’t listened to them much in these intervening 13 years but I will say that, musically, this is an impressive collection of songs.
One of the elements of Extreme’s music that I always appreciated was Cherone’s lyrics, which were often satirical, thoughtful and, especially on Three Sides to Every Story, filled with Scripture references and themes. Three Sides in particular is arguably a concept album that moves from the political to the personal in order to portray humankind’s need for God. Punchline continued this tendency but with a darker edge, both musically and lyrically.
This was also true for Cherone’s one-album stint with Van Halen on Van Halen III (1998), particularly on the songs “Once” and “Fire in the Hole.” On the latter you could hear him belt out the passage from the Epistle of James on the tongue as a fire as the song faded—and that passage holds the key to understanding the rest of the lyrics. After leaving Van Halen Cherone recorded an album called Exit Elvis with a one-off band Tribe of Judah, and this album was permeated with ideas both theological and philosophical, with many of the songs unpacking Dostoevsky’s words, “If there is no God then everything is permissible.”
So getting back to Extreme’s new CD, I was hopeful and interested to see if Cherone’s lyrics would continue to explore spiritual issues. While the lyrics remain thoughtful and, at times, politically conservative (“Flower Man”), there is not much by way of overt spiritual exploration. I must confess, this was somewhat disappointing given Cherone’s record thus far.
The album is filled with guitarist Nuno Bettencourt’s trademark virtuosity and riffing, often betraying the influence of Led Zeppelin and Van Halen. Though he is probably a better guitarist than either Page or Van Halen from a technical perspective, his playing is also melodic and song-driven, making this an incredibly listenable album. So for fans of straight ahead rock music with intelligence who are looking for something to sink their ears into, Saudades de Rock will satisfy that longing.
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