Extreme II: Pornograffitti | ||||
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Studio album by Extreme | ||||
Released | August 7, 1990 | |||
Recorded | 1990 | |||
Studio | Scream Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California | |||
Length | 64:30 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Producer | Michael Wagener, except "When I First Kissed You" & "Hole Hearted", produced by Nuno Bettencourt | |||
Extreme chronology | ||||
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Singles from Pornograffitti | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
The Daily Vault | B− |
Extreme II: Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairy Tale) is the second album released by the Boston rock band Extreme. The title is a portmanteau of pornography and graffiti.
The album sold very well, peaking at #10 on the Billboard 200, and was certified double platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA. It is the band's best selling album. Two singles from Pornograffiti, "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted", reached the top-5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Two other tracks, "Decadence Dance" and "Get the Funk Out", reached the lower half of Billboard's rock chart.
In 2010, after the band's reunion in the previous years, rumours started about possible commemorative shows given the 20th anniversary of the record. In 2012, a small string of such shows in Japan was announced. In January 2014, the band confirmed they would be performing Pornograffiti in its entirety on their 2014 Europe and UK tour.
Musically, Pornograffitti is dominated by hard rock guitar riffs, often with funky, syncopated timing, and fast soloing. Lead guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was named "Most Valuable Player" of 1991 by Guitar World magazine, and the album gained Bettencourt widespread admiration from rock guitar enthusiasts and continual exposure in other guitar playing publications such as Guitar School.
"More Than Words", a gentle acoustic ballad, and "Hole Hearted", an acoustic folk song, were perhaps the least representative tracks on the album, both in terms of their musical style and thematic tone.