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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In a word...masterpiece, July 3, 2006
Sometimes truly great art just goes unappreciated; whether it is film, literature, or music. The Boston band Extreme's third album "III Sides to Every Story" (1992) stands as the perfect example of something that, because of timing, just flew over the radar of the public's consciousness. Truly a masterpiece (and I don't just throw that word around arbitrarily) "III Sides to Every Story" is one of the finest rock albums that I have ever heard. Equal parts the Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and the Chili Peppers; "III Sides" is an ambitious concept album that just didn't come out at the right time.
While Extreme's self-titled debut (1989) was decent, it was ultimately just another by-the-numbers, Van Halen-lite 80s rock album. Extreme proved themselves, however, on their classic sophomore release "Pornograffiti," which was far more rocking, well-written, and ambitious than the debut. The album's major single, the acoustic "More than Words" was somewhat of a double-edged sword for the band. While it was a huge hit, going on to become one of the biggest singles of the year, it gave the public the wrong impression of the band. While Extreme was a gifted, hard-rocking eclectic band, encompassing many sounds and styles, "More than Words" gave people the idea that Extreme were light-weights.
Extreme were far from lightweights, however. Lead guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was an up-and-coming virtuoso, the "new Eddie Van Halen" that could rival the original Ed in terms of technique and musicianship. Charismatic frontman Gary Cherone, (a sort of cross between Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Queen's Freddie Mercury) a thoughtful lyricists, proved to be the perfect voice for the band's eclectic style. Paul Geary's intense drumming and Pat Badger's funk-laden bass were several cuts above average, providing an exciting rhythm section and was an electrifying counterpart to Nuno's exhilarating, screeching, guitar work.
As the band went underway to make their third album there was a major shift in rock with the release of Nirvana's groundbreaking "Nevermind" (1991). Nirvana's seminal album changed the entire landscape of popular music, moving youth culture away from AOR melodic-hard rock, to fully embrace alternative rock. Overnight, bands that were extremely (no pun intended) popular were instantly killed off and rendered obsolete. Extreme was unfortunately one of those bands that got left out in the cold during the grunge/alt. rock heyday of the early 90s.
Recorded during the rise of alterative rock, "III Sides" wasn't a response to the public's changing taste, but was just the next step in the evolution of Extreme. While the band's signature sound, a sort of Aerosmith/Van Halen/Zeppelin hybrid with a little bit of funk, is fully intact, "III Sides" saw Extreme reinvent themselves, adding a touch of the theatrical, a touch of Queen into the equation.
"III Sides" is both progressive and retro, and is equal parts 70s, 80s and 90s. It has the theatrical flair of 70s-era Queen with Rush-esque prog rock compositions, the 80s style guitar heroics of vintage Van Halen and the decades signature sing-along lush background harmonies, with a crisp 90s production.
Divided into three sections, "Yours," "Mine," and "The Truth," "III Sides" is a high-art concept album.
The "Yours" section consists of hard-rocking, guitar-heavy songs, and is musically the most Van Halen-esque part of the album. These songs are political, focusing on racism, war and peace, and institutions (wikepedia).
The album slows down considerably, but is no less enthralling, for the "Mine" section, which is less guitar-oriented, and sees the introduction of more keyboards, and experimentation. The songs move away from worldly/political issues all together, dealing with meditative, self-reflecting subjects (wikepedia).
The third and final "the truth" is itself divided into three sections, under the heading "everything under the sun." The three sections here include "rise and shine," "am I ever gonna change," and `who cares." This section of the album can be considered prog rock in terms of format and style, with alternations in time signature and complex intricate arraignments, including a 70-piece orchestra. Lyrically, the themes are more religious and philosophical (wikepedia).
NOTE-I am citing wikepedia as a source because it describes the details of the technical aspects of the album.
YOURS:
The breakneck opening "Warheads," as the title suggests, is about war, and peoples willingness to kill, as Cherone states "hey kid, wanna have some fun, choose a side and here's your gun." The cynical "rest in peace" points out the simplicity and nativity of such cliches as "make love not war" and warns the listener to not take world-affairs and complex global situations lightly. The funk-laded "Politicalamity" discuses governmental institutions and is musically akin to "Pornograffiti's" "lil' Jack Horny." The melodic "Color Me Blind" looks at racism while "Cupid's Dead" examines the media. The closing "Peacemaker Die" explains how people who try to make a difference or strive for world peace are destined to be murdered. A clip from Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech works very nicely.
It should be noted that with the tragedy of 911 still fresh in people's memories and hearts, and with the current turmoil in the middle-east, these songs seem more relevant now than they did back in 1992.
MINE:
The opening waltz, "Seven Sundays" (which features no guitars, only keyboards) is a total change of pace as it is a radical departure from the album's previous songs. The outstanding "Tragic Comic" tells of the protagonist's struggle to be himself on a date. It's very honest with a real sense of humility. It's very Beatles-esque, with the solo sounding as though George Harrison himself had played on the track. "Our Father" looks at family relations, and the feelings of having an absentee father, and asks whether or not family patterns are destined to repeat themselves. "Stop the Word," is a rather morose, depressed plea to not have to deal with life/people/the world. "God isn't Dead?" acts as a prelude to "the truth," as Cherone pleads for the confirmation of God's existence.
THE TRUTH:
The third and final part, "the truth" is musically the most ambitious, with orchestration and is religious/philosophical in theme. Although the subject matter in "the truth" could be interpreted as Judeo-Christian, it encompasses universal themes that could be applied to all faiths.
Epic, beautiful and breathtaking, "Rise n' Shine" sees the dawn of a new day, the optimism and hope that one can strive for. The equally majestic "Am I Ever Gonna Change" asks just that. While Cherone seems frustrated with who he is as a person, he seems to resign himself to destiny, but hopeful that he can strive forward. The closing "Who Cares?" is the album's most pessimistic piece. Wrapping up "the truth," Cherone seems apathetic, yet at the same time extremely frustrated with the futility of life, asking "who cares?" as in, what's the meaning of it all? But as loud as he pleads, perhaps to the listener, perhaps to God, perhaps to himself, he knows that no answer will be forthcoming.
Extreme's "III Sides to Every Story" is many things...epic, ambitious, thoughtful, breathtaking, angry, morose, beautiful...This album is a true masterpiece that deserves to be heard. The fact that this album is out-of-print is as sad as it is appalling. The fact that this album went unnoticed because of the fickle nature of the public is very sad indeed. Still, "III Sides" is available used so it shouldn't be hard to own a copy. Hopefully someday it will be re-issued, preferably with detailed liner notes. As it is, "III Sides" has achieved somewhat of a cult-status.
If you missed "III Sides" the first time around, do yourself a favor and check out this album to see for yourself how brilliant it is.
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Forgotten Masterpiece., March 17, 2000
I remember when III Sides to Every Story came out in September of 1992. "Rest in Peace" was the video MTV were playing and for some reason it didn't take off like "More than Words" or "Hole Hearted". It was even during the grunge period in music history. Perhaps Extreme weren't viewed as grungy enough. They're more rock than grunge anyway. Hard rock I might add. This, their third cd, was by far their best, most consistent and most original. Extreme's lyrics were insightful and perceptive on this cd and the music far surpassed what they had previously achieved. Songs like "Rest in Peace", "Cupid's Dead", "Tragic Comic", "Stop the World" and the three part opus "Rise 'n' Shine", "Am I Ever Going to Change" and "Who Cares?" are some of the best songs they've done. The cd rocks and soothes at the same time. A must have for any rock collector.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A journey into Extreme, November 20, 2002
This album is a journey into the hearts of the artists who created it. Not many artists expose themselves so openly to their fans the way these guys do. Each and every song seems to cry out "Look at me. This is who I am as person. This is how I feel. These are my weaknesses and fears. These are the things that make me angry and sad. This is what frustrates me." As you listen to the album you begin to empathize with the artists, because you probably feel the same way. We all feel a little overwhelmed by the ugliness of the world sometimes. We all want to find something to believe in in the midst of the chaos we live in.Side I: Yours looks at the world at large. There is war, hypocrasy, racism, violence, and anyone who stands up and tries to change things is usually taken out. So then Side II: Mine goes all introspective, looking at how a person deals with the chaos of the world in their own mind and heart. Is there answers to be found in Love? Family? Religion? Is there no help from above to guide us through all this mess? Finally Side III: The truth attempts to answer these questions. Rise n' Shine suggests that there is hope, but it must be sought out. Am I Ever Gonna Change? implies that the solution must come from within, by conquering your own faults and failures a person. It talks of accountability for your own actions. Whether you're good or not is up to you. You can't just let a priest wave his hand and absolve you of your sins with a short chant. Who Cares? is an examination of the loss of hope in a person's life. If nobody really cares then what's the point of going on with anything? This song is offered as a prayer to a God who may or may not be there, or seemingly doesn't care. The prayers is answered in the music though. The beauty of it suggests that God is there and he does care. He has not given up on the world and if the individual will continue to seek him he will be found. Of course this is simply my interpretation. You should listen to it for yourself to find out what it means for you. A few people have classified this album as Christian-themed. While there is mention of God, and even quotations from the Bible I think it's more an examination of faith in general. The songs discuss the search for God as a possible answer to the trials of life. It is never suggested that Christianity is the answer (though they probably believe it is), rather, they examine the struggles a person has in trying to believe in God and hang onto faith in such a dark world. It should not be thought of as preachy or religious. Not only does this album tell a story in itelf. It also tells a story in the history of Extreme as a band. This album fits comfortably in between Pornograffitti and Waiting for the Punchline, starting out with riffy hits like Rest in Peace and Warheads as was typical on Pornograffitti, and ending on a sad note with songs about fading hope and growing cynicism which lead perfectly into Waiting for the Punchline, an angry album rife with bitterness and cynicism. This album works as a segue between the previous and next albums.
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