Pornograffitti

Extreme II: Pornograffitti (also known as simply Pornograffiti) is the second album released by the Boston rock band Extreme on August 7, 1990. The title is a portmanteau of pornography and graffiti.

This article is about the album by Extreme. For the Japanese rock band, see Porno Graffitti.
Extreme II: Pornograffitti
Studio album by
Extreme
ReleasedAugust 7, 1990 (1990-08-07)
Recorded1990
StudioScream Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length64:30
LabelA&M
ProducerMichael Wagener, except "When I First Kissed You" & "Hole Hearted", produced by Nuno Bettencourt
Extreme chronology
Extreme
(1989)		 Extreme II: Pornograffitti
(1990)		 III Sides to Every Story
(1992)
Singles from Pornograffitti
  1. "Decadence Dance"
    Released: 1990
  2. "Get The Funk Out"
    Released: 1991
  3. "More Than Words"
    Released: March 23, 1991
  4. "Hole Hearted"
    Released: September 15, 1991
  5. "Song For Love"
    Released: 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The Daily VaultB−[5]

The album sold very well, peaking at No. 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.[6] Two singles from Pornograffiti, "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted", reached No. 1 and 4 respectively 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, rumors 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.[7]

In 2015, the band embarked on an extensive US tour commemorating the album's 25th anniversary.

Musical style

Musically, Pornograffitti is dominated by hard rock guitar riffs, often with funky, syncopated timing, and fast soloing. "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.

The album garnered admiration for lead guitarist Nuno Bettencourt from rock guitar enthusiasts. Bettencourt was voted "Best New Talent" in a 1991 readers' poll by Guitar World magazine,[8] and that magazine later named him "Most Valuable Player" of 1991.[9] The album also gained continual exposure in other guitar playing publications such as Guitar School.

Thematic content

The album is a concept album in which many of the songs explore how sex, money, and excess are viewed, exploited, and trivialized in American culture, although the album's biggest hit song, "More Than Words", deals more generally with the topics of love and relationships. "Hole Hearted" is often misinterpreted as a man singing about his lost love, a woman. While "Hole Hearted" is about lost love, it is between the singer and God, not a woman. It is the story of a man missing his relationship with God and being left empty without it regardless of material excesses.

Broader themes throughout the album hint at the decadence and temptations of modern American society in general.

Production and marketing

Pornograffitti was recorded and mixed at Scream Studios, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, with producer Michael Wagener.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt.

No.TitleLength
1."Decadence Dance"6:53
2."Li'l Jack Horny"4:56
3."When I'm President"4:26
4."Get the Funk Out" (featuring Pat Travers)4:28
5."More Than Words"5:40
6."Money (in God We Trust)"4:15
7."It ('s a Monster)"4:28
8."Pornograffitti"6:20
9."When I First Kissed You"4:03
10."Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)"3:43
11."He-Man Woman Hater" (includes intro "Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee")6:23
12."Song for Love"6:00
13."Hole Hearted" (does not appear on the vinyl LP)3:43
Total length:64:30
2015 Deluxe Edition: Disc Two
No.TitleOriginLength
1."More Than Words [Remix]"From the More Than Words Single3:43
2."Nice Place To Visit"From the More Than Words Single3:16
3."More Than Words [Edit]" 3:41
4."Decadence Dance [Edit]"From the Decadence Dance Single4:31
5."Money (in God We Trust) [Edit]" 4:05
6."More Than Words [Non Percussion Version]" 4:20
7."Get the Funk Out [What the Funk? Mix]" 4:04
8."More Than Words [A cappella with Congas]" 4:15
9."Get the Funk Out [12" Remix]" 7:01
10."Sex N' Love"From the Hole Hearted Single2:47

Personnel
  • Gary Cherone - lead and backing vocals
  • Nuno Bettencourt - lead and rhythm guitars, piano, percussion, backing vocals
  • Pat Badger - bass, backing vocals
  • Paul Geary - drums, percussion
  • Barbara Glynn - backing vocals in "Decadence Dance"
  • Pat Travers - backing vocals on "Get the Funk Out"
  • Jeanine Moultrine - backing vocals in "Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)"
  • Dweezil Zappa - intro/outro lead guitar in "He-Man Woman Hater"
  • Li'l Jack Horn Section in "Li'l Jack Horny", "Get the Funk Out"
    • Bob Findley, trumpet
    • Chuck Findley, trumpet
    • Bill Watrous, trombone
    • Dick "Slyde" Hyde, bass trombone
    • Pete Christlieb, tenor sax
    • Joel Peskin, tenor sax

Chart positions
Year Album / Single Peak Chart Positions
Billboard 200 Billboard Hot 100 US Mainstream Rock Adult Contemporary
1990 "Decadence Dance" - - #45 -
1991 Extreme II. Pornograffitti #10 [10] - - -
"More Than Words" - #1 [11] #12 [11] #2 [11]
"Hole Hearted" - #4 [11] #2 [11] -
"Get the Funk Out" - - #34 [11] -
  1. Extreme Pornograffitti (1990) Album Review at Rockpedia.co

References
  1. Popoff, Martin (2014). The Big Book of Hair Metal: The Illustrated Oral History of Heavy Metal's Debauched Decade. Voyageur Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-7603-4546-7.
  2. DeRiso, Nick (August 7, 2015). "Revisiting Extreme's Path to Success With 'Pornograffitti'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  3. Uricheck, Mark (January 22, 2015). "Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone recalls the lasting legacy and 'magic' of 'Pornograffitti' on 25th anniversary tour". NEPA Scene. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  4. Huey, Steve. "Extreme II: Pornograffitti - Extreme | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  5. McCarthy, Sean (August 8, 1997). "Extreme: | Daily Vault". The Daily Vault.
  6. RIAA database
  7. "Extreme 'Pornograffiti Live 2014' Tour Dates".
  8. "Guitar World 1991 Readers' Poll" (PDF). Guitar World. 12 (4): 41. April 1991. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  9. "The Year of Guitar: Nuno Bettencourt, M.V.P.". Guitar World. 13 (1). January 1992.
  10. "Extreme Album Chart History". Retrieved September 3, 2008.
  11. "Extreme Singles Chart History". Retrieved September 3, 2008.
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