February 2000 CD Reviews
1992's III Sides To Every Story was a big change. There were several songs recorded with a 70 piece orchestra, in addition to Extreme's progessive rock and pop ballads. The album reached number 10 on the charts, but was overwhelmed by the grunge band explosion of the early 90's.
The group's final effort, 1995's Waiting For the Punchline made little impact on the charts, and the group disbanded shortly after. Lead singer Gary Cherone went on to record an album with Van Halen, but was replaced after that one album.
The Best of Extreme: An Accidental Collocation of Atoms is your chance to hear a very talented, progressive and ground breaking band whose time in the spotlight was far too brief.
Sonique - Hear Me Cry
Sonique is called the biggest female DJ in the world. She is also an excellent vocalist and songwriter, which her debut solo CD Hear Me Cry proves.
As a teenager in the early 1990's, Sonique signed with a UK record company, had a hit single, and later paired with Mark Moore as S-Express for a couple more hit singles in the UK.
Sonique was an avid club goer, but was often disappointed with the music club DJs were playing. She decided to enter the field, and trained as a DJ for 3 years before stepping out on her own. She says "I knew I had to be really good as soon as I started. I am a woman, and I felt people were waiting to laugh at a woman who made mistakes. Then I broke all records for the rate of success as a DJ. I was pulling in the crowd, making everybody dance."
Sonique's arrival on the US scene is truly an underground success story. She has appeared on a number of UK compilation CDs, and a club DJ in Tampa began spinning her single "It Feels So Good" from an import CD. Several other clubs joined in, which led to huge demand for the song at retail stores and radio stations. The song spread throughout Florida to Orlando and Miami, where Republic Records heard the buzz and signed Sonique. The single started climbing the charts, and the rest is history.
Hear Me Cry proves Sonique's depth as a songwriter and musician. The songs are all dance based, but with several different styles and moods. There are some great hooks, and you won't be able to stop
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