Me too. Not alot of people know about it. In music college we went to the namm show and it was his debut at one of the shows and it was great. Went and bought it after. Great album!
I saw Nuno at a store called Dr. Music in Orlando shortly after Pornograffiti came out. He did an evening guitar clinic. I’ve been playing semi-professionally for 41 years. Still, I’ve never been in the room with a more talented musician in all those years. He was phenomenal, and an absolute blast to watch. Watching him play Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee five feet in front of me at a time when a lot of people had not even heard of Extreme was nearly a religious experience.
Nuno made a big splash (and still does!!) by his sense of rhythm as well as soloing, his impeccable backing vocals, his grasp of many musical styles, his songwriting skills, his understanding of how a band works as a well oiled machine rather than "guitarist needs some generic band", and his stage presence. Seems a genuinely nice guy, too. Combine that with decades of working consistently at a top level, and you've got the one and only Nuno.
Too many of these comments are in the past tense! Nuno is still out there doing it. Extreme's last album Saudades de Rock is fantastic IMO, and they have new one basically just waiting for touring to start up again. He was great on Vai's tour as well.
Nuno is so underrated outside of the guitar world. Eddie is known by non-musicians world wide and rightfully so but Nuno is a beast and he's so incredibly musical. I believe he could be asked to do a cameo by today's most popular pop artists and he would stand out just like Eddie did on "Beat It". He's in the top 5 of my most underrated guitarists list.
Nuno was THE man, fantastic feel and ability as a guitarist, i think he can play 4-5 instruments as well... His rhythm playing is just so damn tasty and unique and the leads are almost like "little symphonies" in themselves lol . Great tone as well he used a ADA MP1 early on, the band is solid as a rock (good songs and harmonies) and very tight and allow Nuno all the room to do this thing all over the fretboard, 1 of my favorites of all time, thanks for all you do Robert
I loved Extreme and especially Nuno's playing but I HATED that tone. So mid-range heavy and scratchy. I can't even imagine seeing them live....it's painful to even listen to him do stuff on UA-cam because of that tone. I bought an N4 when it came out and it lasted about 3 months before I got rid of it and replaced it with something smoother. Watch his video where he breaks down a few of his solos. If you turn it up louder than 40% it'll give you a headache. Always preferred the George Lynch tone (or Eddie's) so much more.
Thanx for video, but very important component of Nuno playing is wide amplitude of his right hand movement on riffs and even when single note playing. It gives that funky vibe.
Nuno is an amazing musician. He has serious soul in his playing, has incredibly strong rhythmic creativity, he's super melodic and he's one of the best rhythm players ever. He has astonishing technique as well but it unlike many it is matched by his extremely strong musicianship.
Warrant had some pretty groovy stuff as well, but they tended to stay in the pop rock area, but Uncle Tom's cabin is a classic!! It amazes me how bands like Extreme, MR BIG, Warrant and Cinderella were not much bigger than they should have been but a band like Motley Crue is hailed as some kind of a great band in music history. I like Crue but I never thought they were worthy of all the praise they got. I tell ya another band I did not like in the 80's but over time I have come to appreciate more, DO NOT LAUGH!! lol Poison! Once you get passed all the glam and girly foo foo stuff, they actually had some really great riffs and licks!
@@RobertBakerGuitar I used to be in a band in New England back in the 80's. My band probably opened for Extreme more than any other band around for a few years. We played with them at a place called the Living Room in Providence RI, Bunratty's, the Rat, The Channel, (all in Boston), the Rock Pile, the list goes on. We actually played with them during the transition of pre Nuno, (the band was called The Dream), then they re-arranged some members, got Nuno and called themselves The Extreme, (a play on words), then just Extreme. Things changed when he got in the band, he just brought a better arrangement to the tunes, and we all knew him from a band he was in called Sinful just before he went to Ex. He always had a guitar in his hands, always..backstage rippin' up scales and warms ups for hours after soundcheck, and he was always changing amps. He had Marshalls, Bedrock, Peavey, man he went through amps, but one pedal he had on ALL the time was a 1985 ProCo Rat pedal, it was always in line on his rig. He could play like that at 19 yrs old, he was and still is special. Very quiet back then but man did he like to play the drums during soundcheck, then go out front and listen back to his recorder he had set up, he was always working on the sound of Extreme. He is hilarious as well, kinda tough New England street smarts, makes wise cracks, but he really is just an amazing player and the technique has just been there since day one. Anyway, thanks for posting, you are a great player and I admire you and your style. God bless- Joshua
@@themotocrossmodchannelWulfMX You Sir sound like a bit of a legend in your own right...How awesome it must've been to have had the oportunity to support Extreme...multiple times🤘🇦🇺
@@simonilett998 it was an amazing time, the late 80's...we got to basically open up for every band that came through the NE area from 1985-1990 then the scene kinda died down due to grunge. We opened for Poison, Zebra, Badlands, Leslie West, Rough Cut, Anvil, TNT, Nazareth, Alcatraz, (post Yngwie 😭), and a whole bunch of other bands I forget about lol...our biggest gig was 87' at the Providence RI civic center where we opened for Deep Purple on the House of the Blue Light tour..14k people it was crazy..joan jett cxld last minute so we got a call from the agent and went and did the show..I was a sr in high school at the time, my brother was the singer and he was in 11th grade lol, what a time. After that and when I grew up I went into the Entertainment biz for 23 yrs as an audio supervisor for the world's largest casino in CT..I again got to work with all the greats but in a different capacity on the business end and from the side of the stage rather than playing. Anyway, sorry for the rant, feeling nostalgic lately..cheers- Joshua
@@themotocrossmodchannelWulfMX Great insightful comment there! Got anymore stories about Nuno, come join our group on FB, Extreme4Ever! We'd love to hear more! :)
I love Nuno's playing and thank you for giving him some deserved attention. Seems he's constantly being forgotten in youtube lists. The carrying the torch of EvH is well put and in my mind he added a lot of his own. His playing is rarely mindless shredding of scales, there allways is a strong melody. He has these tapping solo's like the one in Get the Funk Out that do not sound like a playing technique and consequently a bit like showing off. Instead, it takes on a life of its own and becomes a very powerful musical idea. Very cool.
Robert, awesome video. I always loved the funky feel that Nuno had. One of my other favorites from the late 80s was Marc Diglio of XYZ. His riffs and tone were unreal.
Nuno is the best. What a sound. One of the under rated albums is "Waiting on the Punchline". Was recorded live as a band and I think the only thing that was dubbed in was some backing vocals, but it is a cool raw sound and it shows the tightness of the band as a live act.
Has a very clean sound with the reduced distortion as he used Fender Twin that he plugged straight into. You can hear tremolo springs when is switching pickups on some pf the songs on this album
I saw Nuno on tour a couple times with Steve Vai, Yngwie, Zakk Wylde, and Tosin Abasi. Nuno was the shining star of those shows. To impress me in that company means he was completely amazing.
Well he's funky for a metal guitarist. But when it comes to real funk, most metal heads don't even have a point of reference. If you're not well steeped in P-Funk, Prince, James Brown, Rick James, Zapp, Rufus & Chaka Khan,etc, then I don't feel you're in a position to know what you're talking about. And I love Nuno for the record, but Extreme is funk lite bordering on straight generic (Get The Funk Out). Besides the solo, that song is painfully generic.
@@inspectorbudget Yea ok. Thanks for blabbing on and showing how much of a prick you are. Acting like since you know about different artists and genres that you are better than me and everyone else who agrees. Nobody gives a shit dude.. And btw i do know all those you mentioned. I'm very well versed in music. Thanks for assuming i don't know anything about it. Let me know when you write some good stuff and are famous. Thanks
@@inspectorbudget that’s all Robert said he brought funkiness to metal that no other metal musician did other than Eddie. Robert never claimed to be a funk expert. So no need to be rude
His 12-string on Hole Hearted is fantastic...that song is still one of my faves. On the electric, he just had the funk. Extreme really had a funky metal vibe.
Three sides is great but the last third of it gets a bit too laid back for me whereas Pornograffitti just blazes through right to the end (let's skip over 'More than Words' :-) )
@@stratmanuk, you forgot about “Hole Hearted” and “ When I First Kissed You” off of the Pornograffitti album. What if these three songs had been lumped together at the end of the album?
@@cmikesmith664 Fair comment, that's probably it, songs like that are fine sprinkled in but not in a block; three sides just somehow loses all it's 'Ooommpphh' particularly when the whole thing starts off with Nuno in utter monster form on 'Warheads'!
Nuno is one of top 5 guitarists ever for me. Reasons?: Tone, Groove, funk influence, composition, seamlessly blending blue sounding riffs with funk and metal, earworms, virtuoso command of the instrument, attitude
Great episode! Nuno was always one of my favorite players, and he can sing pretty damn well too. Yes. Keep it going! George Lynch would be a great one!
It was only about a year ago that I found out that the guy dancing around, playing guitar in the STILL OF THE NIGHT video wasnt the guy raising all levels of unknown Cain on that 87 Whitesnake tape. Why wasnt he plastered all over the cover of Guitarworld and such? I had to go looking him up through Google and youtube. What a great guitar player!
Love Vito too. His playing was much closer to Eddie and I love all the white lion songs and his solos because of his amazing sense of tune and phrasing. So catchy!
Absolutely loved this video! I’ve been playing guitar for 45 years. KISS was everything until I heard VH-1. That was the end of Kiss lol! Eddie was my hero for ever. I spent years trying to learn what he was doing. Unfortunately I cut a finger off when I was 22. A doctor reattached it, and after months of therapy that didn’t help, I decided to try and pick up the guitar again. That was the best therapy after all. It all changed from there on. It opened up doors that were previously closed. It changed my playing forever! I finally figured out what Ed had been doing. Then Nuno enters the picture. You are right, he is totally Awesome in another way. They along with Brad Paisley are my guitar hero’s. I look up to them all as masters of their craft! God bless Eddie, he will be missed by millions. I might not of been his biggest fan, but I always thought I was. Loved your video.
Robert, THANK YOU!! Can never get enough of Nuno...he is in a league of his own! My favorite guitar player of all time (yes, slightly edging out Jimi and EVH). I agree....it’s Nuno’s groove that sets him apart from nearly everyone else.
I remember when I got into guitar, my dad put on III Sides to Every Story, it absolutely blew me away. I've been chasing Nuno ever since. Phenomenal musician.
Nuno and Reb Beach came on the scene around the same time (late '80s) and made me switch gears completely guitar-wise. Sure, their lead playing was brilliant but I think they are both highly-underappreciated rhythm players and were the first players that made me pay more attention to that aspect of my playing at a time when 99% of players were all power chords. I legit like both of their rhythm playing as much (or more) than all the cool solos. Stay safe everyone. Cheers.
I really like Nuno. I think his understanding of music theory is out of this world. His technical ability is out of this world. What you call groove I think is called "Funk" in several of their songs. Nuno is a master of funk. Great video.
the dynamics of his intonation throughout, the wit behind it, and the technical capability to deliver that intonation the way he want it to sound. Yeah, his intonation
I wasn't a huge Extreme fan back in the day but I've seen him a few times with the Generation Axe tours and I'm a BIG fan now! I never realized how awesome he is until recently.
3 sides (album) is underrated too. His solos are so unique too. Vary carnival "best I can explain" or a carrousel ride sounding. Where he lands and runs, unreal.
When talking about carrying the Torch for Eddie, there's Nuno, and then there's Vito Brata who also had his own super melodic Eddie vibe. Nuno and Vito are two of my favorites. Of course, Eddie is my favorite of all time.
I would love to see this series keep going! Maybe one on Zaki Wylde? His note choices might not be the most innovative, but his articulation and attitude is crazy!
IMHO what makes Extreme, and especially the Three Sides album standout so much; there isn't one bad song on this album. A concept album that loosely ties together lyrically, but a common theme follows every song, humanity and our inability to accept our frailties. To this day I still reference Three Sides as one of the greatest albums of the 1990's, as the entire album is perfect! Took me months to learn all of Nuno's riffs on this album, but still play them often when picking up my electric. I agree with the comparative to Eddie (my inspiration for picking up a guitar), but Nuno has a style that is uniquely his own. Take the time to learn the acoustic Rise n' Shine, it is beautiful and will move your acoustic playing up multiple notches because of the complexity of what Nuno wrote musically.
Luv the video of Brian May listening to "Get The Funk Out" with a ear to ear smile talking about how amazing it is saying he wished he could play like that so blown away by that amazing solo. Nuno is force to be reckoned with for sure!
Nuno is a BEAST!!! His groove, feel and rhythm are amazing. He can also melt your face in an instant. The great Brian May has even said that the solo to "Get the Funk Out" is one of his all time favs. I highly recommend learning "Play with Me" (Bill * Ted's Excellent Adventure) for some super fun shreddy goodness.
Nuno made such an influence on me as a musician that I named my first born after him 24 years ago. You nailed it about him. He is still the best guitarist I've ever heard today. Nuno was heavy influence from Brian May. That's why they did the queen tribute to Freddie Mercury. Brian May loves Nuno
@@BRNREK47 As a matter of fact, I would say Prince is the funk guitar Bible. But you HAVE to dig deeper than Purple Rain. Yes, I said it. I hate mugs that can't get beyond that album as great as it was. If you want funk guitar in your face, go for Controversy, 1999, Dirty Mind, etc. Also his newer works. Your have to mine & dig his catalogue if you really want it. Now there's a wealth of tour rehearsals & concerts here on UA-cam. That is where you will find funk rats. Sign of the funk!
I think a lot of it was the combo of his feel and funk rhythm parts with drum grooves that wouldn’t have been out of place in a Stevie Wonder song. Then throwing in some Brian May theatre and melody on the solos, and combining that with the funk and the tapping ‘/ shredding, gave it an even more unique feel.
I agree nuno has the best sense of melody ever. his groove is crazy he's technically proficient.hes got it all. the 🐐 glad you took the time to appreciate such an amazing player I'm just as interested in his material. thanks
Nuno is just cool. The rythm, the funk, the speed, timing, the tone. Not to mention the look. Perfect rock player in my opinion. Excellent acoustic player too.
The thing I like about Nuno is that his rythm playing is almost 'violent' compared to anyone else. It's not just the funk, he's the John Bonham of guitar.
I was just telling my pal the other day that part of the reason why I love Nuno so much is that it always sounds kind of like he's playing drums with his right hand and his left-hand hammer-ons.
No kidding, when I first heard Extreme and Nuno’s playing and I didn’t know it was Extreme, I thought, “Man! Eddie’s on fire again! But who is that singing with Van Halen!?” Then I found out it was Extreme and this badass named Nuno Bettencourt! Ironically, 10 years later, Gary was singing for VH! Nuno is definitely in my top 3 as well. Funky groovy stuff bro!
When you mentioned Vito Bratta, I was thinking, he had his own sound as well, but Vito almost had a classical vibe to his leads. As for the riffage, Nuno had some of the coolest riffs. One of my favorite sections was in the end of Cupid’s Dead on III Sides, which is my favorite album from Extreme. He also had a unique tone, which is still one I try to emulate to this day.
I love Nuno! Great riffs, very melodic, rhythmic, and so much feeling to his parts! Bought the album for 'More than Words', heard the song five times in a row, and then I let it play - and I was blown away. So damn good! Still one of my favorite bands ever.
„Rest In Peace“ was the name of the track you were looking for towards the end of the video...and I agree..Nuno is one of a kind and right next in line after Eddie. But maybe only because Eddie was more inventive when it comes to new techniques.
Got to see Extreme when they got back together for their latest album several years ago. They had King's X opening for them. It was one of the best concerts I've ever been too.
you might have touched on this in melody or dyanmics. But what I also noticed about Nuno that set him apart from the others was his ability to mesh different guitar styles in his solos. Brian May points this out in his video about Nuno's solo in "Get the funk Out" . He builds this solo with single note staccoto run, blues rythim shuffle, hammer ons and pull offs and more . The genius is all over but espectially when in the intro of the solo, he backs the volume nob off, breifly, to do a very slow melodic note dance, before he kicks it in to the loud bottom end push for the rest of it.
I love that Brian May said the solo for Get The Funk Out was the best rock solo he ever heard. Those two bands just loved each other.
Pornograffiti blew me away when it came out, a real game changer. Still one of my favourite albums of the era
Me too. Not alot of people know about it. In music college we went to the namm show and it was his debut at one of the shows and it was great. Went and bought it after. Great album!
Big same lol
This album is in my top 10 of all times.
I absolutely loved the groove and amazing riffs. Nuno. Incredible.
Am I the only one that really didn’t care for the lyrics and vocals?
NOOOOOOO! I put my cd that i bought 25 years ago in my car the other day and it skips in a few places! NOOOOOOOO!
I saw Nuno at a store called Dr. Music in Orlando shortly after Pornograffiti came out. He did an evening guitar clinic. I’ve been playing semi-professionally for 41 years. Still, I’ve never been in the room with a more talented musician in all those years. He was phenomenal, and an absolute blast to watch. Watching him play Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee five feet in front of me at a time when a lot of people had not even heard of Extreme was nearly a religious experience.
NUNO and Eddie were both drummers. That’s why their rhythm is so great
Eddie played drums for a little bit as a kid his main background was piano
@@tribilinRivera piano is also a stringed instrument but not in the same way a guitar or violin is.
@@kipwilliamson5737still considered a percussion instrument, so that guys point still stands
@@ZazaManJacky you right but it’s weird that it is classified.
His fingers, his brain, his style and that attitude of gratitude he has 🤘🏽! Bluesyist metal master
If you don't have a little Aerosmith and Jimmy Page swagger in your guitarishness, you should really go get some...
Nuno’s playing is so original and fun, easily one of my top 3 fav guitarists
Nuno made a big splash (and still does!!) by his sense of rhythm as well as soloing, his impeccable backing vocals, his grasp of many musical styles, his songwriting skills, his understanding of how a band works as a well oiled machine rather than "guitarist needs some generic band", and his stage presence.
Seems a genuinely nice guy, too.
Combine that with decades of working consistently at a top level, and you've got the one and only Nuno.
Too many of these comments are in the past tense! Nuno is still out there doing it. Extreme's last album Saudades de Rock is fantastic IMO, and they have new one basically just waiting for touring to start up again. He was great on Vai's tour as well.
I’ve known this for 30 years !! The 3 sides to every story, CD was on rotation everyday in my car in 1992 !!
Three guitarists I will always appreciate: Nuno, Paul Gilbert and EVH. 🤘
Same. Those three guys wrote the vast majority of songs that I gravitate toward (VERY poorly) playing.
Agreed.
You got that right.
Oh come on, alan holdsworth, no?
Nuno, Paul Gilbert, Vivian Campbell and Vito Bratta were my fav's.
Nuno is so underrated outside of the guitar world. Eddie is known by non-musicians world wide and rightfully so but Nuno is a beast and he's so incredibly musical. I believe he could be asked to do a cameo by today's most popular pop artists and he would stand out just like Eddie did on "Beat It". He's in the top 5 of my most underrated guitarists list.
Nuno has never been underrated, he’s just under-famous.
Nuno was THE man, fantastic feel and ability as a guitarist, i think he can play 4-5 instruments as well... His rhythm playing is just so damn tasty and unique and the leads are almost like "little symphonies" in themselves lol . Great tone as well he used a ADA MP1 early on, the band is solid as a rock (good songs and harmonies) and very tight and allow Nuno all the room to do this thing all over the fretboard, 1 of my favorites of all time, thanks for all you do Robert
*IS still the man ;)
I loved Extreme and especially Nuno's playing but I HATED that tone. So mid-range heavy and scratchy. I can't even imagine seeing them live....it's painful to even listen to him do stuff on UA-cam because of that tone. I bought an N4 when it came out and it lasted about 3 months before I got rid of it and replaced it with something smoother.
Watch his video where he breaks down a few of his solos. If you turn it up louder than 40% it'll give you a headache. Always preferred the George Lynch tone (or Eddie's) so much more.
@@SDesWriter It's true. Even on the acoustic tracks, I always think, how can such a world class player like that tone?
Nuno is completely monster musician player songwriter and also a very good piano player as well . Total package
And he can play the hell out of the drums as well
He could mesh technical and emotional playing and his live playing is flawless.
There are rock legends and then there's Nuno Bettencourt. A ROCK GOD.
Amen.
Thanx for video, but very important component of Nuno playing is wide amplitude of his right hand movement on riffs and even when single note playing. It gives that funky vibe.
Love that bluesy-funky rock groove that Nuno and EVH had/have.
Also I think Paul Gilbert on the Mr. Big records has a similar EVH feel.
@@musicman76 If you love bluesy metal...check out the Electric Boys debut Funkometal Carpet Ride.
@@curtpozzi5527 thank you. Checking out now!
@@curtpozzi5527 man i love that record. No clue why they were never big
He-Man Woman Hater is the coolest Nuno riff.
Really digging what you’re doing. That was a clear and and insightful breakdown of Nuno’s greatness. Indeed he is nothing less than PHENOMENAL.
Nuno is an amazing musician. He has serious soul in his playing, has incredibly strong rhythmic creativity, he's super melodic and he's one of the best rhythm players ever. He has astonishing technique as well but it unlike many it is matched by his extremely strong musicianship.
People always forget to mention MR BIG when talking about 90s hard rock bands with great musicians.
Warrant had some pretty groovy stuff as well, but they tended to stay in the pop rock area, but Uncle Tom's cabin is a classic!! It amazes me how bands like Extreme, MR BIG, Warrant and Cinderella were not much bigger than they should have been but a band like Motley Crue is hailed as some kind of a great band in music history. I like Crue but I never thought they were worthy of all the praise they got. I tell ya another band I did not like in the 80's but over time I have come to appreciate more, DO NOT LAUGH!! lol Poison! Once you get passed all the glam and girly foo foo stuff, they actually had some really great riffs and licks!
@@alabamahebrew Warrant is also forgotten, and they were also great. But Poison only worked with Richie Kotzen (which also played with Mr Big lol)
@@alabamahebrew Look What The Cat Dragged In is an 80s classic!
Mr. Big is so underrated. Great songwriting & they used their chops so tastefully.
@@dz9589 They're so underrated that it's a crime.
He's such an original. I get the Eddie comparison but he was really different
Totally agree. A true original.
@@RobertBakerGuitar I used to be in a band in New England back in the 80's. My band probably opened for Extreme more than any other band around for a few years. We played with them at a place called the Living Room in Providence RI, Bunratty's, the Rat, The Channel, (all in Boston), the Rock Pile, the list goes on.
We actually played with them during the transition of pre Nuno, (the band was called The Dream), then they re-arranged some members, got Nuno and called themselves The Extreme, (a play on words), then just Extreme. Things changed when he got in the band, he just brought a better arrangement to the tunes, and we all knew him from a band he was in called Sinful just before he went to Ex.
He always had a guitar in his hands, always..backstage rippin' up scales and warms ups for hours after soundcheck, and he was always changing amps. He had Marshalls, Bedrock, Peavey, man he went through amps, but one pedal he had on ALL the time was a 1985 ProCo Rat pedal, it was always in line on his rig. He could play like that at 19 yrs old, he was and still is special. Very quiet back then but man did he like to play the drums during soundcheck, then go out front and listen back to his recorder he had set up, he was always working on the sound of Extreme. He is hilarious as well, kinda tough New England street smarts, makes wise cracks, but he really is just an amazing player and the technique has just been there since day one. Anyway, thanks for posting, you are a great player and I admire you and your style. God bless- Joshua
@@themotocrossmodchannelWulfMX You Sir sound like a bit of a legend in your own right...How awesome it must've been to have had the oportunity to support Extreme...multiple times🤘🇦🇺
@@simonilett998 it was an amazing time, the late 80's...we got to basically open up for every band that came through the NE area from 1985-1990 then the scene kinda died down due to grunge.
We opened for Poison, Zebra, Badlands, Leslie West, Rough Cut, Anvil, TNT, Nazareth, Alcatraz, (post Yngwie 😭), and a whole bunch of other bands I forget about lol...our biggest gig was 87' at the Providence RI civic center where we opened for Deep Purple on the House of the Blue Light tour..14k people it was crazy..joan jett cxld last minute so we got a call from the agent and went and did the show..I was a sr in high school at the time, my brother was the singer and he was in 11th grade lol, what a time.
After that and when I grew up I went into the Entertainment biz for 23 yrs as an audio supervisor for the world's largest casino in CT..I again got to work with all the greats but in a different capacity on the business end and from the side of the stage rather than playing.
Anyway, sorry for the rant, feeling nostalgic lately..cheers- Joshua
@@themotocrossmodchannelWulfMX Great insightful comment there! Got anymore stories about Nuno, come join our group on FB, Extreme4Ever! We'd love to hear more! :)
I love Nuno's playing and thank you for giving him some deserved attention. Seems he's constantly being forgotten in youtube lists. The carrying the torch of EvH is well put and in my mind he added a lot of his own. His playing is rarely mindless shredding of scales, there allways is a strong melody. He has these tapping solo's like the one in Get the Funk Out that do not sound like a playing technique and consequently a bit like showing off. Instead, it takes on a life of its own and becomes a very powerful musical idea. Very cool.
Robert, awesome video. I always loved the funky feel that Nuno had. One of my other favorites from the late 80s was Marc Diglio of XYZ. His riffs and tone were unreal.
Nuno is the best. What a sound. One of the under rated albums is "Waiting on the Punchline". Was recorded live as a band and I think the only thing that was dubbed in was some backing vocals, but it is a cool raw sound and it shows the tightness of the band as a live act.
Has a very clean sound with the reduced distortion as he used Fender Twin that he plugged straight into. You can hear tremolo springs when is switching pickups on some pf the songs on this album
Nuno is so underrated! I saw him live with Extreme, and he was just so musical with his playing!
NUNO is UNIQUE. Is that "simple" to talk about him. Simply: amazing, fast, swing, creative, soulfull and another many things.
I saw Nuno on tour a couple times with Steve Vai, Yngwie, Zakk Wylde, and Tosin Abasi. Nuno was the shining star of those shows. To impress me in that company means he was completely amazing.
tosin is the goat.. and im the guy who named his dog nuno
Nuno has the Funk. No other word describes him. lol. It's just that he has The Funk and Groove in his DNA.
Well he's funky for a metal guitarist. But when it comes to real funk, most metal heads don't even have a point of reference. If you're not well steeped in P-Funk, Prince, James Brown, Rick James, Zapp, Rufus & Chaka Khan,etc, then I don't feel you're in a position to know what you're talking about. And I love Nuno for the record, but Extreme is funk lite bordering on straight generic (Get The Funk Out). Besides the solo, that song is painfully generic.
@@inspectorbudget Yea ok. Thanks for blabbing on and showing how much of a prick you are. Acting like since you know about different artists and genres that you are better than me and everyone else who agrees. Nobody gives a shit dude.. And btw i do know all those you mentioned. I'm very well versed in music. Thanks for assuming i don't know anything about it. Let me know when you write some good stuff and are famous. Thanks
@@x7stringinJSCx I'm cool with your response. No problem. I still stand by it as you stand by yours.
Vito please
@@inspectorbudget that’s all Robert said he brought funkiness to metal that no other metal musician did other than Eddie. Robert never claimed to be a funk expert. So no need to be rude
His 12-string on Hole Hearted is fantastic...that song is still one of my faves. On the electric, he just had the funk. Extreme really had a funky metal vibe.
#1 guitarist for me. Amazing skills and song writing. Amazing timing. Plus he added that bit of funk to have a unique voice.
His right hand and his sense of rhythm is what differentiates him for me.
Warren Demartini.....so underrated in my opinion....great player and song writer....EVH, Nuno, Warren and Lynch are my top for sure.
fuckin right eric..fuck yeah!!!!!
@@grantsutherland7640 yes he is one of my influences
But Jake E Lee taught Warren . Jake got Warren the gig in Ratt when he left to join Ozzy .
Pornograffitti is an incredible guitar album. Unfortunately, their masterpiece, Three Sides, is rarely mentioned.
Yes!!!!
Three sides is great but the last third of it gets a bit too laid back for me whereas Pornograffitti just blazes through right to the end (let's skip over 'More than Words' :-) )
@@stratmanuk, you forgot about “Hole Hearted” and “ When I First Kissed You” off of the Pornograffitti album. What if these three songs had been lumped together at the end of the album?
@@cmikesmith664 Fair comment, that's probably it, songs like that are fine sprinkled in but not in a block; three sides just somehow loses all it's 'Ooommpphh' particularly when the whole thing starts off with Nuno in utter monster form on 'Warheads'!
@@stratmanuk, I agree with you, however I think Extreme wanted Three Sides to be sort of a concept album.
Nuno is one of top 5 guitarists ever for me. Reasons?: Tone, Groove, funk influence, composition, seamlessly blending blue sounding riffs with funk and metal, earworms, virtuoso command of the instrument, attitude
Great episode! Nuno was always one of my favorite players, and he can sing pretty damn well too. Yes. Keep it going! George Lynch would be a great one!
He was Rihanna’s guitar player when I saw her and Eminem years ago. Literally he can do anything
Winger's album Pull was also fantastically written ..Nuno has always been a funky Eddie!
Nuno was always a player that just played the sh*t in my head. LOVED his sense of rhythm.
love nuno.. but i think you should do john sykes, the unsung underated legend
It was only about a year ago that I found out that the guy dancing around, playing guitar in the STILL OF THE NIGHT video wasnt the guy raising all levels of unknown Cain on that 87 Whitesnake tape. Why wasnt he plastered all over the cover of Guitarworld and such? I had to go looking him up through Google and youtube. What a great guitar player!
John Sykes is The Holy Grail of guitarists.
Damn rightttt and JOHN NORUM
Brother that tone on the first riffs wow absolutely majestic yowza!!!
Nuno and Vito are so overlooked IMO from the 80's.
Love Vito too. His playing was much closer to Eddie and I love all the white lion songs and his solos because of his amazing sense of tune and phrasing. So catchy!
Nuno Vito is my new screen name.... in 3, 2, 1....
yea nunois my favorite but Vito had some great melodies and was really good
Yeah we need to mention Vito... He has a good sense of melody... So great and underrated.
Absolutely loved this video! I’ve been playing guitar for 45 years. KISS was everything until I heard VH-1. That was the end of Kiss lol! Eddie was my hero for ever. I spent years trying to learn what he was doing. Unfortunately I cut a finger off when I was 22. A doctor reattached it, and after months of therapy that didn’t help, I decided to try and pick up the guitar again. That was the best therapy after all. It all changed from there on. It opened up doors that were previously closed. It changed my playing forever! I finally figured out what Ed had been doing. Then Nuno enters the picture. You are right, he is totally Awesome in another way. They along with Brad Paisley are my guitar hero’s. I look up to them all as masters of their craft! God bless Eddie, he will be missed by millions. I might not of been his biggest fan, but I always thought I was. Loved your video.
Nuno is one of my favorites!!! In my opinion, you should most definitely continue this series.
Nuno my favorite of all time. Listening to you play makes me want to listen to his stuff all day
Nuno's guitar solo in Spaceman (from his "Population 1" project) is my favorite guitar solo of all time, blows my mind every time I listen to it.
The washburn N4+groove+funk+the looks+technique . Nuno is just fenomenal.
He’s an amazing guitarist. I love his right hand tone. Just amazing tone just from his right hand. Love it
Glad you mentioned Kee Marcello... One of the few like vito and nuno where I like every solo. I say do one on Kee Marcello.
Robert, THANK YOU!! Can never get enough of Nuno...he is in a league of his own! My favorite guitar player of all time (yes, slightly edging out Jimi and EVH). I agree....it’s Nuno’s groove that sets him apart from nearly everyone else.
Nuno is a flat out killer player. Porno was such a fantastic album, feels a bit dated now but so many awesome riffs not to mention killer tone.
I remember when I got into guitar, my dad put on III Sides to Every Story, it absolutely blew me away. I've been chasing Nuno ever since. Phenomenal musician.
Nuno and Reb Beach came on the scene around the same time (late '80s) and made me switch gears completely guitar-wise. Sure, their lead playing was brilliant but I think they are both highly-underappreciated rhythm players and were the first players that made me pay more attention to that aspect of my playing at a time when 99% of players were all power chords. I legit like both of their rhythm playing as much (or more) than all the cool solos. Stay safe everyone. Cheers.
I really like Nuno. I think his understanding of music theory is out of this world. His technical ability is out of this world. What you call groove I think is called "Funk" in several of their songs. Nuno is a master of funk. Great video.
Loooooove Nuno' s riffs, they got a funk vibe to them and his solos are very melodic and chock full of feel
the dynamics of his intonation throughout, the wit behind it, and the technical capability to deliver that intonation the way he want it to sound. Yeah, his intonation
Nuno had some funk in him... he's awesome. 3 sides to every side is fantastic, and so is Extreme's more recent stuff.
I wasn't a huge Extreme fan back in the day but I've seen him a few times with the Generation Axe tours and I'm a BIG fan now! I never realized how awesome he is until recently.
You nailed his sound perfectly.. He's my 2nd favorite guitarist, behind Eddie.
3 sides (album) is underrated too. His solos are so unique too. Vary carnival "best I can explain" or a carrousel ride sounding. Where he lands and runs, unreal.
Loved Nuno's rock jazzy style guitar riffs and his rhythm parts mixed in with his leads a shred genius for shure!!!
Heck yeah, great video! Nuno's awesome. So thrilled to get to see him in concert early 90s, guitar master!
He has feeling in his playing which most shredders lack completely!
When talking about carrying the Torch for Eddie, there's Nuno, and then there's Vito Brata who also had his own super melodic Eddie vibe. Nuno and Vito are two of my favorites. Of course, Eddie is my favorite of all time.
I would love to see this series keep going! Maybe one on Zaki Wylde? His note choices might not be the most innovative, but his articulation and attitude is crazy!
IMHO what makes Extreme, and especially the Three Sides album standout so much; there isn't one bad song on this album. A concept album that loosely ties together lyrically, but a common theme follows every song, humanity and our inability to accept our frailties. To this day I still reference Three Sides as one of the greatest albums of the 1990's, as the entire album is perfect! Took me months to learn all of Nuno's riffs on this album, but still play them often when picking up my electric. I agree with the comparative to Eddie (my inspiration for picking up a guitar), but Nuno has a style that is uniquely his own. Take the time to learn the acoustic Rise n' Shine, it is beautiful and will move your acoustic playing up multiple notches because of the complexity of what Nuno wrote musically.
Yes! Rise and Shine is a criminally underated song!
Great idea for a series. Would love a Vito Bratta or John Sykes edition.
Luv the video of Brian May listening to "Get The Funk Out" with a ear to ear smile talking about how amazing it is saying he wished he could play like that so blown away by that amazing solo. Nuno is force to be reckoned with for sure!
you did nailed it. he is the most percussive guitarist I've ever heard. a sheer genius.
Nuno is a BEAST!!! His groove, feel and rhythm are amazing. He can also melt your face in an instant. The great Brian May has even said that the solo to "Get the Funk Out" is one of his all time favs. I highly recommend learning "Play with Me" (Bill * Ted's Excellent Adventure) for some super fun shreddy goodness.
Nuno and EVH have been my two favorites for decades!!!
Nuno made such an influence on me as a musician that I named my first born after him 24 years ago. You nailed it about him. He is still the best guitarist I've ever heard today. Nuno was heavy influence from Brian May. That's why they did the queen tribute to Freddie Mercury. Brian May loves Nuno
Nuno is awesome!!!! and how’d he play all that with his guitar so low? That’s the question
That is the question, indeed.
Speaking of influences there's a BIG one you missed: Prince informed so much of what Nuno and Extreme did.
Prince was awesome. Saw him live multiple times and it was always great,
Yessir! Out of Nuno's own mouth. Prince's rythm playing is widely overlooked.
@@BRNREK47 As a matter of fact, I would say Prince is the funk guitar Bible. But you HAVE to dig deeper than Purple Rain. Yes, I said it. I hate mugs that can't get beyond that album as great as it was. If you want funk guitar in your face, go for Controversy, 1999, Dirty Mind, etc. Also his newer works. Your have to mine & dig his catalogue if you really want it. Now there's a wealth of tour rehearsals & concerts here on UA-cam. That is where you will find funk rats. Sign of the funk!
I think a lot of it was the combo of his feel and funk rhythm parts with drum grooves that wouldn’t have been out of place in a Stevie Wonder song. Then throwing in some Brian May theatre and melody on the solos, and combining that with the funk and the tapping ‘/ shredding, gave it an even more unique feel.
My cousin played with Nuno many times and has huge respect for him. Great video
Hi! I think that one thing you forgot about nino's magic is his right hand. The groove is also in that magical hand he has.
You’re almost there dude…. Sounds really good! Nuno certainly does have such a cool style… I am a big fan.
Man you have tons of dynamics, I simply love your simple but energic style of playing ❤️
I remember seeing Nuno for the first time mid 80s with Sinful in a club in Providence, RI. Shortly after that he joined Extreme. always so good.
Saw Nuno in 86 when I was in band that backed up Extreme and I have been in awe of his technique ever since
I agree nuno has the best sense of melody ever. his groove is crazy he's technically proficient.hes got it all. the 🐐 glad you took the time to appreciate such an amazing player I'm just as interested in his material. thanks
Ty Tabor....George Lynch another monster of the sacred groove
Nuno is just cool. The rythm, the funk, the speed, timing, the tone. Not to mention the look. Perfect rock player in my opinion. Excellent acoustic player too.
The thing I like about Nuno is that his rythm playing is almost 'violent' compared to anyone else. It's not just the funk, he's the John Bonham of guitar.
YES!
Well said. Totally agree. He's a phenomenal drummer too. His whole family is so incredibly talented. Constant music at that house.
I was just telling my pal the other day that part of the reason why I love Nuno so much is that it always sounds kind of like he's playing drums with his right hand and his left-hand hammer-ons.
No kidding, when I first heard Extreme and Nuno’s playing and I didn’t know it was Extreme, I thought, “Man! Eddie’s on fire again! But who is that singing with Van Halen!?” Then I found out it was Extreme and this badass named Nuno Bettencourt! Ironically, 10 years later, Gary was singing for VH! Nuno is definitely in my top 3 as well. Funky groovy stuff bro!
Yeah dude. You nailed it. He carries (if it's possible) the legacy of EVH. I love his stylistic rhythmic riffs. Peace brother.
When you mentioned Vito Bratta, I was thinking, he had his own sound as well, but Vito almost had a classical vibe to his leads. As for the riffage, Nuno had some of the coolest riffs. One of my favorite sections was in the end of Cupid’s Dead on III Sides, which is my favorite album from Extreme. He also had a unique tone, which is still one I try to emulate to this day.
His groove is in his DNA. He's Azorean. The Azores has a very good musical heritage. Anyway, the groovy section in Cupid's Dead is phenomenal.
80’s metal bands all had great guitarists. That was the lead guitar era.
Nuno gettin some love! Amazing guitarist!
Nuno is criminally underrated in all time guitarists lists
I love Nuno! Great riffs, very melodic, rhythmic, and so much feeling to his parts! Bought the album for 'More than Words', heard the song five times in a row, and then I let it play - and I was blown away. So damn good! Still one of my favorite bands ever.
He’s portuguese! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🇵🇹
All great metal fans are.
🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹
His azorian
He has a fantastic sense of groove....just great
„Rest In Peace“ was the name of the track you were looking for towards the end of the video...and I agree..Nuno is one of a kind and right next in line after Eddie. But maybe only because Eddie was more inventive when it comes to new techniques.
Got to see Extreme when they got back together for their latest album several years ago. They had King's X opening for them. It was one of the best concerts I've ever been too.
It's one of those things: You hear a Nuno riff & you just smile.
you might have touched on this in melody or dyanmics. But what I also noticed about Nuno that set him apart from the others was his ability to mesh different guitar styles in his solos.
Brian May points this out in his video about Nuno's solo in "Get the funk Out" . He builds this solo with single note staccoto run, blues rythim shuffle, hammer ons and pull offs and more . The genius is all over but espectially when in the intro of the solo, he backs the volume nob off, breifly, to do a very slow melodic note dance, before he kicks it in to the loud bottom end push for the rest of it.
Nuno is incredible. That's why I have two lovely Nuno sig Washburns :)