FORMER EXTREME BASSIST RELEASES INDEPENDENT CD
Sara Smile
Boston , MA

•Fly by Wire , the 15 song CD independent release from Paul Mangone, (former bass player for Extreme ), is an interesting collection of rock standards and pop/rock ballads. While Mangone's comforting vocals make you feel like you are listening to an old friend, his true strength lies in his incredible song writing abilities. The beautiful "Wish You Had Someone Now" is an expressive pop ballad with gorgeous blended guitars and harmonies and is the stand out song on the disc. The instrumental "Long Way to Boston" will not be lost on fans of the mega 70's rock band Boston and the fact that Mangone plays almost all of the instruments on this CD speaks volumes of his music mastery.

•As a member of Extreme, Mangone was recognized for his solid bass
playing and his unassuming stage presence. A perfect match for his band
mate's (lead singer Gary Cherone) usual over-the-top stage antics. What some may not know is that Mangone (later replaced by Pat Badger) was an integral part of Extreme's early song writing. Recently Cherone released a CD with his new band Tribe of Judah , featuring the song "East of Paradise", a heavy acoustic Mangone/Cherone collaboration featuring Mangone on acoustic guitar and bass.

•Performing with Extreme , Mangone often harmonized with Cherone and now on Mangone's "Fly Like a Bird" he takes center stage to Cherone's backup vocals, in an impressive harmony reminiscent of Styx or Foreigner.

•The last song on the disc, "She's My Love" is listed as a demo and would benefit from less techno and more straight forward vocals. Over all, the only thing lacking on this disc is a bit of variety and surprisingly, some funky bass lines.