Songwriting is the weak link on the second album from II D Extreme, From I Extreme II Another. Lead singer D'Extra Wiley cowrote and coproduced all 15 tracks, and he comes up with neither the tunes nor the words to stand ... more »out amid the flood of R&B releases. It's too bad, for he's a terrific singer, using his gospel background to growl and purr with uninhibited emotion. Typical is the album's first single, "If I Knew Then (What I Know Now)," which finds Wiley pushing and pulling at the ballad phrasing and loading it up with layers of synthesizers as if to camouflage the song's lackluster music and predictable lyrics. II D Extreme is better off on dance numbers such as "You Got Me Goin'," where the insistent groove curbs their worse excesses. --Geoffrey Himes« less
Songwriting is the weak link on the second album from II D Extreme, From I Extreme II Another. Lead singer D'Extra Wiley cowrote and coproduced all 15 tracks, and he comes up with neither the tunes nor the words to stand out amid the flood of R&B releases. It's too bad, for he's a terrific singer, using his gospel background to growl and purr with uninhibited emotion. Typical is the album's first single, "If I Knew Then (What I Know Now)," which finds Wiley pushing and pulling at the ballad phrasing and loading it up with layers of synthesizers as if to camouflage the song's lackluster music and predictable lyrics. II D Extreme is better off on dance numbers such as "You Got Me Goin'," where the insistent groove curbs their worse excesses. --Geoffrey Himes
CD Reviews
Cry No More
Wendy Wilson | Boston, Massachusetts | 10/17/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well My name is Wendy. I live in Boston Massachusetts. I am a fan but also a good friend of D'extra Wiley and Randy Gill. I met them a few years ago. I think that both albums were excellent. Even though I could not see them perform. I actually had D'extra sing to me personally. The first single out which was Cry No More, was dedicated to me. I think that they should have been recognized more by the public. I think that we should have given II D Extreme a chance. I know in my heart that they would of made it successfully......!What is the group doing now? Are they producing? Do they have there own record label? Please advise."
Sincere and Soulful
retro_styled_crooner | Tustin, CA USA | 09/16/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)
"II D Extreme had a decent sophomore effort in From I Extreme II Another, many of those "jeep-soul" releases that came out in the mid-90s contained to many raps, but you won't find that on this collection that mainly consists of slow jams and ballads. One can tell that Wiley, Gill, and Mickey owe a major debt to the classic soul music of the 1970s, but still employ some hip-hop terminology. Though, the focus is more on production oppose to vocals, but the gospel-influenced, big harmonies are still there, even though there are moments that aren't terribly original, they remain soulful throughout the entire album."
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!
sonya c. young | MEMPHIS, TN | 02/29/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have to say that I had the honor to hear these gentlemen sing live, and I was floored.(98) They performed at a birthday party, for a coworker,and until then I had never heard their name, but they have such powerful voices. I think that it is a shame that they don't get the recognition that they so richly deserve. I love them, I live in Memphis, TN. and it is such a rap city, but I love good music, and I choose II D EXTREME!"
THEY HAVE TOUCH MY HEART!!
sonya c. young | 04/21/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"2.D.EXTREAM BOYS I FEEL THEY NEED AN AWARD THEIR FIRST AND SECOND ALBUM IS THE BOMB.THEY MADE A CHANGE ON ME AND MY FRIENDS ,KEEP IT UP GUYS. UNFORTUNATE I DONT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO AFORD YOUR FIRST ALBUM BUT I KNOW THAT IS NICE."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1