Vanilla Ice
To The Extreme
© SBK/Ultrax
January 25 - 31, 2026
Year of Release: 1990
Rating:
Ice Ice Baby
Yo Vanilla
Stop That Train
Hooked
Ice Is Workin' It
Life Is A Fantasy
Play That Funky Music
Dancin'
Go Ill
It's A Party
Juice To Get Loose Boy
Ice Cold
Rosta Man
I Love You
Havin' A Roni
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Ahh... the 1990s... Hip-Hop and Rap were slowly starting to dominate the music scene. Rappers such as
MC Hammer
and this week's pick, Vanilla Ice stormed the charts with their dance moves and memorable songs - MC Hammer's "U Can't
Touch This" sampling Rick James' "Super Freak," Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" sampling Queen and David
Bowie's "Under Pressure." (Although Vanilla Ice had said that the Queen song was not sampled, he indicated
how the "ding-ding-ding da-da ding-ding's" were different. Yeah, right...)
To The Extreme by Vanilla Ice was the album "Ice Ice Baby" was from, and it climbed to the top of the
Billboard Albums chart at #1, for sixteen weeks. "Ice Ice Baby" leads off the album, as this track made him an
overnight sensation. "Yo Vanilla" is a short lead-in to the next track, "Stop That Train." (No, it's
not the Bob Marley remake.) The beats and the rappin' continues... "Hooked" continues the rappin' and the famous
turntable(s) scratching. (The music itself is quite impressive/interesting... "Ice Is Workin' It" is
"workin'" by his rappin' - however, it does get a bit annoying. Towards the end, the music does get better, though.
"Ice Ice Baby" is the main track at this point. "Life Is A Fantasy" starts out like the MC Hammer version
of "Have You Seen Her," (doesn't it?) However, Vanilla returns to his rappin' and such. It's beats and rappin'
is the start of how 1990s Hip-Hop and Rap were emerging as what dominate the latest trend in popular music. Somehow,
Notorious B.I.G. comes to mind when listening to this track.
Ice's version of the Wild Cherry classic "Play That Funky Music" did receive plenty of radio airplay. The
original was better, but Ice put his own spin on the remake. (Maybe they should have sampled the original track, to give
it a more noticeable vibe, for us who remembered the original well.) "Dancin'" has The Jackson 5's "Dancing
Machine," which makes it the highlight of this track, with Ice's rappin' of course. The rappin' continues (and quite
annoying) on "Go Ill" "Ill" - uh huh, makes ya.
blends great harmonies again, both male and female, this one is all vocals and no instruments. And, "American Tune"
was written by Paul Simon. SVB's version is far different than Simon's, with all the harmonies. "Starland"
keeps the light sounding style, with their harmonies. "California Day" does have a Pop-sound, yet not as their
most well-known hit. "War Surplus Baby" has a more 1970s Pop sound, and at this point, they can be compared
to another "married" group, ABBA. Also to note, if the Mamas and the Papas had continued in the 1970s, their sound could
be compared to sVB. "War Surplus Baby" could easily have been released as a single, and it easily fits
"Today's Easy Listening" format. Likewise, the same can be said for the next track, "Starting All Over Again."
It could have been another single, and fits Easy Listening playlists. Then there's the hit that made them famous -
"Afternoon Delight." There's no other way to describe this forever hit for those who remember it. "Skyrockets in
flight, Afternoon Delight. Yes, once we all found out it's about afternoon sex, the lyrics make sense. "Hail Hail
Rock And Roll" (not the Chuck Berry song), it was written by the married Tanoff couple. It has a nostalgic feel to it.
Hailing back to what Rock & Roll sounds like. "Ain't It The Fall" returns to the light sound, and great harmonies.
Rear View Mirror - the 10 tracks are all here, completing the Collectables' Afternoon Delight
compilation.
Ice has another rappin' "best" on "It's A Party," with the turntable(s) scratchin', rappin', and
"whoo's!" It is a definitely "party" atmosphere. "Juice To Get Loose Boy" (what a title) - is short, as a lead-in
to the next track, "Ice Cold." James Brown is sampled here, and the music beats keep it hoppin'. "Rosta Man"
is quite good; the music and the rappin' isn't as bad. "I LOve You" is another good track, musically, and rappin'.
"Havin' A Roin" is a big pass - it just doesn't fit, as it is another short track, just little over a minute.
"Ah, Yeah..." Not the track to end the album, "I Love You" probably would have been the better track to end the
album.
Musically, there are some quite impressive "music beats." Ice's rappin' is good on some, the others not so much.
But it was the new trend in music that was getting the attention and starting to dominate the music scene - Hip-Hop/Rap.
Vanilla Ice and other rappers were making their marks, with their rappin' and music beats. It started a trend, and decades
later, it still dominates the singles and album charts. (Whether we all like it, or not.) But the beginnings of Hip-Hop
and Rap were quite as entertaining as the early old-school Rap. But as the decades from the 1990s became upon us,
Hip-Hop and Rap just isn't as "entertaining" as when it all started. (It had to start somehwere...)
But the 1990s decade was "good" for Hip-Hop and Rap, and the albums by MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice and others from this
decade were worth getting into. Decades later, such as To The Extreme has it's moments, but you have to admit,
the music itself was quite impressive than the rappin'. Vanilla Ice shined on "Ice Ice Baby," and it's really
the only track that he would become famous for. He released other albums afterward, yet they were much darker in his
music and rap. But "Ice Ice Baby" is the main song everyone will remember him by. And decades later when that
hit stormed, "Ice Ice Baby" still remains one of the best tracks in Hip-Hop/Rap.
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