Egotistical assholes from Chicago, so it
is writ. They dress suave, act like big rock stars, drink cocktails, charge
$15 a concert, and sell almost no records. As that bully on The Simpsons
might say - "Ah ha!" Actually, regardless of how nice or not so nice the band
members might be, depending on whether you ask Liz Phair or Steve Albini, they
really do have the capacity to create phenomenally moving music.
Back when they were lo-fi, they boasted cool guitar lines and strong vocals,
but with an underground feel to it that
added to the charm. Now that they're on a major label, they seem to be trying
more to record hit singles than anything else, but even in this field, they've
proven that they still have a whole lot more AOR riff ideas runnin' through
their heads than most of the "real" bands they seem to be emulating. So that's
something. Let's just sit back and see where they take it, eh?
2000 UPDATE: THEY TOOK IT TO IMMEDIATELY BREAKING UP.
2011 UPDATE: THEN THEY TOOK IT TO GETTING BACK TOGETHER.
Strange, I... EP - Ruthless
1986.
Sounds an awful lot like Big Black, but Big Black's not
a bad band to sound like, if you're going to sound like somebody. The bass is
heavy, the guitar is reverbed and tinny, and the lyrics are shouted, but a few
of the songs (particularly "All Worked Out") rise above the din just enough to
get tagged into your musical memory for all time. Unfortunately, every time
you get one of 'em stuck in your head, you'll spend the next four hours
wondering, "Was that Big Black or Rapeman?" Definitely not a groundbreaking
little record, but good enough and of great historical interest for bunny rabbits.
- Reader Comments
- avid999@xmsg.com (David Smith)
The comparison to Rapeman seems a little unfair given that this record came out two years previous to the first Rapeman EP. That and the fact that is doesn't really sound much like Rapeman.
Add your thoughts?
Jesus Urge Superstar - Touch And Go
1989.
The beautiful sounds of a band developing its own
identity. The production is awfully crude, but the Cream-meets-Sonic Youth
guitar stylings shine through the muck like a crazy diamond or have a cigar. A
few of 'em near the beginning and end just fly on over, but the middle
section, featuring the beautiful "Head On" and "Your Friend Is Insane," among
others, is, in the words of the immortal Iggy Pop, "Your pretty face is going
to hell." Some of these melodies are on the ugly,
hard-to-follow side ("Dubbledead," for example), but the more you pay
attention to what's going on musically, the better they sound. It's just that
we as average everyday music fans aren't used to having to struggle to
understand a melody. That's why early Thinking Fellers and Polvo never caught
on, and why even I, musical voyeur that I am, generally steer clear of that
weird Japanese noise stuff. And although Urge Overkill, even at this point in
their career, were easier to follow than any of that crazy foreigner stuff
(though far from embarrassingly simplistic, like their more recent Foreigner
stuff), you might still find this album a bit hard to handle at first (weird
production and all). A lot of good ideas are in there, though! Guitar freaks
take heed! You will not leave unsatisfied!
- Reader Comments
- edie_brickell@hotmail.com
One of my favourite UO records, even though there's a couple weak spots. I'm
convinced they were high when they wrote "God Flinstone", and even higher
when they put it at side 1, track 1. But "Your Friend's Insane" is amazing,
"Dubbledead" features a creepy Vegas-esque vocal over a weird, halting
rhythm that's hard to kick, and the blues hollerin' going on in stuff like
"Last Train To Heaven", "Very Sad Trousers", and "Dump Dump Dump" is
awesome.
Add your thoughts?
Americruiser - Touch And Go
1990.
The Overkill have a go at rock 'n' roll excess. And a
darn worthwhile look it is, even if only the hilarious side-enders "Empire
Builder" and "Smokehouse" go completely over the top as much as they
all should. In fact, it really doesn't rock anywhere near hard enough
to live up to the UO schtick, which had already developed to the point where
the clothes were as important as the music, but still, "Ticket To L.A." kicks,
"76 Ball" trudges lovelyly while paying ode to that little symbol that the
band stole and adopted as their own, and "Faroutski" is about as catchy as
guitar rock can get. Too darn short a record, though. Only eight songs, and
a couple of 'em don't do much of anything.
- Reader Comments
- bylcote555@yahoo.com
How can you write a review of this album and not recognize that "Out on the Airstrip" is National Kato's best song ever. I get the feeling you favor the "King" which is fine, Eddie rules, but to truly appreciate the U.R.G.E., one must give it up for Nash.
Add your thoughts?
* Jesus Urge Superstar/Americruiser cd -
Touch And Go 1990. *
Combine two really good records and you get a great
one! The lesser songs hardly make a dent in a collection this large, and the
bonus tracks, "Eggs" and "Wichita Lineman" (maybe you've heard it by Glen
Campbell?) are among the finest numbers they've ever performed! Truly
bonus tracks, in every sense of the word. A couple of wonderwomanful
photos of the combo will catch your pupil (and perchance your funny bone!)
too. The longest, thickest, most probing, long-lasting, meatiest, juiciest,
veiniest, squirtiest Urge Overkill penis you can buy.
Add your thoughts?
Supersonic Storybook - Touch And Go
1991.
Jesus Urge Superstar cleaned up and sweetened
for more palatable consumption. The Americruiser r'n'roll is almost
gone completely, giving way to the cooler guitar stylings of "The Candidate,"
"Vacation In Tokyo," and "Theme From Navajo." Very loud guitars, but in a
pretty way. Real clear tones give new life to that Cream-meets-Sonic Youth
style I mentioned earlier. Slightly bluesy, but with full understanding of
the powers of post-punk chime and drone. And "Blackie's Birthday" is catchy
as dad's new fish! One time I sat down in front of my parents' CD player and
listened to that one song over and over and over and over again for about 45
minutes, bouncing around excitedly every time I heard the opening melody.
Man, what a fun bit o' tuneage. A couple of "funk/soul" experiments fail
miserably, but the smooth rock stuff is suave as can be. Plus, it's got the best production yet! Go, Steve Albini, former leader of Big
Black and Rapeman, go!
- Reader Comments
- InMyEyes82@aol.com
This record kicks lots of ass. Blackie has to be one of the most powerful
drummers I've ever heard (well, he's up there with Grohl and Crover anyhoo),
and he's what really makes these songs pound. And I agree with Mark,
"Blackie's birthday" is one heck of an INSANELY catchy song. I listened to it
right after I bought the album and I literally could not get it out of my
head the entire day. Every song here is a winner. Hooray for UO.
- Jcjh20@aol.com
Great album, has great production courtesy of Steve Albini (i love the drum sounds he
gets), and has a nice guitar sound as well. 1 or 2 losers, but most of it is great, my faves
being "Blackies Birthday", "The Candidate", "The Kids Are Insane", and "Theme From
Navajo". Got this album for 3 bucks! Can you believe such a travesty? Just thrown in the used
bin and stayed there for a while till i finally picked it up after not previously hearing
a second of it. 8/10
- bylcote555@yahoo.com
O.k., Mark, once again you are mighty confused. One quick look at the back of this record will reveal that it was produced by "Urge Overkill at the Chicago Recording Company". Steve Albini has never, to my knowledge, ever been in the line-up of UO. He actually was talking trash about the band about the time this record came out. Steve Albini has never produced anything that sounds this good, he usually wrecks any band he's not in. Oh yeah , by the way, FUCK STEVE ALBINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the best album Urge Overkill ever did, period, from beginning to end.Nobody else sounded like this when it came out. Jesus Urge Superstar could have been great with someone else on the boards. I read an interview with UO once and they hate the way that album is produced. It's still one of my faves, despite the production, but once again, FUCK STEVE ALBINI UP THE CORNHOLE!!!!!
You should really change your review, it just kind of makes you look ignorant. Just read the back of the album, you'll see...go ahead...
- avid999@xmsg.com (David Smith)
Actually, Albini did record this record, but relations between him and the band deteriorated during the recording to the point where he asked to have his name left off the artwork.
Add your thoughts?
Stull EP - Touch And Go 1992.
Too short! Released simply to fulfill a contractual
obligation so they could run off to Geffen and make the big money, this 'un
offers up two of the hippest guitar groovers they'd written yet ("Goodbye To
Guyville" and "Stull"), plus two very very impressively-executed covers (Neil
Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon," later featured in Pulp
Fiction, and some punk band's "Stitches") and two Billy Childish-sorta mod
early-Kinksish tunes from a single released earlier in the year. A very good
record, sure, but what it lacks in length, it also lacks in power. The Kinksy
ones just aren't that emotionally resonant, quite frankly. Catchy maybe, but
they don't fit in a lick with the rest of the record. Or the graveyard album
jacket. You can probably get it cheap, though, and on 10" marble-colored
vinyl, it's a shootin' star just waitin' to bust lose!
- Reader Comments
- bylcote555@yahoo.com
Um..."Now That's The Barclords" and "What's This Generation Coming To" are the two best songs on this. That single rules. It was the first UO I ever heard and I flipped out. What are you thinking?!
- edie_brickell@hotmail.com
Short, but not a bad song in the bunch. I always figured this was the bridge
between 'messy' UO and the 'clean' UO from the Geffen years. Agree with
bylcote555 - those two songs are INCREDIBLE and Prindle is FUCKED UP.
- jondotkom
Yep, the Stull EP was too short, but just begins to demonstrate the ingenious, arena-esque, pop-rock moves that would shortly be unleashed with Saturation. And the single, "Stull," has got to be one of the most haunting songs I've ever heard. Melikes it!
- dpadrutt
Released to fulfill a contractual obligation?! Touch and Go records operated
completely via the handshake deal, which was why the Butthole Surfers were
able to single-handedly destroy that label in court.
Yes, this record is sadly too short, because it contains some of the best
stuff they've ever released, especially the super-creepy title track and the
two amazing rockers that you mentioned, the ones that don't sound a bit like
Billy Childish, or the Kinks, really, for that matter. They're just
straight-up awesome rock 'n roll!
Add your thoughts?
The Urge Overkill Story... Stay Tuned 1988-1991 -
Touch And Go 1993.
A promo compilation. A bit short, but finally you can
hear "Blackie's Birthday" and "The Candidate" without having to sit through
"Bionic Revolution," you can dazzle your ears with "Ticket To L.A." and
"Faroutski" without having to fast forward through "Viceroyce," and you can
walk around naked in your living room to the wondrous "Head On" without being
driven to put on a few articles of clothing by the ruthless dull factor of
"Crown Of Laffs." Still don't know why they chose to include the two weakest
tracks from Stull, but that's neither here nor there. It's still a
great introduction to a talented band on the verge of not becoming the next
Nirvana.
- Reader Comments
- bylcote555@yahoo.com
Maybe because they are the best 2 cuts on Stull !!!...Jeezis...
Add your thoughts?
Saturation - Geffen 1993.
The
Urge's major-label debut starts off promising
enough; the riffs are recycled, but used well in a semi-ironic post-classic
rock power pop context. "Sister Havana" and "Positive Bleeding" are
especially effective in welcoming in this new music-to-match-the-fashion era
of our beloved UO. But, alas, they can't pull it off for a whole album.
After track four, it all goes down the toilet of limited imagination. The
references aren't funny, the lyrics aren't clever (reaching a chuckle-chuckle
nadir with "Heavenly Thrills 90210"), and, most importantly, the melodies just
aren't catchy! Like a late-period Bad Company album, most of this
stuff just doesn't register at all. No interesting guitar work - just
straight-ahead post-Nevermind slick pop "grunge," and about as
unfulfilling as you'd expect from a band that chose image over content.
- Reader Comments
- InMyEyes82@aol.com
Whoa! Listen to this one again, Prindle, because your review for
Saturation
is dreadfully misleading. Okay, maybe the "guitar interplay" isn't at it's
grooviest, but that's about third on my list of what makes a great UO song.
The priorities are 1) That it rocks my house down (which songs like
"Crackbabies", "Stalker", "Erica Kane" and "Tequila Sundae" do in spades) and
2) that the melodies are up to par. I will admit that on losers like "Woman 2
Woman" and "Heaven 90210", which is one of the worst UO tunes ever, the
melodies are not very good. But what about "Bottle of Fur"? And "Nite and
Grey"? Those hooks are fabulous, plus the two other awesome songs you
mentioned in the review. I give this one a high 8.
- errado@ruralsp.com.br
One of the most fun albums ever, if you ask me. Did you?
- motorcycleapache@hotmail.com (R.B.)
Ever break-up with somebody and one, and only one cd makes you
feel better? That deserves at least an 8
"come around to my way of thinking"
- Kenneth.Capone@med.va.gov
The truth is Side 1 of Saturation contains six of the best songs written
in the 1990's. "Sister Havana" and "Back On Me" are very Stones-y, a little
heavier but with similar chord changes and hooks, mixed with Ramones-type
speed punk. Side 2 is a little weaker but still has some pretty good tunes.
Urge Overkill is all rock 'n' roll. To even compare this band to the pussy
grunge bands of the last decade is just plain silly. The image of the
grunge bands is to look and sound depressed and to make teenagers think
they're depressed also...so depressed that they commiserate with grunge
music. It sells records Urge Overkill never went this route. They were
strictly fun, kickass rock done on their own terms. These guys can play.
It was a shame to see them split up.
- benalto@benalto.com (Rocket Robin Hood)
This is the ultimate "new" UO! Urge Overkill has like, 2 arcs to their career
- first perfecting the sloppy blues-y rock which they did with Americruiser
and then getting the whole "Neil Diamond Singing For Kiss" thing down which
they did with this record. EVERY SINGLE SONG IS A CLASSIC. THERE IS NOT A BAD
SONG ON THIS RECORD. NOT ONE! No interesting guitar work?? What about the
amazing intro for "Heaven 90210"? Are you on crack? Lyrics not funny? "Woman
To Woman"'s spoken word part is HILARIOUS. No, we are on different paths from
this point on, Prindle. Especially when you go on to overrate that total
piece of shit "Exit The Dragon" which was a "What do we do now?" kinda
record...
Add your thoughts?
Exit The Dragon - Geffen 1995.
Aaaah! This is more like it!!! See, this is truly the
sound of that band that did Supersonic Storybook releasing a major-label
album. The guitarwork is strong, with lots of classic UO style showing through
in catchy movers like ""The Break" and "This Is No Place," but with a real strong
feeling of Power FM generism to it. Don't be alarmed by this description - it's not throwaway
crap like most of Saturation; rather, it's a collection of some really
gripping somber tracks telling tales of sour relationships, drug addiction,
dishonesty, and pain. They may just be out to score hit singles, but at least
they live up to their own hype on this one. Most of these songs are fantastic!
Real memorable classic rock - the best Foreigner album ever!!! And I honestly
wouldn't be surprised if I entered your home and discovered you in tears while
listening to "The Mistake." I read somewhere that the drummer wrote it, which
I find simply flabbergasting. Such a sad and beautiful melody. Catchy, too!
Thank god for this record, 'cuz I really grew to hate this band after
Saturation came out. After hearing this one, I see that they've still
got it going on. They just need to remember where to put it!!!!
- Reader Comments
- dstraub@geosys.com (David Straub)
I'm surprised to see that no one has said anything about these guys yet. I
really like this record, especially the middle part-- "Mistake", "Take Me",
"View of the Rain"... all really good tunes... The "we're rock stars" deal
can wear kinda thin though... read something in Rolling Stone a while back
about Roeser's replacement-- Kato was quoted as saying something like (I'm
sure this is only half-cynical) "He fit into the suits, so we decided to let
him in." If I'm in the right mood that sort of thing makes me chuckle, but if
I'm not, I'll just as soon head for a Fugazi album. I'd give Exit the
Dragon
an 8 too. Great production!
- InMyEyes82@aol.com
This is a GREAT album which 95% of Earth's population seems intent on bashing
the hell out of. I must say, though, that I'm not a huge fan of Roeser's
voice. It's too wimpy and whiny to fit into the UO style, so it's a good
thing that his songs, like "This is no place" and "Jaywalkin" kick ass
regardless. And Kato's songs rule here! "Somebody else's body", "monopoly",
"need some air"? Awesome! Half the songs here are really dark. Not
depressing, just dark and foreboding. "The Mistake" makes me wish that
Blackie had sung more songs in the UO ouvre.
- brad.black@sympatico.ca
Regarding the demise of Urge Overkill.
Nate and Blackie finally had to dump King, owing to the fact that
he became a useless, alcoholic mess ---- all his Geffen moolah is gone!
And even though they’ve added some new nameless, faceless
guitarist ------ we all know, and deep down they know
that the magic that was Urge is sadly no more.
Long live the King!
- chuckhi@juno.com (Charles W. Hicks)
Seems like you're the only Urge site still going. I still listen to my
albums and can't seem to get over 'Exit the Dragon'. Six years later I'm
still waiting for the follow up that 'exit' seemed to be laying the
ground work. This make sense? Keep wanting to hear how the stories spun
out post dragon. Still comes off, even now, as the best and brutally
honest album. Wish I could run across a few more albums that reach me as
much as this one still does. Thanks.
- gokhanotac@yahoo.com
Guys,
You have to help me get out of this mad puzzle. Few
years ago I saw a video, someone (now I can't be sure
who, and I'm going crazy)was performing the best sound
I've ever heard, it was 'Never Known A Girl Like You
Before' and at the end the name of the song and the
group appeared on TV, it was the mentioned song by
'Urge Overkill' and I said to myself well these guys
are really cool, and few years after thanks to my
computer and napster I made a search by artist on
napster 'Urge Overkill' and saw that there was an mp3
of that incredible song and I downloaded it but today
on TV I heard the same sound while reading newspaper
and when I looked at the TV I saw that this was
another video different than I remembered, I was
confused and suddenly a name appeared when it was all
finished, 'Girl Like You' Edwyn Collins, but how could
it be possible IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME SOUND compared
to the mp3 on my computer and the one I recalled. So
Nash Kato and this guy Edwyn Collins were twins or
what? I was so confused that I made another search on
napster with Edwyn Collins as the artist and saw that
the same song performed by him existed. I've gone mad
and searched some music sites ubl.artistdirect.com and
some other and there is not the least clue that Urge
Overkill has ever performed that song even in the
soundtrack of the movie 'Empire Records' it's Edwyn
Collins' name which is appearing but my napster file's
name is Empire Records-Urge Overkill-Never Known A
Girl Like You Before. So please help me I'm nearly
going crazy it's like I'm in the movie 'Dark City'
like someone has changed my memories, what is the
TRUTH for God's sake? I remember very clear (even
crystal) that Urge Overkill has performed that song
but why the hell isn't there the least clue on that
concerned music site? Please do help me and tell me if
Urge Overkill has ever performed this song or not?
Add your thoughts?
Rock & Roll Submarine - Redeye 2011
Like Boston's The Cars, Chicago's Urge Overkill have returned to the world of music sounding like they literally haven't listened to a single record since their 1995 split. Recorded by new line-up Nash Kato, Eddie "King" Roeser, Gaza Strippers guitarist Mike "Hadji" Hodgkiss and Cherry Valence drummer Brian "Bonn" Quast, this album sounds exactly like Urge Overkill. Specifically, it sounds like a cross between the emotional hard rock of Exit The Dragon, the feel-good radio pop of Saturation and the detached cool of Supersonic Storybook. And just as before, they're at their best when sticking to the darker, heavier tones of the scale.
First single "Effigy" is a great mean rocker, but is unfortunately misleading as the record only includes one other track like it (the equally killer "Little Vice"). The rest of the songs are overwhelmingly midtempo, and do very little to call attention to themselves. When they keep their cool, this is fine: album opener "Mason/Dixon" brings back the emotionless rock attack of Supersonic Storybook; the acoustic "Quiet Person" follows in the melancholy footsteps of "The Mistake"; and closer "Touch To A Cut" pairs a typically morose UO vocal with the sort of '80s new wave backdrop typically associated with aforementioned The Cars.
Unfortunately, when they lose their cool, they play light and happy material every bit as cutesy as yesteryear's rancid "Woman 2 Woman" and "Heavenly Thrills 90210." "The Valiant" is the worst example of this style, though "Poison Flower" and "Thought Balloon" come really goddamned close. "Poison Flower" sounds like The Black Crowes, for Christ's God! But enough namecalling; let's get down to the important thing.
The important thing is that fans who abandoned the band when they switched from the guitar god riffmerizing of Jesus Urge Overkill/Americruiser to the straight bar chords of Saturation are not going to like this one either. It's not as slick and processed as Saturation, but aside from a few hooky leads and scraggly personality-infused riffs (ex. "Rock & Roll Submarine," "She's My Ride") and a Blue Cheer wannabe cock rock stomper ("Niteliner"), the emphasis remains on user-friendly major and minor chord changes.
In short -- and again in common with the new Cars CD -- Rock & Roll Submarine beats the hell out of their worst album (Saturation), but isn't quite as consistent as all their others. I'm still thrilled it exists though. I'd assumed these guys were done for good, and a mere handful of great new UO songs is better than none at all!
And now here's a bunch of euphemisms I made up for "vagina":
Minus The Cat
Immanuel Kunt
Bag Full O' Penis
Blood Orange Pie
Tunnel of Dryness
Game, Set, Snatch!
Baby's First Waterslide
Romantic, Sensuous Gash
Harry Stinksalot, Fish Salesman
The Thing That Hangs Over A Girl's Balls
Add your thoughts?
special introductory
paragraph!