Urge Overkill: Classic or Dud

I think Geffen had dropped so much money into UO to have a huge hit album, which didn't happen, they were screwed.

What I thought was funny about Urge is that they went from a cool indie rock band to the most uncool major label band in literally the time period of a summer. I'm sure Jawbox, Jesus Lizard and Jawbreaker and other bands of that time had many fans turn upon them for going to a major, but I don't think any band quite got the shit like UO.

It's one of the few vinyl tracks I would convert to MP3 if I wasn't so lazy and actually worked out how to do it

UO seemed to think they were far better than they actually were though

I never really got off on UO, I liked "Stull" when it came out, but every time I've listened to them since, one track is great, but it's kind of enough, because I start getting very distracted 1 verse into the second number. If I want that awesome american heavy pop-rock kind of sound, Red Kross' "Phaseshifter" is the one for me. My god, what a mighty album that is.

Destroy: everything else. Exit the Dragon is bullshit. The only track that sounds like they weren't phoning it in is "The Mistake," and that's only because Blackie was so fucked out on smack that he couldn't help but capture it on vinyl at some point. Nash and Roeser's songs are mostly crap -- "Somebody Else's Body"? You gotta be freakin' kidding me. After the great Cheap Trick pastiche that is "Saturation," this was much of a letdown as I've ever experienced from any american band, and I'll never forgive those jokers for it!

based soley on the amount of copies available for less than 5$.
last splash is ALWAYS 5$ or 6!

but, all that aside, UO=grand. i loved them so...they made me wish i could be them when i was like 15.
saw one of the reunion shows, not as great w/o Blackie O...still alright. King's a sweater, tho. no, not like a turtle neck, but the man's got some sweat flarin.
nash looks exactly the same. just not as nice as he should be...all things considered.

Their live at Maxwells album is really pretty good. I'm surprised that anyone would like Exit The Dragon over Saturation, but it's a big world. As time goes by, their trio of Storybook, Stull, Saturation (hmmm, maybe they fucked up by not calling it "So Long Dragon") are holding up really well. Wish more current indie-ish dudes could sing like that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6AFfQBxx4w

this thread lacked youtoobz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS-WUsfdOgI

classic

i love exit, maybe as good as saturation?

Still think this cover might be my favorite of all time. I mean, it's probably terrible in a way but looking at it always makes me so happy

http://991.com/NewGallery/Urge-Overkill-Saturation---Oran-424122.jpg

I even love the Geffen symbol hanging up there like a distant star.

i had the orange vinyl! and i always wanted one of those 'catch the fever!' UO tee shirts kurt c wore...

On the inside, there is a man there
Strapped in a black chair
Ask him his name, and he'll say, and he'll say:
I am the late Alpha of electric Omega
Tried and fried down in Georgia
But my body won't die

Hit me again

Fried on the inside
Fried on the inside
But alive on the outside
Two-minute warning sounds
Enthroned is a killer
He's double dead now

I'm walkin' down death row
Don't want my mamma to know
Her little chicken
Too young to fry

Are you scared of dying?
- I don't mind if I go
Tell me why you're crying?
- I don't know, I don't know

HIT ME!

Saturation is such a good album, i feel like america failed these guys

and yeah, saturation cover is brilliant

saturation did okay. i think it's more that exit the dragon failed america.

exit the dragon is great!

Yes.

exit the dragon is good its just a major downer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3fsaa-SgZw

Saturation is so great, but I still always wince when the vocals come on in The Stalker.

nah, the vibes and production are cool, but the tunes just aren't there. (with the exception of "the mistake", of course. that one's great, but it fucking towers over the rest of the album.) jay otm 7 years back:

After the great Cheap Trick pastiche that is "Saturation," this was much of a letdown as I've ever experienced from any american band...

my favorites, ranked:

Saturation
Jesus Urge Superstar (really hard not to call this my favorite, but the production is a huge obstacle)
The Supersonic Storybook
Americruiser (half brilliant, half pretty good)

Saturation had "Sister Havana" right? that was on MTV all the time at least.

Supersonic Storybook is their classic imo.

We've never recorded in the big leagues before.

Is this thing on?

You got it

We've never recorded in the big leagues before.

Is this thing on?

You got it

We've never recorded in the big leagues before.

Is this thing on?

You got it

We've never recorded in the big leagues before.

Is this thing on?

You got it

these guys never delivered on the hooks/melodies front like I wanted them too

also "Bottle of Fur" lol ok we geddit

i can't think of a band that seemed so equally earnest and ironic. even on exit the dragon, where clearly little fun is being had, they're just trapped in this self-aware wanna-be superstar crying over cliches mode. totally disagree with shakey on the hooks front, songs are jam-packed imo

Truman's Water?

haven't heard them, only vaguely aware of the name

I wasn't being entirely serious.

i love love love exit the dragon.
its like the darkest corners of the 70s rock world all encased on one perfect album.
still getting my head around the new one.

Also - what is the song sampled at the end of Nite And Grey under the lines I quoted above? Sounds like Love's all around, no need to waste it?

I had Jesus Urge Superstar back in the day and the only song with a hook I could remember was the one they didn't write

Oh it's "Love's ALL Around". Well, never mind then

xp

these guys never delivered on the hooks/melodies front like I wanted them too

xp dang, you got standards. saturation is about as hook & tune heavy as a power pop album could hope to be. easily holds its own w/ nevermind, phaseshifter and bandwagonesque (comparison to immediate peers).

mary tyler moore theme

didn't really give the new album much of a try, felt like they were getting back to the pre-supersonic sound, which is eh (ok shakey, if you're talking about the first two albums rather than the three - two on a major - that followed, yes they were low on hooks)

part of why i've never been able to get into BOC is how relatively glib they sound, aside from the occasional Buck Dharma love ballad or hard rock hit

"man uo just never brought the hooks on their unpopular obscure debut album"

so obscure teenage me in the middle of nowhere suburbia got a copy

"i grew up in a cool suburb"

also isn't that their third album...?

my suburb sucked lol

mine too!

iirc I got it cuz it was written up in Spin and Daniel Clowes did some of the sleeve art

and there was other stuff on Touch and Go that I liked a lot

RIP Blackie. Re-listening tonight. What incredible guitar sounds and gorgeous, dry recordings. Love the hard panning. Emmaline and Stull title track hitting hard.

Supersonic Storybook is sounding great, very odd mid ground between Saturation and the more knotty Touch & Go Chicago rock style

you got to ro-oh-ah-oh
sister hawana

Woman 2 Woman my fave track of alltime of theirs, total banger with the most insupportable lyrics & the worst line
ever

Girl what's your sign, Vagittarius?

oh no

:D

A serious rock band. Saw them (without Blackie) in 2004, and they totally blew me away. Still one of my favorite gigs ever.

Storybook, Saturation, Stull and Exit all excellent. Gonna play Goodbye to Guyville this morning. RIP Blackie.

Girl what's your sign, Vagittarius?

was listening to Saturation a few months back on a sentimental journey to where I grew up and was obsessed with it as a teenager, and that lyric jumped out. Is it about loving a woman who loves women?

yeah but more gross - it’s about wanting to bone a lesbian & turn her straight
i don’t know that love is involved lol

ha oh god that is gross as fuck. oh, the 90s.