Urge Overkill: Classic or Dud

gonna take a stab at rock & roll submarine tomorrow...

I have to think looking back in hindsight that outside the obvious (the drugs) one reason they never really got over is that they really were not quite as good live as they were on record. They really were never a complete 4 piece band, which their sound really needed to be (even though later Nash moved to guitar and they had a bassist live). I saw them once earlier as a trio and they were fun, but kind of sparse compared to the 90s Cheap Trick sound they nailed on Saturation.

I saw them twice and dug 'em ok (although the time as a trio was much more stripped down), but really the records worked in some ways better than they actually were as a live playing group.

the chorus of "this is no place" practically dares you to nod and hit skip

but that's why i love it! its so wasted and miserable...

I saw Urge Overkill live several times during the Saturation/Exit The Dragon era and they were always good.

I think one reason why they've struggled is that Saturation was an anomally for them. Nash Kato was really on a hot streak with songs like "Sister Havana" and "Positive Bleeding" and became the focal point for the band. On pretty much all of their other albums, his tunes are much goofier and take a backseat to King Roeser's more gruff and downcast songs. I'm ok with this because I really love songs like "Jaywalkin'", "The Break", "This Is No Place", "Last Night/Tomorrow", but I can see why this doesn't appeal to a lot of the folks that were drawn in by the Saturation singles.

I've always felt like Nirvana's success was some sort of cosmic mistake, and it's no surprise that bands caught up in the wake would fail to thrive. UO was a band that by all logic should have remained just-under-the-radar, and rising above that level, even for a minute, really (nearly) killed them.

I kind of like the idea of Exit The Dragon vs. Full Blown Posession (Grifters). Solid indie bands, caught up in the moment, fail to thrive with final totally-decent album. (Ok, Rock & Roll Submarine fucks up the "final" bit, but this remains essentially true).

Also, the passing of both of those bands kind of marked the end of...how you say...guys doing guy rock and roll. Hello space-age bachelor music, etc...

I can see why this doesn't appeal to a lot of the folks that were drawn in by the Saturation singles.

― Moodles, Tuesday, August 7, 2012 7:12 AM (4 hours ago)

sure, but i was drawn in by jesus urge superstar. i'd been a fan for five or six years when exit the dragon came out. though i'd had to work hard to understand jesus urge superstar, and though americruiser was disappointingly slight, they at least gave me cause to stick with them. exit the dragon marked the first (and last) time i'd really disliked an urge overkill album. part of my distaste was undoubtedly the dashing of overinflated expectations, but it's still the weakest album they ever made, imo. it'll probably never be a favorite, though i'm inclined to be more forgiving of its faults these days.

Also, the passing of both of those bands kind of marked the end of...how you say...guys doing guy rock and roll. Hello space-age bachelor music, etc...

goodbye to guyville

just starting to explore rock & roll submarine. it's a lot better than effigy led me to believe (not that it's a bad song, necessarily, but it didn't impress me on the first pass).

I have a nice buzz and Saturation is hitting the spot. What a fun rock record.

Saturation is so so excellent. Come on, "Bottle of Fur."
Nash Kato's solo album is also really good.

For whatever reason, I'd never actually googled "Artane." I also never paid close attention to the lyrics of "What is Artane..." I think I carried over the goofball cover art and some of the goofball songs on Supersonic Storybook, but that's a seriously dark song. Also maybe my favorite thing they did, though there are a lot of contenders. What's weird is that I'd read the NY Times article on (supposed) Artane abuse in Iraq, but somehow the connection didn't click. Anyway, still leaning towards Supersonic as their best, but I was wrong upthread about Exit.

I had heard a bit about the whole 'stalker' routine, but this kinda seems like something out of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia".

https://thechicagoambassador.wordpress.com/2014/12/21/20-years-later-urge-overkill-stalker-discusses-her-antics-still-wants-to-drive-the-band-crazy/

Man the new one is surprisingly fun, I love these goofballs.

I gotta check it out

Sad news:

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-06-14/blackie-onassis-urge-overkill-john-rowan-drummer-dies

Oh man, that is sad. RIP

I always liked these guys, even well after the rest of the world stopped paying attention. Oui was a pretty good record.

That sucks. I saw them in '93 and wound up sitting next to Nash and Blackie at a bar afterwards. They were total dudes.

oh no.
fuck.
loved these guys.
r.i.p.

(realize probably in poor taste to single out Oui given that he's long been away from the group, but just appreciate any chance to give these guys some love)

What a sad synchronicity--I pulled out Supersonic Storybook earlier this month for the first time in years, and have had "(Today Is) Blackie's Birthday" in my head ever since.

I really loved Urge Overkill a band that occupied a very odd space in rock music. Really nothing like them. Especially their odd, transitional records. and of course, Saturation is a full blown masterpiece, the great Cheap Trick album of the grunge era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww-f4glTOdw

relistening to 'saturation' for the first time in years and grinning like a cheshire cat all over again.
at the time i was bored with grunge, but this crew cut through all that, and hit the spot for me.

still got the sticker that came with the cd edition of Saturation.
no idea if linking to a picture on twitter works anymore,
here goes.

https://twitter.com/marke23/status/1669075241526517760/photo/1

ah, as expected.
hey ho.

Exit The Dragon is such a great, sad, complex album. Like the inevitable comedown to follow the artificial high of Saturation and all that Erica Kane. Saturation has such strong songs, but Exit The Dragon was their great work.

the rest of the songs are unfortunately overshadowed by "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" but the Still EP is probably my favorite overall

Stull, even

I love Exit The Dragon, it really got a bad rap. Many years back I spotted King Roeser at SXSW. I went up to him and introduced myself and said I loved that record, especially his songs. I think he was a little shocked like no one had ever said anything good about it to him before.

Moodles and stevie otm, Exit the Dragon is a killer album and the band’s best. Love to see it appreciated.

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.