URGE OVERKILL  THE STULL EP   (Insipid Vinyl/Touch & Go Records IV-10, 1992)

Chicago power-trio Urge Overkill ultimately proved to be one of those “in-between” anomalies we sometimes stumble upon in the record world:  too glammy and commercial for indie-rock snobs, yet too rough-hewn and tongue-in-cheek for serious corporate shilling.  Like fellow Illinoisans Cheap Trick before them, UO should have been the ultimate teenagers’ rock group of their era, pumping out one hard-driving, head-banging smash after another while giving a knowing wink on the side to their smarter-than-average loyal fans.  But, in the words of a more famous power-trio, nevermind.

In 1992, after a few Steve Albini-produced releases that proved UO to be non-starters in the nascent alternate rock universe, National Kato, Blackie Onassis & King Roeser loosened the reins a bit on their tightly-wound glam-punk sound and released this sweet Kramer-produced 4-song double-7″ EP, Stull.  Disc 1, Side A opens the EP on a stellar note, with UO’s stunning and sexy rendition of the Neil Diamond 1967 Top-10 hit, “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon.”  For most people, this is the only Urge Overkill track they’ve ever heard, because Quentin Tarantino planted it smack-dab in the middle of his hit film, Pulp Fiction, two years later.  At the time of this release, however, it was just a super-cool Neil Diamond cover.

See the video for URGE OVERKILL\’s \”Girl, You\’ll Be A Woman Soon\” on YouTube

The B-Side of Disc 1 gives us the King/Kato-penned title-track, “Stull (Part 1).”  Exorcising some long-standing Rolling Stones demons, this 5-plus minute workout resembles the introduction to “Gimme Shelter,” yet it never fully explodes into a “Gimme Shelter” if you know what I mean.  But that’s not really the point here;  it’s all about the hypno-groove, something this newly electrified version of Urge did very well.  Check it out.

Click here to play URGE OVERKILL’s “Stull (Part 1)”

Disc 2, Side A wakes us up with another cover song, this time of obscure Seattle punk legends The Alan Milman Sect’s “Stitches In My Head,” here retitled simply, “Stitches.”  As purely psychotic as American punk songs get, “Stitches” accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: disturb.  Make sure the DJ spins THIS at your next wedding, and watch the mayhem ensue.

Click here to play URGE OVERKILL’s “Stitches”

And, last but not least, Side B of Disc 2 bids us a tearful farewell with “Goodbye To Guyville,” as much of a kiss-off to their native Chicago (which was never all that friendly to them in the first place) as a divine inspiration to fellow Windy City heterosexual-relationship authority Liz Phair, who titled her butt-kicking Matador debut, “Exile In Guyville” the following year.  Let the last teardrop fall.

Click here to play URGE OVERKILL’s “Goodbye To Guyville”

Originally just a sexy little sampler platter of what these guys were capable of when given a chance to stretch out, The Stull EP  turned out to be a stepping stone for UO, leading to a couple of stellar major-label releases, lots of MTV airplay and massive world tours.  But alas, the public at large never really caught on to their heady brew of cocky rock swagger, nudge-&-wink humor, and super-rock monster riffs.  A shame, really.  In the long run, I think we may have missed out on something truly great.

(Note:  The CD version of Stull adds two slammin’ tracks from UO’s ’92 Sub Pop Singles Club release #SP109, “(Now That’s) The Barclords” and “What’s This Generation Coming To?”.  With any luck, this platter will be the feature of a future 45 RPM column.)

NEXT WEEK:  I get all excited and go to a yawning festival.