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  • FORTY-FIVE REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE #15: Pardon My Pussy

    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.

  • The New Music Files 12/9/08: Common, Maroon 5 & More

    Common Universal Mind Control
    The rapper formerly known as Common Sense is used to being one of the most critically acclaimed emcees by the music press. That apparently has stopped with Universal Mind Control. The Chicago wordsmith’s eighth album has been panned by just about every publication I’ve laid my eyes on. Common has forgone his usual soulful, thoughtful raps for a more danceable, electronic style-apparently inspired by an experience at a club in Europe where he apparently got upset because none of his songs were being played. Hey, man…not all good music is danceable. The jury’s out on this, but I’m prepared to be disappointed.

    Maroon 5 Call & Response: The Remix Album
    The remix album is a phenomenon that’s kinda fallen by the wayside in recent years, and probably with good reason-anyone remember Limp Bizkit’s attempt at one? At any rate, Maroon 5’s album contains reworkings by the likes of DJ Premier, Jazzy Jeff and ?uestlove of The Roots, as well as some more club-conscious remixes by some of today’s hottest electronic producers. I’d trust Adam Levine and the boys to make my body rock a little more than Common does. Just sayin’.

    Brandy Human
    It’s Moesha, y’all!! The former teen idol is now pushing 30, and has a great deal of life experience behind her. She suffered the indignity of a lie she told the public about getting married blowing up in her face, and she was involved in a car accident a couple years back that killed a woman. So, we’re looking at a new, thoughtful Brandy. So if you’re one of those folks who was bopping to The Boy is Mine back in the day, you can welcome your girl home.

    Musiq Soulchild OnMyRadio
    I like Musiq Soulchild, despite the fact that he’s essentially made the exact same album four times in a row. I’m not expecting #5 to be any different, so I’m on the fence about getting this. The current single, “Ifyouleave” (cut it out already with the stupid song titles), features Mary J. Blige and is a pleasant enough song. Just not sure if it’s good enough to make me part with my eleven dollars.

    Avant     Avant
    The only thing notable about Avant is that he sounds like R. Kelly. Well, there’s also the fact that people seem to buy his records for some odd reason. This is, if I’m not mistaken, his fifth album. And apparently, there’s a duet with R. Kelly on it! Ha! I get it!

    As you can tell, this Tuesday is a heavily R&B and hip hop-centric release date, so it’s up to Thrice to represent for all the rock folks out there. Live at the House of Blues is a 3-CD set which should appeal to diehard fans of the band (whoever they are). In the “Where Are They Now?” department, the first solo effort from Ken Block, the lead singer of rootsy-rock band Sister Hazel, is hitting stores today as well.In the re-issue department, a couple of classic albums have been expanded and re-released: Jimi Hendrix‘s Electric Ladyland and Pavement‘s alt-rock classic Brighten the Corners. Finally, Motown #1s is a multi-CD box set that collects every single #1 record in the U.S. or the U.K. from the legendary label. So you not only get the best of The Supremes, Tempts and Tops, but you get Seventies Classics from Stevie and Marvin, some 80s flavor from DeBarge and Lionel Richie, and a little bit of Nineties courtesy of Boyz II Men. If you’ve got the scratch and a jones to hear these classic tunes (or know someone who does), this would make a very nice stocking stuffer!

    A full list of this week’s releases can be found here.

  • Not Necessarily The News – KFed, John Forte, 50 Cent and Britney Spears

    There aren’t many moments in life that you get to write about KFed and John Forte in the same blog. This is one of those moments.

    John Forte is trying to stay alive. (Billboard)
    John Forte hasn’t been seen since he was stayin’ alive with Wyclef Jean. You still a small timer. Drug trafficking charges put him behind bars, but thanks to President George Bush he will be released on December 22 after serving only half his sentence.

    KFed says he’s still rooting for Brit. (E! Online)
    What’s most interesting about KFed’s statement is that he admitted that the turning point in their marriage was when the kids were born.

    “For me, I’d become more concerned with my children. Not that I ignored Britney, but my kids are always most important…I mean, we were having complications.”

    Word to KFed just in case he ever gets married again. Your wife is most important my friend. If you put the kids above her, it’s no wonder that your marriage dissolved. What an admission for those kids to read when they get older. Yep, your birth is the reason your parents got divorced according to your dad. These people need to get a clue. Either that, or don’t have kids.

    Eminem is 50 Cent’s grandmother. (MTV.com)
    50 Cent was trying to say how special it was to work with Eminem. 50 is in the UK shooting a movie and the plan is to go to Detroit to work with Eminem for both of their upcoming albums. He said that Em is like a relative to him, someone who’s done something for him. “He’s like my grandmother.” Huh? What does that make Dre? Grandpa?

    Britney’s dancers are drug tested. (E! Online)
    Britney’s dancers are drug tested so that they are good influences for Britney. Shouldn’t Britney be the one that is drug tested? Well, she probably is too. Let’s just hope that they’re not testing for steroids, because all her male dancers would fail miserably. Oh, you thought they were natural? Don’t be so naive.

    Photo of 50 Cent by aleksey.const and shared via creative commons