Urge Overkill
UO (1998)
Zooey Suicide [Debutante]
Dirty Work [Debutante]
June* [Electric Airlines demo]
Los Angelena [Debutante]
Silk* [Electric Airlines demo]
Motion Sickness* [Electric Airlines demo]
Queen of the Gangsters [Debutante]
Remember* [Electric Airlines demo]
Black Satin Jacket [Debutante]
Over the Top [Electric Airlines demo]
Rani (Don't Waste It) [Debutante]
Tracks* [Electric Airlines demo]
Blue Wallpaper [Debutante]
Oh, if only the Urge to carry on was there in 1998. These are the best tracks from Nash Kato's 2000 solo effort, Debutante. That album had several songs co-written with one Blackie Onassis (UO's ersthwhile drummer this period). King Roeser left the band in 1997 due to a split between him and Kato. The remaining duo of Kato and Onassis moved from Geffen to Sony 550 Music while Roeser formed Electric Airlines with his brother John. The latter group's 14-track demo has several Urge-worthy cuts sang by King that immediately hearken back to the group's 1995 swan-song Exit the Dragon (a personal favourite of mine). Balancing King's dark moods with Kato's fun loving swagger can be found again here! Blackie O does not play on the tracks; but King Roeser's replacement St. Nils Cyr does. This is the closest we can get to the great lost UO album that could've followed Exit the Dragon. I did enjoy Urge's 2011 comeback record....or at least, some of the tunes ("Effigy", "Quiet Person" and the title track--"Rock n' Roll Submarine"-- are great). Due to a need for a catchy single, I included Kato's cover "Dirty Work" by Steely Dan (because we need a "Positive Bleeding" on here). Modelling the tracklist on Saturation (loosely)--we're starting the LP off with "Zooey Suicide" much akin to "Sister Havana"....King sings "City Strikes" (a dark rocker with an Urge worthy hook and riff), then "Dirty Work", and then back to King with "June" (the instrumental break even reminds me of "Back on Me"). Why the hell not? Sounds just right. With all the many album fixers out there...NO one has done this one....I'm almost positive. Let me know what ya think? Or don't.
I loved Debutante and Exit the Dragon. Where can the Electric Airlines demo be found? Only on random cassettes in Chicago I take it?
ReplyDeleteI may have it. Email me...
ReplyDeleteCool. I would so love to hear it. The Eddie Roeser songs are some of my favorites on Exit the Dragon and R&R Submarine.
DeleteBlogger is hiding your e-mail address, but if you care to share Electric Airlines, I'm at jenkins2541
at
(the mail domain owned by Google).com. Thanks brother!