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Urge Overkill - The Supersonic Storybook Audio CD

A fair review of the Urge Overkill "The Supersonic Storybook" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Urge Overkill reviews here, or go back to the Urge Overkill tabs.

Urge Overkill Band: Urge Overkill
Title: The Supersonic Storybook
Rating:
Release Date: 2004-08-31
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Kids Are Insane 2: Candidate 3: (Today Is) Blackie's Birthday 4: Emmaline 5: Bionic Revolution 6: What Is Artane? 7: Vacation in Tokyo 8: Henhough: The Greatest Story Ever Told 9: Theme from Navajo

No standouts, indian drumming?
None of the songs really stand out and then the album descends into a some kind of a Powwow at the end. Love UO but they went the wrong way with this record. Didn't last long in my truck at all.


Half-baked album actually grows on you
Even after multiple spins, I couldn't get past what I felt was overly shoddy production, a half-baked aura and, quite simply, mostly lame songs. Initially, I had some major misgiving about this CD. In short, it was hard for me to fathom what was attracting the major labels to this band back in the early 1990s. Further listening, however, has proved me wrong. No, not every tune on this nine-song disc is complete ear candy -- but the ones that lean in a more melodic direction do make it worthwhile. If you're a big fan of the great Urge Overkill, then "The Supersonic Storybook" is ultimately a must-have. And strangely, the album's roughness actually begins to make sense after a while, as if UO needed to get its bugs out before switching to a more polished sound on future CDs.

With its scrubby looseness, organ work, crowd-happy infectiousness and chunky guitars, "The Kids are Insane" was a perfect song to lead off this album. It's followed by the more somber but even better "The Candidate," which, unbelievingly, ranks as one of my favorite UO rockers ever. The song seems to be an odd melding of politics and love, and soundwise, it offers the addictive, melodic rhythm guitar work that UO would put forth so fluidly on future CDs. Keeping listeners on their toes, "The Candidate" undergoes a complete transformation by song's end, segueing into somewhat less worthy but still interesting fare.

"(Today is) Blackie's Birthday," though loose, fun and fast, comes off as an internal birthday present for the band only, right before the major celebrating goes down (hard to believe Blackie was just 22; wow, how time flies!). "Emmaline" is a more substantial blues-ish track sung soulfully by Nash Kato, which resonates with time. Equally as groovin' and soulful is the cool "Bionic Revolution" sung with gusto by the talented King Roeser and guest musician Lynn Jordan. Heavy, grunge-like riffing is prominent on "What is Artane?" and the much more melodic and worthy closer, "Theme from Navajo," which offers raw, swirling guitar and almost inaudible vocals that somehow are forgivable amid the fetching crunch of surrounding noise. The only throwaway tune is the odd "Henhough," but don't let that stop you from enjoying this brawny UO disc.

And to think I almost got rid of it at one point.
.


Some style, but rough around the edges
When King says "Can ya hear me U. Supersonic Storybook starts off real well with "The Kids Are Insane". O. ?" you know they have some style and confidence. Songs like "Candidate" "What Is Artane?", and "Vacation In Tokyo" aren't bad, but the muddy singing and playing undercut the songs. "Emmaline" is a decent slower song. "Blackie's Birthday" and "Henhough" are basically novelty songs. "Bionic Revolution" is a fun (mostly) instrumental, and "Navajo" is a more thoughtful (mostly) instrumental to close the album out. It's not bad, but the best is yet to come from this trio.


Snazzy suits only tell half the story
Their look definitely set them apart from other alternative bands of that era, and earned them their fair share of scorn as well. Urge Overkill fit right in with the explosion of diverse, energetic, out-of-left-field talent that had overwhelmed rock music by the early nineties. This disc finds them at their absolute peak. My favorite song on the album is "What is Artane?" [], but there really isn't a bad cut on it. They had a remarkably funky, tight sound for a "grungy" three piece. As Nash Kato once put it, starting a band should be like declaring war. In their case, it was a war against taking yourself too seriously. Don't get the wrong impression though, despite their sense of humor and their unmistakable shtik, they were definitely not just a wacky, goofball, one joke sort of band. You can certainly tell there's some sharp-edged, whiteboy soul behind those saucey grins. "Emmaline", "The Kids are Insane", and "The Candidate" constitute some of the remaining standout material you'll find on this unheralded classic.


Another UO classic overlooked!
This album was my introduction to this band and still, to this day, remains my favorite. This band in their prime absolutely blew me away. Songs like "The Kids Are Insane", "The Candidate", "Bionic Revolution", and of course thier take on the Hot Chocolate Classic "Emma" retooled and retitled "Emmaline". This is a classic album from a classic band. To some these guys were a cartoon, sipping martinis and whatnot. . . . . Everyone that ragged on them for the "UO look" were out buying matching suits the next day and starting thier own rock band. Unfortunately for the listening public the imitations pulled off the look to an extent, but could never recreate the quality of music these guys created. Buy this one! NOW!.


You can see a complete list of all Urge Overkill discography, or go back to the Urge Overkill tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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