Saturation (Urge Overkill album)

Last updated
Saturation
Urge Overkill Saturation.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 8, 1993
RecordedDecember 17, 1992–January 9, 1993
Genre Alternative rock
Length70:01
Label Geffen
Producer Butcher Bros., Andy Kravitz
Urge Overkill chronology
Stull
(1992)
Saturation
(1993)
Exit the Dragon
(1995)
Singles from Album
  1. "Sister Havana"
    Released: 1993
  2. "Dropout"
    Released: 1993
  3. "Bottle of Fur"
    Released: 1993
  4. "Positive Bleeding"
    Released: 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]
Chicago Sun-Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [4]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [5]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Select 4/5 [9]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 8/10 [10]

Saturation is the fourth album by American alternative rock group Urge Overkill, released in 1993 and produced by the Butcher Bros. Saturation was Urge Overkill's debut on Geffen Records, and a deliberate attempt at a hit record. The label released "Sister Havana" and "Positive Bleeding" as singles in the US and Europe. "Sister Havana" charted highly on both the modern rock and mainstream rock charts, peaking at numbers 6 and 10, respectively, while "Positive Bleeding" became a minor rock radio hit. As of 2013, Saturation has sold 277,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen Soundscan. [11]

Contents

On release, Saturation was met with critical acclaim. It was praised by critics for its musical variety, surreal lyrical themes, and unusual and timeless sound and production style. The album is also notable for the fact that Nash Kato – rather than King Roeser, the band's usual de facto lead vocalist – sings lead on almost the entire album. The two would split frontman duties on their next album Exit the Dragon and their 2011 comeback Rock & Roll Submarine .

At the end of "Erica Kane", a piece of dialogue by McGarrett from Hawaii Five-O is played before the music starts. [12] The quote is from Season 5, Episode 6, titled "Fools Die Twice".

The graphic art for the album cover is an artistic depiction of the Houston, Texas city skyline.

Track listing

  1. "Sister Havana" – 3:53
  2. "Tequila Sundae" – 4:20
  3. "Positive Bleeding" – 3:44
  4. "Back on Me" – 3:12
  5. "Woman 2 Woman" – 2:40
  6. "Bottle of Fur" – 4:13
  7. "Crackbabies" – 4:03
  8. "The Stalker" – 2:52
  9. "Dropout" – 4:55
  10. "Erica Kane" – 3:07
  11. "Nite and Grey" – 4:22
  12. "Heaven 90210" – 3:49

CD bonus track: "Operation Kissinger" (hidden track) – 4:31

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1993–1994)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [13] 16
US Billboard 200 [14] 146

References

  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Saturation – Urge Overkill". AllMusic . Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  2. DeRogatis, Jim (June 6, 1993). "A Discography". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  4. Romero, Michele (July 23, 1993). "Saturation". Entertainment Weekly . p. 60. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  5. Moon, Tom (July 11, 1993). "Urge Overkill: Saturation (Geffen)". The Philadelphia Inquirer .
  6. "Urge Overkill: Saturation". Q (84): 92. September 1993.
  7. Kot, Greg (August 19, 1993). "Urge Overkill: Saturation". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on May 9, 2006. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  8. Himes, Geoff (2004). "Urge Overkill". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  837. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  9. Perry, Andrew (July 1993). "Mercury Rev: Boces / Urge Overkill: Saturation". Select (37): 93.
  10. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide . Vintage Books. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  11. "Return to 'Guyville'". Chicago Tribune. 22 June 2013. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  12. "Urge Overkill "Erica Kane" dialogue sample from "Hawaii Five-O". "Saturation" 1993". YouTube . 22 November 2012.
  13. "Australiancharts.com – Urge Overkill – Saturation". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  14. "Urge Overkill – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard . Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2020.