Mental Floss for the Globe [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Urban Dance Squad | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 5, 1999)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Triple X Records
• ASIN: B00000HY6Y
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,397 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Fast Lane

2. No Kid

3. Deeper Shade of Soul

4. Prayer for My Demo

5. Big Apple

6. Piece of Rock

7. Brainstorm on the U.D.S.

8. The Devil

9. Famous When You're Dead

10. Mental Floss for the Globe

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Struggle for Jive [Live][*]

2. Big Apple [Live][*]

3. Prayer for My Demo [Live][*]

4. Brainstorm on the U.D.S. [Live][*]

5. Hitchhike H.D. [Live][*]

6. Deeper Shade of Soul [Live][*]

7. Man on the Corner [Live][*]

8. Underground [Live][*]

9. Let Me Guide You [Live][*]

10. .45 Caliber [Live][*]

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blazing rap-rock--from da lowlands, February 5, 2003

By 

Michel Aaij (Montgomery, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mental Floss for the Globe (Audio CD)

I have had to settle for listening to the UDS debut album on tape for years; finally I got smart enough to order this reissue, with the bonus live CD (more on that later). What a great album this is, still...

The Squad, formed in Utrecht (not in Amsterdam--there is more to the Netherlands than just Amsterdam) in 1987, apparently dissolved itself for the last time in 2000, after an impressive set of albums, and after leaving audiences overwhelmed all over Europe as well as a few happy places in the US (they played at the New York New Music Seminar twice, in 89 and 90). "Mental Floss" was their first album, and still one of the best on the list. Other reviewers have listed the bands influenced by them and their explosive combination of rap and rock, so I don't have to do that again--it would be nice if some of those artists would pay their dues.

Even though I think this album is fantastic, I don't consider it a perfect effort--there are true gems on it, but also a few not-so-good tunes: I've never cared much for "The Devil" or for "Big Apple." However, songs like "No Kid" (there's a real hardcore version of this semi-acoustic song out somewhere), "Fast Lane," and "Brainstorm on the UDS" more than make up for that. The Rudeboy's style has always been unique--over the top, edgy, fast--and he's backed up by a set of great musicians. Silly Sil's funky bass, welded tightly with Magic Stick's aggressive but sober drums, form a solid background for DJ DNA, a truly innovative DJ, and Tres Manos, a guitar player who was never satisfied playing in just one style (the latest from him: he plays pedal steel in a band called the Yearlings)--he ranges from howling electric to blues (like that other dude you couldn't pin down--Jimi H.).

On a sidenote: if this is one of those few Dutch records that ever did well overseas, it is due perhaps in part to other input from the low countries: Peter Te Bos, of the trendsetting (well, in Europe anyway) garage band Claw Boys Claw, did the artwork (and when is the CBC back catalog coming out on CD?); the production was done by Jean-Marie Aerts, of the Belgian band TC Matic, a guitar player who deserves much more recognition than he gets.

The live CD that accompanies this re-issue, taped in Hollywood, 1990, is nice to have. The set was rocking, as usual, but the sound quality is a bit underwhelming. The UDS had a habit of gulping down a lot of Jack Daniels and of sometimes working out their personal differences on stage--none of that seems to bother them here. They are tight, the Rudeboy plays the audience, they seem comfortable playing on a different continent. It's a pity I've only met one person as yet in the US (back in LA in the early nineties) who had heard of the UDS and liked them: they deserve more play here.

Alright--I've sung their praises long enough. If you want to know who was there at the start, who mixed it up and rocked the house for a decade, "Mental Floss" is there for you, as fresh as when it came out.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Satan laughs as Limp sells another million., November 1, 2001

By 

Church of The Flaming Sword - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mental Floss for the Globe (Audio CD)

Back in the ancient year of 1990, very few fused rap with rock. You had Aerosmith and Run DMC doing a remake of the former's "Walk This Way." You had Anthrax doing the hilarious and rockin' "I'm The Man." You had Faith No More doing "Epic." And my personal favorite was an incredible band from San Francisco called Mordred that was so cool that they did Rick James' "Superfreak" before MC Hammered made it into "Can't Touch This" - like I'd want to. But I think the first band to make a full-time job out of it was Urban Dance Squad. Their music was a flawless blend of rap, soul, punk, pop, and alternative. And for a band that didn't have very many role models, they did a bang-up job. While Limp Bizquick and countless others show how bad rap-rock can be, UDS showed how good it could be. Instead of hearing about Fred Durst whining about how he can't get any or Kid Rock's wannabe pimp posturing, UDS brought smart and insightful pre-gangsta old school lyrics to the table. If you like both rap and rock but not rap-rock, you may just be pleasantly surprised by UDS's MENTAL FLOSS FOR THE GLOBE. You might also want to check out LIFE & PERSPECTIVES OF A GENUINE CROSSOVER too.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UDS records a masterpiece!, July 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mental Floss for the Globe (Audio CD)

This album is a must have for anyone who likes music that is hard to catagorize. That is, this is a blend of rap and rock like you have never heard before. This album was very ahead of its time, as the rock and rap music is becoming more and more popular, and this is the grandaddy of them all! You will not be dissapointed. From the radio smash of "Deeper Shade of Soul" to the catchy songs of "Prayer for my Demo" and "No Kid", this is a must for people who like rap without all of the hardcore.