Mental Floss for the Globe [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Urban Dance Squad

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 5, 1999)
• Original Release Date: March 8, 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Triple X Records
• ASIN: B00000HY6Y
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #217,657 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 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)

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 Excellent reissue of grooving and rocking debut, January 20, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Maastricht, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

The Urban Dance Squad is a highly versatile band. They can play everything, as can be heard on this album, their debut. Rock, groove, hip-hop beats, reggae, they mix everything so that an exciting new sound emerges. Highlights include Fastlane, their US hit Deeper Shade Of Soul, Struggle For Jive and Brainstorm On The U.D.S.

What makes this disc really interesting is that it comes with a bonus live disc of their 1990 tour. Here, the energy explodes from the CD. For more than one hour you hear why they were the hottest thing. If you always wanted to know where Rage Against The Machine came from, or what would happen if the Red Hot Chili Peppers had a DJ then this disc needs to belong in your record collection.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Completely "Mental"., December 17, 2003

By	H3@+h (VT) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This disc has been out since the early 90's actually, and I don't know a single person who knows it, but I'm glad I do. They're not the first or last band to do the rap-rock thing, but they do it really well. Close comparisons would be "Fishbone" or "311". The hit from this was "Deeper Shade Of Soul", and while that probably is the best track, alot of the others are near as good. "No Kid" has an infectious hook, and "Fast Lane" and "Brainstorm On The U.D.S." are sweet too. The original version of this comes without the 2nd disc, but getting it makes this twice as nice. Don't forget to floss.