The intentional and exquisite raw production of Genya Ravan's Urban Desire explores the high voltage newly emerging in cities around the world during the cherished "New Wave" movement in rock. Ravan's production of The Dead Boys "Sonic Reducer" in 1977 helped spearhead the revolution, a charge continued on this, her fifth solo disc after previous careers with the influential jazz/pop ensemble Ten Wheel Drive and the ground-breaking all-girl Goldie & The Gingerbreads before that. 1978's Urban Desire is part of an important trilogy of Ravan recordings, including it's sequel - also on Hip-0 Select - 1979's ...And I Mean It and concluding with Ronnie Spector's Siren from 1980 - as much a Genya Ravan record as it is Ronnie's. Two Joe Droukas compositions, "Shadowboxing" and "The Sweetest One", bring to mind The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers phase. In fact, "Shadowboxing" could nearly be considered the great lost track from the Stones 1972 masterpiece. The Droukas/Ravan team doesn't stop there, though; for "The Knight Ain't Long Enough" is more than a clever double-entendre, it creatively reflects Mott The Hoople during their wonderful Brain Capers period - the moment before Bowie got hold of them - and a style that La David emulated often. Genya also puts dynamics in sequencing the material; "Do It Just For Me" comes off a lot more subtly than the rocking disc-opener, "Jerry's Pigeons." Rock's pioneering lady spins the songs like a disc jockey; "Shot In The Heart" - as with most of the record - adaptable for college or mainstream radio. The Lou Reed duet on "Aye Co'lorado" is just the prescription for anyone who wanted to demolish their stereo every time an Eagles song came on. And to Velvet Underground fans even further, Genya does a Gospel-meets-the-street version of John Cale's superb "Darling I Need You."
Urban Desire is Genya Ravan creating music on her terms after artistically successful work with producers Richard Perry, Jimmy Miller and Jim Price, along with the three strong albums she recorded with Ten Wheel Drive. As producer of the prototype punk band The Dead Boys and their classic single Sonic Reducer, Ravan was an essential part of the "New Wave" explosion of the 70's, which was a blend of punk rock and power pop. Urban Desire is the quintessential "New Wave" album, and though it caused a stir, it has never fully been recognized as the groundbreaking work it is. A driving cover of The Supremes hit Back In My Arms Again has guitarists Conrad Taylorand Ritchie Fliegler fragmenting Deep Purple's My Woman From Tokyo riff under Ravan's brilliant New York party atmosphere. That comes right after her duet with Lou Reed, a tune called Aye Co'Lorado, one of the album's highlights written by Ravan and keyboard player Charlie Giordano. Classic girl group vocals, blues sensibilities, and the hard edge of underground rock & roll are the ingredients which propel Jerry's Pigeons and Cornered, while a John Cale signature tune, Darling, I Need You, becomes a barroom brawl - and that's thanks to the band assembled for this, Bobby Chen on drums, Don Nossov on bass, along with the aforementioned Fliegler, Taylor and Giordano. Ravan's harp playing pushes Messin Around which keeps up the intensity - and volume. Joe Droukas, who would author the successful Junkman duet with Ian Hunter on Ravan's next outing, ...And I Mean It, brings the disc to a close with his third composition on Urban Desire, a tune called Shadowboxing. Genya gets mellow with this performance, which feels like Ten Wheel Drive meets The Rolling Stones' at the Memory Motel. A bit of a different groove from the equally profound ...And I Mean It, which was released a year later. Both recordings would make a fine combination on CD.
Joe Viglione - allmusic.com
Tracks
1. Jerry's Pigeons
2. The Knight Ain't Long Enough
3. Do It Just For Me
4. Shot In The Heart
5. Ave Co'lorado
6. Back In My Arms Again
7. Cornered
8. The Sweetest One
9. Darling, I Need You
10. Messin Around
11. Shadow Boxing
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