I am shocked at how few people to whom rock really matters have knowledge of this album. I feel somewhat clumsy all the same in labelling it a 'lost masterpiece' as UO still maintain a relatively healthy degree of respect and name recognition. But it is all the same true that 'Exit the Dragon' broke the back of this extraordinary band, and on account of that fact they never achieved anything close to the status they deserved. The lead review damns with faint praise by suggesting a link to 'Exile', 'Big Star 3' etc. I say this not because it is as good as 'Exile' or 'Riot' - (it isn't, but what is?) - but because it suggests that Urge are worthy of commedation largely on account of the quality of their influences. I think the real truth is that this is one of the few hyper-intelligent bands who rose above their own capacity to be arch and delivered instead a clear-eyed illustration of the sheer weight of everything they had been through together; the bruising of their collective dreams. In so doing they produced a testament to all that is glorious in rock music. Appropriately enough, hardly anyone cared. In my opinion, 'Exit the Dragon' is one of the great, great albums, - far better than any other UO effort - and is worthy of being compared to the efforts of any band in any era. Obviously, there's stuff like 'The Candidate' and 'Guyville' on the other releases, but this is the one definitive album Urge released. I am one of those who failed to realise on first listen how much 'Dragon' had to offer, indeed, it was probably a few years after first listening before I really came back to it. But when that switch was finally flicked, I was floored. It is impecable: so slick, so brilliantly played, yet so raw and human. If I had to choose one track it would be 'Take Me', but I am loathe to dissemble further. You need to get it, and stick with it. Listen to this album in tota, repeatedly, very very loud. It will reveal itself, I promise. This is high art, at the absolute peak of the form, and deserves to be remembered for decades to come.
