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. Geny
