Master of Styles
{{Short description|1998 studio album by The Urge}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Master of Styles
| type = studio
| artist = The Urge
| cover = Urge_master.jpg
| alt =
| released = April 21, 1998
| recorded = 1998 at Sierra Sonic Studios
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = {{Flatlist|
| length = 42:40
| label = Immortal Records
| producer = GGGarth
| prev_title = Receiving the Gift of Flavor
| prev_year = 1995
| next_title = Too Much Stereo
| next_year = 2000
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/master-of-styles-mw0000035661|title=Master of Styles - The Urge | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com}}
|rev2 = MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide
|rev2score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=1182}}
}}
Master of Styles is a studio album by alternative rock band The Urge, released in 1998.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-urge-mn0000482413/biography|title=The Urge | Biography & History|website=AllMusic}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/musicblog/2014/11/26/over-25-years-in-the-urge-continues-to-sell-out-st-louis-venues|title=Over 25 Years In, the Urge Continues to Sell Out St. Louis Venues|first=Melinda|last=Cooper|website=Riverfront Times}} The album produced three singles (“Jump Right In”, “Straight to Hell”, and “Closer”) and sold 250,000 copies. “Jump Right In” featured guest vocals by Nick Hexum of 311 and hit the #10 position on the Modern Rock list.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-urge/chart-history/mrt/|title=The Urge|magazine=Billboard}}
Critical reception
The Washington Post wrote that "Urge seems to have a chameleonic talent for adapting to punk, ska, reggae, hip-hop and reggae trends without ever distinguishing itself."{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/05/22/the-urge-master-of-styles/082eb6a4-b6f5-4ca4-9ddf-85fd56ce8b3d/|title=THE URGE|first=Mike|last=Joyce|date=May 22, 1998|via=www.washingtonpost.com}} MTV wrote that "any group that can throw funk, ska, pop and metal into the old mixmaster (accent on old) without any discernible recipe for making it all work to their commercial benefit is nothing if not adaptable."{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1122301/urge-underkill/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810000029/http://www.mtv.com/news/1122301/urge-underkill/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 10, 2020|title=Urge Underkill|website=MTV News}} CMJ New Music Monthly opined that the band "combines sounds from funk to punk to reggae, and it's successful thanks in large part to the one constant: the mellifluous, adaptable voice of Steve Ewing."{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aSoEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Master+of+Styles+the+urge&pg=PA52|title=Reviews|work=CMJ New Music Monthly|date=June 1, 1998|publisher=CMJ Network, Inc.|via=Google Books}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Steve Ewing, Karl Grable, Jerry Jost, Todd Painter, and John Pessoni, except where noted
| title1 = If I Were You
| length1 = 3:52
| writer1 =
| title2 = Straight to Hell
| length2 = 3:15
| writer2 =
| title3 = Jump Right In
| length3 = 3:43
| note3 = ft. Nick Hexum
| writer3 = The Urge, N. Hexum
| title4 = S.L.O.B.
| length4 = 2:48
| writer4 = S. Ewing, K. Grable, J. Pessoni
| title5 = Played Out
| length5 = 3:39
| writer5 =
| title6 = Closer
| length6 = 3:49
| writer6 = K. Grable, J. Jost, T. Painter, J. Pessoni
| title7 = Gene Machine
| note7 = Bad Brains Cover
| length7 = 3:03
| writer7 = P. Hudson, D. Jenifer
| title8 = My Apology
| length8 = 3:24
| writer8 = S. Ewing, K. Grable, J. Jost, M. Kwiatkowski, T. Painter, J. Pessoni
| title9 = Divide and Conquer
| length9 = 4:43
| writer9 = The Urge
| title10 = Identity Crisis
| length10 = 2:42
| writer10 =
| title11 = Going Down
| length11 = 3:24
| writer11 =
| title12 = Prayer for Rain
| length12 = 4:15
| writer12 = S. Ewing, K. Grable, J. Jost, M. Kwiatkowski, T. Painter, J. Pessoni
| total_length = 42:40
}}
Personnel
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;The Urge
- Steve Ewing - vocals
- Karl Grable - bass, concept
- Jerry Jost - guitars
- John Pessoni - drums, background vocals
- Bill Reiter - saxophone
- Matt Kwiatkowski - trombone
- Todd Painter - trombone, keyboard
;Additional musicians
- Nick Hexum - vocals in "Jump Right In"
{{col-2}}
;Additional personnel
- Mike Dillon - percussion
- Doug Erb - art direction
- GGGarth - engineer, producer
- Mr. Colson - engineer
- Tom Gordon - assistant engineer
- Steve Hupaylo - unknown contributor
- Michael Lavine - photography
- Bob Ludwig - mastering
- Luke Partridge - design
- Joe Gastwirt- Mastering on Jump right in.
- Randy Staub - mixing
- Joe Varkey - assistant engineer
- Gary Winger - mixing assistant
{{col-end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (1998) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| US Billboard Heatseekers |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Billboard Billboard 200 |