Media darlings after the commercial success of their debut, Digable Planets attempted to prove their artistic merit with this second album, and succeeded wildly. A worthy, underrated successor, Blowout Comb was just as catchy and memorable as their first, and also offered the perfect response to critics and hip-hop fans who complained they weren't "real" enough. Except for a dark, indecipherable single named "Dial 7 (Axioms of Creamy Spies)," Blowout Comb excelled at pushing great grooves over sunny-day party jams, even when the crew was providing deft social commentary -- as on "Black Ego" and "Dial 7 (Axioms of Creamy Spies)." The trio used their greater clout to invite instrumentalists instead of relying completely on samples, and the music took on more aspects of the live jam than before. Though Blowout Comb still borrowed a host of riffs from great jazz anthems (from Bob James to Bobbi Humphrey), Digable Planets used them well, as beds for their back-and-forth freestyling and solos from guests. The Digables remade Roy Ayers' "We Live in Brooklyn, Baby" into "Borough Check," and invited Guru from Gang Starr to salute Brooklyn's block-parties and barbershops. (The focus on the neighborhood even carried over to the liner notes, laid out like a community newspaper.) The closer, a brassy, seven-minute "For Corners," also captured that fleeting feeling of neighborhood peace. Though Blowout Comb lacked the commercial punch of Reachin', Digable Planets made great strides in the two areas they'd previously been criticized: beats and rhymes. The beats were incredible, some of the best ever heard on a ap record, a hip-hop version of the classic, off-kilter, New Orleans second-line funk. The productions, all crafted by the group themselves, were laid-back and clearly superior to much hip-hop of the time. The aps, though certainly not hardcore, were just as intelligent as on the debut, and flowed much better. While Reachin' came to sound like a moment in time for the jazz-rap crowd, Blowout Comb has remained a timeless classic.
Digable Planets' Blowout Comb ... so best on a Friday. New reviewage posted at Delusions of Adequacy today -- my glowing write up of Kinetic's Sun and Glacier made it the Pick of the Day, heh. Check out the other stuff while you're on the site, too - them's some good scribers there at DoA.
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The shuffle feature on iTunes is bar none one of the best Apple ideas since the original Mac itself. It not only allows you to dive deeper into your collection but also allows you to rediscover those albums long since passed over. While walking the dog tonight through the Michigan sleet, a Digable Planets song came on the iPod from Blowout Comb, the follow up to the well known 90s release Reach...
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Topic: The Digable PlanetsThis Bohemeian and Muslim influenced hip-hop group ate up some serious car stereo time in my adolescence. I consider them to be the pinnacle of the jazzy hip-hop movement in the early to mid nineties, excellent sampling and an overall creatively stoned vibe and just enough east-coast boom-bap. Intelligent lyrics that were more accessible to me than the merging violence...
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Digable Planets' Blowout Comb ... so best on a Friday. New reviewage posted at Delusions of Adequacy today -- my glowing write up of Kinetic's Sun and Glacier made it the Pick of the Day, heh. Check out the other stuff while you're on the site, too - them's some good scribers there at DoA.
More >
I know I haven't been around lately, but I'm still working on getting situated here in LA. After all, it's been said that good things take time. Things continue to look up, though. Plus I hit the beach last weekend - had to work on my base tan and get my flavor back - and caught *Kinky* at an outdoor performance at the 3rd Street Promenade. Damn, they're fucking good.The only hiccup I've had, s...
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The shuffle feature on iTunes is bar none one of the best Apple ideas since the original Mac itself. It not only allows you to dive deeper into your collection but also allows you to rediscover those albums long since passed over. While walking the dog tonight through the Michigan sleet, a Digable Planets song came on the iPod from Blowout Comb, the follow up to the well known 90s release Reach...
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 The May 4th Movement |
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| 2 Black Ego |
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| 3 Dog It |
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| 4 Jettin' |
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| 5 Borough Check |
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| 6 Highing Fly |
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| 7 Dial 7 (Axion of Creamy Spies) |
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| 8 The Art of Easing |
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| 9 K.B.'s Alley [Mood Dudes Groove] |
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| 10 Graffiti |
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| 11 Blowing Down |
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| 12 9th Wonder (Blackitolism) |
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| 13 For Corners |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Blowout Comb")
