Digable Planets Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
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 rap 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 raps, 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. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)'
Release Date 1/1/1993
Tracks 14
Label Pendulum
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Landing in 1993, Digable Planets' Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), settled in on the consciousness of a large cross section of listeners ranging from alt-rockers, metal freaks, and headz worldwide. A surprise hit with the press and the general populace alike, Reachin' was released at the most opportune time of the '90s. The so-called alternative scene had just blown up in '91 and '92, so commercial radio was actually playing something close to variety and major labels were signing acts and developing them at an unprecedented level. Played on rock and urban stations, Digable Planets' debut represented an actual alternative to the masses who had grown up on Van Halen and Whitney Houston and, as a result, Digable Planets found themselves with a Top 20 single in "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)." In a lot ways the song paints the picture for the rest of the album with samples that are drenched in cool jazz and interlaced with smart catchy rhymes that move across the hip-hop spectrum of self-aggrandization and political awareness. The widespread appeal of Reachin' lies in Doodlebug, Ladybug Mecca, and Butterfly's smooth delivery. Never too excited but always passionate, they keep it going with seemingly lighthearted pieces like "Where I'm From." Here Butterfly almost falls into hip-hop stereotype by tripping on the theme of geographical location (see Paul's Boutique); but instead of really letting the listener know where they're from, they go into a chorus of "everywhere, everywhere" and thus really pointing out this record's underlying theme: under the hood of inventive beats and well-placed layered samples are the ideas and attitudes of universal and cosmic spirituality combined with personal-consciousness expansion that crosses geographical and ethnic boundaries. Easily one of the most successful hip-hop records ever made and a must-have selection in most any collection. ~ Jack LV Isles, All Music Guide
