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One Step Ahead of the Spider

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One Step Ahead of the Spider
Studio album by
MC 900 Ft. Jesus
Released1994
GenreHip hop, spoken word, jazz
Length56:31
LabelAmerican[1]
ProducerMark Griffin
MC 900 Ft. Jesus chronology
Welcome to My Dream
(1991) 		One Step Ahead of the Spider
(1994)
Singles from Album
  1. "If I Only Had a Brain"
    Released: 1994
  2. "But If You Go"
    Released: 1994

One Step Ahead of the Spider is the third album by MC 900 Ft. Jesus, released in 1994.[2][3] According to some advance CD copies, the album was originally titled Loony Tunes.[citation needed]

The album includes "If I Only Had a Brain", for which a music video was made that showed MC 900 Ft. Jesus reading an advertisement on selling brains. It peaked at No. 25 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.[4] The video was directed by Spike Jonze and was included in a Beavis and Butt-head episode.[5] MC 900 Ft. Jesus promoted the album by touring with Consolidated.[6]

Production

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MC 900 Ft. Jesus was influenced by the Miles Davis album Bitches Brew.[7] He employed more of a band sound on One Step Ahead of the Spider; he spent six months listening to all the takes before adding vocals to his favorite tracks.[8][9] Vernon Reid played guitar on "Stare and Stare".[10] The album cover art is by graffiti artist Greg Contestabile.[11]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Calgary HeraldA[13]
The Indianapolis Star[14]
Los Angeles Times[15]
Rolling Stone[16]

Trouser Press wrote that "Griffin's connection to hip-hop is gone: the music of 'New Moon' and 'Tiptoe Through the Inferno' are free-flowing jazz in which voice serves as just one of the instruments."[17] The Calgary Herald likened the album to "a spoken word Burroughs meets Don Was when he Was (Not Was)."[13]

The Los Angeles Times determined that "the record's balmy and organic grooves are far from the electronic dance pulse of previous records, and now he steeps his hip-hop sensibilities in minimal, goatee-stroking jazz."[15] Rolling Stone called MC 900 Ft. Jesus "desperately wack, browbeatingly outre."[16] The Indianapolis Star concluded that "while Griffin's hip-hop sensibilities may run closer to New Age, he delivers lyrics with a cadence that shifts between those of a finger-popping, beatnik poet and a world-weary commentator on race relations."[14]

Track listing

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(All songs written by Griffin, except where noted.)

  1. "New Moon" – 11:41
  2. "But If You Go" – 5:39
  3. "If I Only Had a Brain" – 3:46
  4. "Stare and Stare" – 6:58 (Mayfield)
  5. "Buried at Sea" – 4:46 (Griffin/Rollins)
  6. "Tiptoe Through the Inferno" – 4:50
  7. "Gracías Pepé" – 3:42 (Caldwell/Griffin)
  8. "New Year's Eve" – 3:43
  9. "Bill's Dream" – 8:15
  10. "Rhubarb" – 3:11

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ Augusto, Troy J. (November 2, 1994). "Mc 900 Ft. Jesus; Consolidated". Variety.
  2. ^ "MC 900 Ft. Jesus Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Koster, Rick (May 8, 2000). "Texas Music". Macmillan – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (August 3, 2008). "Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008". Hal Leonard Corporation – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Hughey, Jesse. "MC 900 Ft. Jesus Lives". Dallas Observer.
  6. ^ McDonald, Sam (23 Sep 1994). "PRACTICING WHAT HE PREACHES". InRoads. Daily Press. Newport News. p. 16.
  7. ^ Hamilton, Denise (14 Aug 1994). "Hip-Hoppers Come 'Round to Jazz". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 4.
  8. ^ Jenkins, Mark (25 Sep 1994). "MC 900 Foot Jesus: 'One Step Ahead of the Spider'". The Washington Post. p. G10.
  9. ^ Punter, Jennie (29 Sep 1994). "MC 900 Ft Jesus returns with posse of eight players". Toronto Star. p. G11.
  10. ^ Terrell, Steve (22 July 1994). "TERRELL'S TUNE-UP". PASATIEMPO. The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 30.
  11. ^ Reed, S. Alexander (June 3, 2013). "Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music". Oxford University Press – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "One Step Ahead of the Spider - MC 900 Ft. Jesus | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  13. ^ a b Muretich, James (3 July 1994). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. B8.
  14. ^ a b Hooper, Kim L. (19 Sep 1994). "MC 900 FT Jesus 'One Step Ahead of the Spider'". The Indianapolis Star. p. C3.
  15. ^ a b Ali, Lorraine (10 July 1994). "MC 900 FT JESUS, 'One Step Ahead of the Spider'". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 56.
  16. ^ a b Evans, Paul (Sep 8, 1994). "Rollin' & tumblin' — One Step Ahead of the Spider by MC 900 Ft. Jesus". Rolling Stone (690): 78.
  17. ^ "MC 900 Ft Jesus with DJ Zero". Trouser Press. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
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