MattA75's Full Review: One Step Ahead of the Spider * by MC 900 Ft. Jesus
I knew little of M.C. 900 Ft. Jesus when one of my partners for the annual "I'll Show You Mine..." W/O, Shelly, suggested it on a list of recordings she gave me to choose from. In fact, the only real reason I chose them had to do with Beavis and Butthead.
You see, at one point, the video for If I Only Had a Brain was dissected by the dumbass duo. Beavis was obsessed with the main riff of the song, played on a keyboard, and Butthead did it a favor by not ripping on it. The exchange between the two for this video remains to this day one of my favorite video moments from the show's history as well as being the only reason I had ever even heard of this collective. So when I saw it on Shelly's list, I decided to give it a shot.
It's difficult to actually categorize this disc. Jazz collides with hip hop, nu hippie spoken word collides with rock, and funk collides with all of the above. What results is a difficult album for those who like more straightforward stuff, but an album that is ultimately well worth the purchase and the time needed to explore it.
It doesn't start out that way though. At 11 minutes and 41 seconds, the opening New Moon is a challenging listen to say the least. Over a very jazzy musical section, vocalist/brainchild Mark Griffin riffs spoken word style. The thing about spoken word for me (and I'm not a fan by any means) is that if it's going to work, I have to hear some passion. And that's what doesn't work about this track for me. Griffin simply tells a story with vibrant imagery but he sounds bored. I'm not asking him to yell and scream and shout, but he doesn't seem to be feeling anything. It's a shame too, because there are some terrific lines here ("If she got home early on any given afternoon, it gave her a thrill, as if she had stolen a little something back from death"). The instrumentation is too repetitive for me as well, and even the little bit of jamming that occurs over the last third of the song isn't near enough to save it.
Things begin picking up though on But If You Go. More vibrant and upbeat musically, Griffin manages to find some rhythm in his voice. The instrumentation isn't as strict here, and it creates a better flow and a more interesting song. Analisa Ripke provides some very nice vocals on the chorus, and the group of musicians manages to let various members shine.
The aforementioned If I Only Had a Brain is driven by an insanely catchy keyboard riff while Griffin raps with considerable skill and lyrical qualities. Something about this song says that today, it could be a gigantic hit, but in 1994, when it was released, it probably sounded a bit too advanced and intelligent for its time.
Guitarist Vernon Reid is best known for his work with the hard rock band Living Colour, but he appears here on Stare and Stare, laying down a simple riff as well as some nice melody work while Griffin moves between spoken word and singing. At just under seven minutes, it may seem a bit too long for some, but I think it works ok.
Moving past the boring Buried At Sea, I'll get to Tiptoe Through the Inferno. This track is just plain fun. A mix of 70s funk guitar, improvised horns and a mix of spoken word and comedy ("I personally have never been locked up, but I personally have never been insane...you on the other hand are obviously crazy, this is a scientific fact...that is obvious to all peoples of all races, creeds, colors and in all walks of life"). I'm not sure what it is about this track, but it makes me laugh my a*s off everytime I listen to it. This will no doubt be making it's way onto every mix tape I make from now on for other people.
I like the loose feel of the 8 minute plus Bill's Dream. With no vocals, this is the time for the band to shine, and shine they do. Each member is given ample room to improvise and create and the results are fantastic. While it has a very mellow, light jazz feel to it, I find it to be rather relaxing.
The album closing Rhubarb is just plain weird. With that being said, there is more to like about this album than not. It isn't a five star album by any means, and it's challenging nature will no doubt leave some in the dark. But for those who appreciate music as art and as expression, they will no doubt find much to like about One Step Ahead of the Spider.
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