Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles
It's not clear why they didn't just call this a "greatest hits" compilation since it so clearly is one. That said, it does a decent job of pulling out the best songs from the DP's two mid-90s albums (though one should ask: can a two-album group really qualify for "greatest hits" status?). The seminal "Rebirth of Slick" is on here, as are other slices of jazzy mellowness fromReachin', like "Nickel Bags" and "Dial 7." It's good to see how much material is here from the underratedBlowout Comb, which features superior musical and lyrical material such as the deliciously dark "Dog It" and the light-hearted charm of "Jettin'." The album also features some exclusive material such as unreleased songs ("Three Slims Dynamite"), "Dedicated" (which only appeared on the B-side of a single) and remixes for both "Where I'm From" and "9th Wonder."--Oliver Wang