Spin the World is an album by the American band Royal Crescent Mob, released in 1989.[2][3] It was the band's major label debut.[4] They supported the album with a North American tour.[5]

Spin the World
Studio album by
Released1989
GenreFunk, rock
LabelSire[1]
ProducerRichard Goetterer, Royal Crescent Mob
Royal Crescent Mob chronology
Something New, Old and Borrowed
(1988)
Spin the World
(1989)
Midnight Rose's
(1991)

The album's single, "Hungry", peaked at No. 27 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.[6]

Production

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The album was produced by Richard Goetterer and the band.[7] "Big Show" is about the Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.[8]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [9]
Robert ChristgauA−[10]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide     [11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [12]
The State     [13]

Trouser Press wrote: "Reaching the majors, the Mob tightened its instrumental wig and reduced funk to a smaller component of its personality, making Spin the World good and credible, but only as far as it goes."[7] Robert Christgau determined that, "bridging the modest distance between Ohio Players fans and Aerosmith-for-the-fun-of-it, they lock into their groove and don't give a single song away."[10] The Los Angeles Times said that "the album’s blend of hip attitude and down-to-earth Berry/Stones fundamentals makes it a notice-serving LP."[14]

The Washington Post praised the "new-found eclecticism in [the band's] songwriting."[15] The Chicago Tribune thought that Spin the World "reinforces the energetic, but repetitious, heavy funk of their first releases by adding some diversity and pop hooks."[16] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called it "a crisp, collection of fun songs that range from a rap tribute to the day [frontman David] Ellison's mother met the Beatles ('The Big Show') to a driving ode to food and lust ('Let Me Eat') to a breakup song ('5 More Minutes') that could have come from the Rolling Stones' vault of unreleased tunes."[17] The State declared: "These guys are having fun—and that's one of rock 'n' roll's prime directives."[13]

The Rolling Stone Album Guide wrote that Spin the World "finds the band in its glory ... [the writing] shows strong pop instincts."[12]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Big Show" 
2."Hungry" 
3."5 More Minutes" 
4."Walkin Down the Street" 
5."Corporation Enema" 
6."Nanana" 
7."Silver Street" 
8."Stock Car Race" 
9."Goin to the Hospital" 
10."Tundra" 

References

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  1. ^ Moon, Tom (7 July 1989). "Royal Crescent Mob". Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 28.
  2. ^ "Royal Crescent Mob Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2017-04-13. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  3. ^ Corcoran, Michael (Dec 1989). "The Ohio Players". Spin. Vol. 5, no. 9. p. 26.
  4. ^ Racine, Marty (May 18, 1989). "Crescent Mob plans to give audience royal treatment". Houston. Houston Chronicle. p. 1.
  5. ^ Reilly, Terri F. (26 May 1989). "Royal Crescent Mob: Sonic-Level Funk Sound". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. F3.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (September 23, 2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Hal Leonard Corporation. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Royal Crescent Mob". Trouser Press. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  8. ^ Mawson, Dave (17 Aug 1989). "Royal antidote for the blahs". Telegram & Gazette. p. D3.
  9. ^ "Spin the World". AllMusic.
  10. ^ a b "Royal Crescent Mob". Robert Christgau.
  11. ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 489.
  12. ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 608.
  13. ^ a b Miller, Michael (June 23, 1989). "Greenstreet's Double Bill Features Bands with Recently Released Hit LPs". The State. p. 3D.
  14. ^ "Ellison likes to write a nice story; : Mob in a Spin". Los Angeles Times. July 30, 1989. Archived from the original on 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  15. ^ Jenkins, Mark (4 July 1989). "Crescent Mob: Between Punk & Funk". The Washington Post. p. D6.
  16. ^ Heim, Chris (22 Sep 1989). "Royal Crescent Mob". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 6.
  17. ^ DeVault, Russ (June 23, 1989). "Crescent Mob Broadening Its Clever Funk". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. F4.