"Insects stick together and work for mutually beneficial causes," Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets once commented in Essence Magazine. Following that concept, Butterfly, Doodlebug and Ladybug joined together and formed Digable Planets in the early 90s, bringing a new vibe to hip-hop. Following their recent reunion tour is Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles, a collection of rarities and greatest hits that is a great reminder to fans that the group is one of the special bands to emerge from that fertile time period.

With their 1993 debut, Reachin'' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), and their follow up album Blowout Comb the band introduced their literate lyrics, honey-smooth flow and vibrant arrangements. When the group took a hiatus to work on solo projects, they were sorely missed. No other group combined elements of funk, psychedelia and hip-hop in the same way and the trio brought jazz into the fold, giving a new soul to an old sound. As the Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles anthology clearly illustrates, Digable Planets set a standard back in the 90s for a generation of soul poets and producers alike.

Track Listing for  

Digable Planets- Beyond The Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles

1  Intro 

2  Dedicated* 

3  Nickle Bags 

4  Jettin'' 

5  Where I''m From (Remix)* 

6  Three Slim's Dynamite* 

7  Dog It 

8  Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) 

9  Dial 7 (Axioms of Creamy Spies) 

10  Graffiti 

11  Pacifics 

12  9th Wonder: Blackitolism (Elaine Brown Mix)* 

13  Where I''m From (LP version) 

Digable Planets Tour Dates

Date  City  Venue

10/27/2005  San Diego, CA  4th & B

10/29/2005  New Orleans, LA  Voodoo Festival

10/30/2005  Las Vegas, NV  Vegoose

10/31/2005  San Antonio, TX  Engine Room

11/1/2005  Dallas, TX  Gypsy Team Ballroom

11/2/2005  Lawrence, KS  Granada Theater

11/3/2005  St. Louis, MO  Blue Note

11/4/2005  Chicago, IL  Metro

11/5/2005  Ann Arbor, MI  Blind Pig

11/6/2005  Cincinnati, Ohio  Bogart's

11/8/2005  Providence, RI  Living Room

11/9/2005  Burlington, VT  Higher Ground

11/10/2005  Cambridge, MA  Middle East

11/11/2005  Baltimore, MD  Sonar

11/12/2005  Asheville, North Carolina  Orange Peel

11/13/2005  Carrboro, NC  Cat's Craddle

Check out their website for more info and to hear audio samples - http://bluenote.com/detail.asp?SelectionID=10476