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