Taste The Secret (2003)

Product Summary Label: Ryko Distribution UPC: 00014431706523 Release Date: 8/17/2004 Buy.com Sku: 61704392 Item#: M6MGX6 Buy.com Sales Rank: 25332 Format:  CD Song Listing Disc 1 Song Title Sample 1. Opening Act ~ Ugly Duckling 2. Turn It Up ~ Ugly Duckling 3. Meatshake ~ Ugly Duckling 4. Dumb It Down ~ Ugly Duckling 5. Abigail Silk ~ Ugly Duckling 6. Energy Drink ~ Ugly Duckling 7. Drive-Thru, The ~ Ugly Duckling 8. Mr. Tough Guy ~ Ugly Duckling 9. Pass It On ~ Ugly Duckling 10. La Revolucion ~ Ugly Duckling 11. Potty-Mouth ~ Ugly Duckling 12. Daisy ~ Ugly Duckling 13. Confrontation, The ~ Ugly Duckling 14. Rio De Janeiro ~ Ugly Duckling 15. I Wanna Go Home ~ Ugly Duckling 16. Goodnight Now ~ Ugly Duckling 17. Something's Going Down Tonight - (featuring Grand Puba) ~ Ugly Duckling 18. Turn It Up (Refried) ~ Ugly Duckling   Album Notes and Credits Notes & Personnel Info Ugly Duckling: Andy Cooper, Dizzy Dustin (vocals); Young Einstein (scratches). Recorded in Los Angeles, California. Includes two bonus tracks. Ugly Duckling: Andy Cooper, Dizzy Dustin (vocals); Young Einstein (turntables). Personnel: Young Einstein (vocals, scratches); Stacey Q (vocals, background vocals); Kate Romero, Royden Vigilance, Laton Carter, David Wollock, Mark MacGuire, Grand Puba, Pinky Turzo, Lauren Berhoeven, Geneva Fate, Kimmy Fate, Juliet DeGuzman (vocals); Double K, Ursula Williams, Children of Silverado Park, Trish Henley, Kevin Kubrick, Greg Koller, Jen Park (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Greg Koller; Jon Saint James. Recording information: F-1 Studios, Brea, CA; F-2 Studios, Fullerton, CA; Goodandevil Studios, Brooklyn, NY; Kevin's House, Los Angeles, CA. Photographer: Kate Romero. It's easy to understand how three guys who worked at a fast-food chain called Meatshake would have a sense of humor about the experience, so the members of Ugly Duckling saluted the place they met (and found plenty of motif material as well) for the recording of their second album. The trio flaunts the groovy tracks, tuneful choruses, and constant microphone passing of the classic Native Tongues groups, plus much of the sampladelic lyricism. Though they can't pull off their one attempt at a real anthem ("Turn It Up"), they have plenty of excellent moments on Taste the Secret. "Meatshake," "The Confrontation," and "The Drive-Thru" send up the inanity of a restaurant that takes the meaning of Steak 'n' Shake to a new level. "The Opening Act" does for support slots what A Tribe Called Quest did for the rap industry on "Show Business" -- that is, deftly intersperses off the cuff humor with cutting commentary. It's as disarming as the hilariously bubble-bursting "A Little Samba" from their debut, Journey to Anywhere. Unfortunately, Ugly Duckling make up so many tracks from clich?d scenarios ("La Revolucion," "Rio de Janeiro," "I Wanna Go Home," "Mr. Tough Guy," "The Potty-Mouth") that the total effect is less a spin through 3 Feet High and Rising than it is an hour of Yogi Bear cartoons -- fine when you hear any one track, but much too much over the course of a full album. ~ John Bush It's easy to understand how three guys who worked at a fast-food chain called Meatshake would have a sense of humor about the experience, so the members of Ugly Duckling saluted the place they met (and found plenty of motif material as well) for the recording of their second album. The trio flaunts the groovy tracks, tuneful choruses, and constant microphone passing of the classic Native Tongues groups, plus much of the sampladelic lyricism. Though they can't pull off their one attempt at a real anthem ("Turn It Up"), they have plenty of excellent moments on Taste the Secret. "Meatshake," "The Confrontation," and "The Drive-Thru" send up the inanity of a restaurant that takes the meaning of Steak 'n' Shake to a new level. "The Opening Act" does for support slots what A Tribe Called Quest did for the rap industry on "Show Business" -- that is, deftly intersperses off-the-cuff humor with cutting commentary. It's as disarming as the hilariously bubble-bursting "A Little Samba" from their debut, Journey to Anywhere. Unfortunately, Ugly Duckling make up so many tracks from clich?d scenarios ("La Revolucion," "Rio de Janeiro," "I Wanna Go Home," "Mr. Tough Guy," "The Potty-Mouth") that the total effect is less a spin through 3 Feet High and Rising than it is an hour of Yogi Bear cartoons -- fine when you hear any one track, but much too much over the course of a full album. [Emperor Norton reissued Taste the Secret in 2004, adding a remix of "Turn It Up" and "Something's Going Down Tonight," which featured Grand Puba.] ~ John Bush Producer: Ugly Duckling; Ugly Duckling Engineer: Chris Kelly [Choir Practice]; Greg Koller; Jon St. James Musical Guests Grand Puba   Compilation Appearances Eurotrip Fabric Live 27   Technical Info Release Date : 08/17/2004 Original Release Date : 2003 Catalog ID : 7065 Label : Emperor Norton Number of Discs : 1 Studio/Live : Studio Mono/Stereo : Stereo SPAR Code : n/a UPC : 00014431706523   Professional Reviews Entertainment Weekly (7/25/03, pp.72-3) - "...Goofiness is served up in a bouncy old-school style, a refreshing cross between Slick Rick's cheeky narratives and A Tribe Called Quest's soothing lyricism..." - Grade: B