Taste the Secret

• Artist: Ugly Duckling
• Rating:
• Release Date: June 17, 2003
• Genre: Rap

Review

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 clichéd 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, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Opening Act	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(3:55)
Turn It Up	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(3:56)
Meatshake	Ugly Duckling, Jake ?	Ugly Duckling	(2:43)
Dumb It Down	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(3:34)
Abigail Silk	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(3:26)
Energy Drink	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(3:15)
The Drive-Thru	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(2:23)
Mr. Tough Guy	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(4:03)
Pass It On	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(4:03)
La Revolucion	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(5:16)
Potty Mouth	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(4:14)
Daisy	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(3:40)
The Confrontation	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(2:42)
Rio de Janeiro	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(3:22)
I Wanna Go Home	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(4:20)
Goodnight Now	Ugly Duckling	Ugly Duckling	(8:11)

Credits

Cole Gerst (Layout Design), Greg Koller (Sound Effects), Kate Romero (Photography), Greg Koller (Belching), Ivie (Vocals), Ron Felton (Voices), Kevin Kubrick (Vocals (Background)), Mike Felder (Vocals (Background)), Andy Cooper (Animal Sounds), Ursula Williams (Crowd Noise), Jen Park (Vocals (Background)), Kevin Augunas (Voices), Ugly Duckling (Producer), Andy Cooper (Voices), Fatima Akbar (Crowd Noise), Royden Vigilance (Vocals), Jeff Turzo (Voices), Kevin Kubrick (Crowd Noise), Ursula Williams (Voices), Young Einstein (Stage Manager), Greg Koller (Engineer), Double K (Vocals (Background)), Pinky Turzo (Voices), Timmy Wells (Voices), Greg Koller (Mixing), Double K (Crowd Noise), Andy Cooper (Announcer), Eddy Schreyer (Mastering), Mark MacGuire (Vocals), Dizzy Dustin (Voices), Stacy Q. (Vocals), Tim Stover (Voices), Marcia Ramirez (Voices), Kimmy Fate (Vocals), Eddie Ramirez (Voices), Lauren Berhoeven (Vocals), Josh Bennett (Voices), Fat Hed (Vocals), Romona Holmgrem (Vocals), Greg Koller (Noise), Mike Felder (Crowd Noise), Jeff Park (Voices), Kate Romero (Voices), Andy Cooper (Design), Kate Romero (Vocals), Pete Deeble (Voices), Ricardo Ramírez (Voices), Fat Hed (Voices), Jon Saint James (Mixing), Van Riker (Vocal Coach), Greg Koller (Assistant Producer), Mike Felder (Voices), Pinky Turzo (Vocals), Young Einstein (Vocals), David Wollock (Voices), Trish Henley (Vocals (Background)), Geneva Fate (Vocals), Bob Covolo (Announcer), Children of Silverado Park (Vocals), Double K (Announcer), Ursula Williams (Vocals), Andy Cooper (Vocals), Dizzy Dustin (Vocals), Children of Silverado Park (Voices), Fat Hed (Crowd Noise), Young Einstein (Voices), Fatima Akbar (Voices), Double K (Voices), Greg Koller (Vocals (Background)), Nicole Pivet (Voices), David Wollock (Vocals), Stacy Q. (Vocals (Background)), Ursula Williams (Vocals (Background)), Trish Henley (Crowd Noise), Young Einstein (Scratching), Laton Carter (Vocals), Kevin Kubrick (Voices), Juliet DeGuzman (Vocals)

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