Customer Reviews

Bang for the Buck

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Say you got three white guys from Long Beach in a hip hop group, one of whom is a DJ who wears a big dookie gold neck chain, and whose music sports a catalog of songs about not cursing on the mic, being nice and respectful to women, a fictional fast food restaurant that serves liquified meat, and dreams about cartoon characters. Chances are you'd probably think it was pretty lame. And that's ok, but since their debut EP, it doesn't seem like Ugly Duckling really cares. They're too busy making some of the most consistently great golden era hip hop to really listen to any complaints.

Bang for the Buck is a culmination of why every Ugly Duckling album has been great. It combines the playfulness of Journey to Anywhere, with the themes and production style of Taste the Secret, and the unflagging dedication to old school hip hop of Fresh Mode. Only, it sounds different...and better. Maybe because DJ Young Einstein is on top of his game, making some of the most ridiculously layered beats. Just have a listen to the organ-punched beat of "Yudee" or the drums on "Einstein's On Stage" (with a nice Gangstarr shout out). Maybe it's because Dizzee has stepped his game up by leaps and bounds ever since the Combo Meal EP, with stellar verses on "Left Behind" and "Andy vs. Dizzy". Maybe it's because Andy Cooper is still the anchor that he's always been, throwing out some great bars on the single "Smack!" and the title track. But something about this album manages to click, bringing together all the reasons you love UD, and leaving out all the reasons you may not (e.g. the God references, excessive goofiness, kitschy gimmicks to end the songs, excessive interludes).

But from the moment you hear the gunshot of "Bang for the Buck" until the bouncingly epic final track, "The End of Time", Ugly Duckling takes you a ride that rarely lets up, turning the other cheek to any of the naysayers and pledging their dedication to the playful and childlike glee that comes with hearing your first hip hop record. Listen close enough, and it may rub off on you too.

Ugly Duckling has topped themselves with Bang For the Buck. Journey To Anywhere has that special place on my top albums list, but I'm able to admit that the new UD has definitely shown how far they've come and how good they've gotten. While Taste the Secret was a very fun, upbeat and more unique sounding record, Bang For the Buck sounds like a return that classic funk sound. Einstein kills it with his incredible beats, and Andy's and Dizzy's flows took it to another level. It's hard to say which songs are the standout tracks, because all the songs are awesome with their own different sounds. I'm already waiting for the next album and for UD's return to the states to show off their skills live.

One of their most recent albums, Ugly Duckling doesn't fail with bringing hot break beats, jazzy sounds and sick lyrics. All of the songs are good on this album. If you like their older stuff, you will like this too.

I want to change this review to 4 stars but amazon won't let me.

Production on this album is excellent. Really stellar. Unfortunately there are several tracks I have to skip every time. 3, 5, and 8 are out of the question. See, UD is not a tough band, and on this album they make some stabs at it. I understand their frustration for being so dope for so long and still being underground, but they really aren't good with confrontation. Also, they can get a bit boring. But that's only some of the tracks. The rest of the tracks are close to perfect once you acclimate to their style and really hit you hard. They satisfy an urge no other group can reach.

This album is worth buying. YEs production on half of the tracks is sit up and take notice jaw droppingly great. Worth the cost of admission.

If you're familiar with their earlier work it's amazing how far Andy's rhyme skills have come. From very basic to crazy double time power flows, it's wild. Try as I may I can't learn his bits when he gets going, and it's a rush just to listen to. I always liked Dizzy, a solid counterpoint, but very little on this album connects compared to his earlier work with the exception of track 11, a great posse cut with PUTS. I think it's a combination of his not being quite as on, combined with proximity to Andy's commanding flows, but I don't think it's terminal. He's been great on every other album so I'm assuming it's a one off and I expect more illlness.

In all good stuff, but I stand by my earlier recommendation that the neophyte begin with their earlier work, Journey to Anywhere Taste the Secret(!!) and especially Fresh Mode.

So many reasons why this album is so great! The beats are just so whack and they have their distinct style of rapping it's just unreal! I love it how they change beats throughout the song halfway and then change it back. They are not like the generic rappers you'd hear on the radio. These guys are truly something!

I like Ugly Duckling's earlier music, although all their tracks have the same flaw. They all sound the same! The lyrics are just too rambling. If you skip to the middle of each song you can hardly even tell it's a different track. They dont even really rap, it's more like talking over a beat.

Track 3 "The Breakdown" starts strong, the beat starts up at 0:10 and you're like wow this is going to be hot! Then at 0:19 that beat fades out and some other garbage starts... It's reused again at the chorus but the whole song just doesnt gel, it's like two different beats moulded as one. It's almost as if they had a pile of acapellas laying around they needed to find beats for and just slap it together and shipped it...

Anyway if you're new to the underground scene, avoid this. Check out some of their earlier stuff first at least... UD, get a better producer and try changing up the flow a bit more.