Journey to Anywhere

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Although they hail from Long Beach, California, Ugly Duckling couldn't be further afield philosophically from Snoop Dogg, the MC who put their hometown on the hip-hop map. With Andy Cooper and Dizzy Dustin kicking simple yet engaging rhymes and DJ Young Einstein hauling out jazzy midtempo beats apparently dusted off from the late '80s and early '90s, UD are as defiantly throwback as the gold chains they occasionally rock. Add a goofy sense of humor to the mix and the nonsensical anti-jiggy flavor of "A Little Samba" starts to make absolute sense. After single-handedly attempting to resurrect the usage of the word "fresh" in hip-hop circles on their debut EP, Fresh Mode, this entertaining full-length picks up where they left off, staying true to the intangible essence of hip-hop while remembering to have fun. Now that's F-R-E-S-H. --Del F. Cowie

Journey to Anywhere,Ugly Duckling,1500,Alternative Rap,Comedy Rap,Hip-Hop,Jazz-Rap,Pop,Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop

Journey to Anywhere

Tracks:

Introduckling
I Did It Like This
Journey To Anywhere
Friday Night
A Little Samba
The Pike
If You Wanna Know
Eye On The Gold Chain/The Piano Bar
Pick-Up Lines
Rock On Top/By Your Command
Oasis
Dizzy/Ugly What?
Down The Road
Lay It On Ya

Amazon.com

Although they hail from Long Beach, California, Ugly Duckling couldn't be further afield philosophically from Snoop Dogg, the MC who put their hometown on the hip-hop map. With Andy Cooper and Dizzy Dustin kicking simple yet engaging rhymes and DJ Young Einstein hauling out jazzy midtempo beats apparently dusted off from the late '80s and early '90s, UD are as defiantly throwback as the gold chains they occasionally rock. Add a goofy sense of humor to the mix and the nonsensical anti-jiggy flavor of "A Little Samba" starts to make absolute sense. After single-handedly attempting to resurrect the usage of the word "fresh" in hip-hop circles on their debut EP, Fresh Mode, this entertaining full-length picks up where they left off, staying true to the intangible essence of hip-hop while remembering to have fun. Now that's F-R-E-S-H. --Del F. Cowie

Customer Reviews:

A New Semester at the Ol' Skool.......2007-04-16

I feel entitled to throw around the phrase "back in the day," because I actually *existed* back in the day--living on the East Coast, in high school when the seminal "Rapper's Delight" came out. Oodles of street cred right there, huh?

No, but seriously, I've been a hiphop listener from the very beginning, which probably explains why I've become so depressed about a scene that's so formulaic and contrived, loaded with calculating poseurs whose first phone call from jail is probably to their agent.

But then Ugly Duckling stepped up to the plate and provided a huge breath of fresh air that resuscitated my hope! Just one listen to this CD was like musical antidepressants. Tracks range from trippy introspection ("Journey to Anywhere") to silly disses ("Eye on the Gold Chain") to outright hilarious lampoon ("A Little Samba"). Even better, all the tracks are tightly put together, musically engaging, and danceable--or at least toe-tappable.

The way I think this looks back to Old School--and hope it looks forward to a new Golden Age--is that (1)it is rap MUSIC, not rap WALL OF DISCORDANT NOISE; and (2)it's MCs and DJs just being who they are, making the music they feel. That was the great thing about Old School: there were no rules, so acts could be as quirky as they wanted without worrying about being profiled by the Style Cops. I've seen a sifting of other artists into this category, so I remain hopeful--and in the meantime I'm enjoying some great groove-hop!

UNDERATED.......2005-09-07

This is truly truly a wonderful album and dizzy dust and andy bring some great lyrics while einstein drops some funky beats in the vein of a Tribe Called Quest. When I first heard this joint I wasnt feeling it that much the production is a little different from Taste The Secret but it started to grow on me after a while and im sure it will grow on you to. If you are tired of rappers always talking about rims, hoes, guns, and money and long for that golden age of Hip Hop when it was all about showin your skills on the mic and just havin fun with the music than this may be your new favorite group.

Ol' Skool Guyz & Very Funny Album.......2005-02-12

1. Introduckling - 5
2. I Did It Like This - 4.5
3. Journey to Anywhere - 4.5
4. Friday Night - 5
5. Little Samba - 5 (JOINT!!!)
6. Pike - 4.5
7. If You Wanna Know - 4
8. Eye on the Gold Chain - 5
9. Pick Up Lines - 4.5
10. Rock on the Top - 5
11. Oasis - 4
12. Dizzy - 4.5
13. Down the Road - 5
14. Lay It on Ya - 4.5

Old School In 2000.......2001-07-14

Remember when MC's could have fun on the mic without being considered "wack" and before hip-hop was labeled as violent and sexist? Ugly Duckling take you back to that time with Journey To Anywhere, their full-length follow-up to the excellent Fresh Mode EP. MC's Andy and Dustin don't get complex on the mic, but that's not what they're trying to do. Their humorous, clever rhymes fit the vibe of the album perfectly. Their unique production uses rare funk and jazz samples to give the album a modern flavor while keeping the sound true to hip-hop's roots. Give "I Did It Like This," "A Little Samba," and "Introduckling" a spin to see just how great these guys are. Hip-hop fans bored with the current slew of mediocre hip-hop being released should pick Journey To Anywhere up and have their faith in hip-hop restored.

This one is classic.......2001-07-10

Ugly Duckling is like no other hip-hop group that I have ever heard. Their lyrical flow is completely original and entertaining. The DJ, Einstein, laces some great beats that are also very original. Fresh Mode was a very good EP, but the songs aren't quite up to par with the ones on Journey to Anywhere. This album is well done, original, entertaining, and belongs in your very short stack of the best hip-hop available on CD. Buy it, cherish it, and please appreciate it.

Average customer rating:

Classic
a load of crap
Don't bother if you are looking for hip hop.
Light-hearted fun the old school hip-hop way
Better than their first--more styling, less profiling

Journey To Anywhere (Bonus CD)
Ugly Duckling
Manufacturer: Emperor Norton
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Taste the Secret
Fresh Mode
Bang for the Buck
The Next Step
O.S.T.

ASIN: B000066HHH
Release Date: 2002-05-28

Tracks:

Introduckling
I Did It Like This
Journey To Anywhere
Friday Night
A Little Samba
The Pike
If You Wanna Know
Eye On The Gold Chain
Pick Up Lines
Rock On Top
Oasis
Dizzy
Down The Road
Lay It On Ya

Tracks:

Good Time Greetings
Cardiff
Eye On The Gold Chain (Cut Chemist remix)
Do Your Thing
Another Samba
Big Bank Take Little Bank (feat. MC Glockamolie)
Visions Of Grandeur

Album Description

Old -school influenced hip-hop, Ugly Duckling have toured with Deltron 3030, the Pharcyde and the Basement Jaxx. This album which was delayed due to their previous labels demise is repackaged with a 7 song bonus CD featuring a Cut Chemist remix of 'Eye on the Gold Chain' and 'Big Bank Take Little Bank' featuring Double K of People Under the Stairs.

Customer Reviews:

Classic.......2005-04-25

Ugly Duckling's Journey to Anywhere is a classic, overflowing with energy, fun, and entertainment. Any fan of happy hip hop (Pharcyde, Del, UMCs) will enjoy this. They don't claim to be hardcore or gangsters, so don't expect any of that. Just expect a great album that's awesome to listen to over and over and over again.

a load of crap.......2004-04-19

dont buy it its not worth it dont even bother downloading it 3/4 of it is about rambling on about meatshakes which makes you want to puke more than entertaining you

Don't bother if you are looking for hip hop........2003-12-30

I heard "Meat Shake" (not on this album) on the radio and liked it enough to give them a try. Nothing on this one comes close to the catchy cleverness of Meat Shake. They sound like the Beastie Boys before they found their chops. Their sense of humor is fine but the music is dated and boring.

Light-hearted fun the old school hip-hop way.......2002-09-14

As the cover of their EP implies, Ugly Duckling really is a cartoonish hip-hop group. In much the same way as the Pharcyde before them, these guys serve up funny, upbeat, not-so-heavy material in such a straightforward and unapologetic way that it quickly endears itself to you. As a forewarning, not everyone is going to like these guys - they're far from being "hard-core" and I don't even think there's a cuss word present on the whole LP. As annoyingly goodie-goodie as that sounds, it really works for Ugly Duckling, as they weave their own dorkiness into bouncy hip-hop tales as earnest as they are quirky.

The first bit of excellence on this CD is the production. Brought to you courtesy of DJ and group member Einstein, the music is refreshingly simple and head-nodding in much the same way as Jurassic 5 and all the old-school groups they emulate. Most of the tracks possess an almost dream-like quality with bubbling synths and laid-back beats, highlights being "Journey to Anywhere", "If You Wanna Know", and "Down the Road", to name a few. The horn stabs and Latin beat of "Samba" provide a nice change of pace, though it's about as far as Ugly Duckling strays from its proven formula.

Lyrically, these guys are really unique in an off-beat sort of way that will probably intrigue as many people as it will rub the wrong way because of its quirkiness (I know I've already used that word, but it really does fit the description here). You won't find any tales of drug-dealing or thug posturing here, as Andycat and Dizzy Dustin are more interesting in jokingly poking fun at that side of the rap image. For instance, in the aforementioned "Samba", the two MCs trade increasingly unbelievable stories about how nice they are, only to have the other respond, "Well if that's true then why ya livin with ya mama?" The song "Friday Night" also flips around the standard rap story of violent encounters by making the MCs out to be the scared victims rather than the aggressors. Here, they wonder how best to escape the grips of a bigger man by asking, "Should I give him a knuckle sandwich or play possum and stop breathing?" The title track takes their cartoonish image to the max as they name-check everything from Freckle Juice to the Mystery Machine to Sesame Street on a song about their own personal dream-lands. Don't let the childishness fool you, though - they may not be the best MCs in all the land, but they more than hold their own. More than a couple times I found myself going "wow" in much the same way as I do with more traditionally talented rappers. Still, the biggest asset of their lyrics is their ability to make you smile and think, "I never thought I'd hear THAT in a rap song."

Overall this is an excellent album. I had never heard of Ugly Duckling until a friend gave me a copy of this LP and it was one of those gifts that makes you really value your friends, if you know what I mean. Please, give these guys a chance and hopefully, with an open mind, you can be as impressed with them as I was.

Better than their first--more styling, less profiling.......2002-07-10

On their debut EP, Ugly Duckling tried to hard to "keep it real." They constantly declared their alegiance to old-school hip-hop but, frankly, they weren't so much traditional and just plain unoriginal. On this record they bust out and do their own thing. Their thing, it turns out, is just basically messing around in a juvenile but totally entertaining way. Think of this as Fisher-Price: My First Hip-Hop Album.

"Samba" mocks players who front with money, expensive cars, dates with models, etc. Not the first song of its kind, but definitely one of the funniest. Other songs cover Biz Markie-level topics like pick-up lines. This is lightweight stuff that isn't trying too hard, and as a result it sounds dope in its own way. The production is solidly head-nodding and there are several excellent party jams, for those with a sense of humor and a tolerance for white guys who rap. At age 8 this album would have changed my life. At 29, it still manages to brighten my day. Plus there's an extra CD with a couple more gems to sweeten the deal. Definitely worth a listen.

Journey to Anywhere
Average customer rating:

This Album Got Me Into Hiphop

Journey to Anywhere
Ugly Duckling
Manufacturer: Emperor Norton
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
West Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Experimental Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Fresh Mode

Bang for the Buck

ASIN: B0002NY8M6
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Tracks:

Introduckling
I Did It Like This
Journey to Anywhere
Friday Night
Little Samba
Pike
If You Wanna Know
Eye on the Gold Chain
Pick up Lines
Rock on Top
Oasis
Dizzy
Down the Road
Lay It on Ya

Tracks:

Good Time Greetings [*]
Cardiff [*]
Eye on the Gold Chain [Cut Chemist Remix][*]
Do Your Thing [*]
Another Samba [*]
Big Bank Take Little Bank [*]
Visions of Grandeur [*]

Customer Reviews:

This Album Got Me Into Hiphop.......2004-08-30

For anyone who stayed away from hiphop because it all seemed to be about guns, dope, $$$ and humping women, I highly recommend this album.

It's not that Ugly Duckling are trying to be good guys - they just choose to write in a smart, colourful way, instead of swearing every 4th word. They are funny, and sound like they're having fun too. The DJing is perfectly executed, and the music is very catchy. I can't seem to get tired of this album - it's solid the whole way through. I guess I would say my personal highlights are I Did it Like This (sampled the Beastie Boys), Journey To Anywhere and A Little Samba.

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