[6] Like its predecessor Bridges, sales of Secrets were regarded as unimpressive and continued a gradual slide into commercial obscurity for Scott-Heron, who would eventually be dropped from Arista's roster in 1985.
[11] Scott-Heron's lyrics on Secrets largely concern socially conscious political themes, in line with most of his works from the mid-to-late 1970s.
[14] Taking its title from the Louisiana State Penitentiary's nickname "Angola", the protest song decries the wrongful imprisonment of Gary Tyler.
[17] "Three Miles Down" is about the issue of coal mining safety, while "Madison Avenue" and "Show Bizness" critique the advertising and entertainment industries, respectively.
[18] A review in Black Stars by Julie Ellis praised the album's lyrical storytelling, socially conscious messages, and broad appeal to pop, R&B, and jazz listeners alike;[22] writing for the same magazine, Roy Betts said Secrets "exemplifies a real purpose—exploring the problems of the poor, the downtrodden, the people who seek refuge in drugs and not the betterment of their social condition.
"[3] Reviewing for The Village Voice in 1979, Robert Christgau lamented the lack of hooks on songs such as "Third World Revolution" but appreciated "Show Bizness" for its "tribulations-of-stardom" theme and "educational refrain".
"[23] People magazine appreciated the record's jazz sounds from Jackson and the Midnight Band, calling Secrets "another angry, robust collection of song-poems, this time exploring injustice, drug addiction and revolution".
[24] Retrospective assessments have identified Secrets as a transitional work in the recording careers of Scott-Heron and Jackson, with mixed appraisals of its stylistic departures.
[26] Printed record guides have assigned Secrets positive scores, but typically place it within the lower range of Scott-Heron's discography.
Dave Marsh rated the album three out of five stars for The New Rolling Stone Record Guide (1983),[20] and Colin Larkin gave the same score in his Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music (2002).