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Hawaiian Born Volume III (Neos Productions, 2002) The 2-disc, 32-track Hawaiian Born Volume III (I guess I missed the first two) contains all you need to immerse yourself in Pacific Island reggae. Although I'm no expert, I'd say that the line-up of talent here doesn't include the most popular "Jahwaiian" artists, but they seem to be largely veteran acts who've established enough of a fan base to have released a number of albums, and there's little doubt that they represent the buoyant Island sound admirably and truthfully (although I'm not sure what British singer Bitty McLean is doing here). "Hawaiian Born," a proud anthem by Norm (perhaps a little more imagination with the stage name next time, people...), sets the tone for the entire album, with its exuberant blend of lovers rock, pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Other tunes throw in a bit of rock, light roots, and more indigenous sounds, like drumming, strings (like the catchy ukulele on Lance Kalahiki's "Free the Land"), and chants (as on Norm's other song of pride, "Polynesian People"). The far-reaching sound ranges from the hymn-like "Ua Hala Na Kupuna" to the pop rock of "Butterfly" to the folksy Jimmy Buffet-style reggae of "Palolo (Lahaina)" to the straightforward R&B remake of Jermaine Jackson's "Do What You Do" (by the aforementioned distinctly non-Hawaiian Bitty McLean). As is often the case with Pacific Island reggae, the "reggae" portion tends to fade to the background, giving way (usually for the worst) to other musical influences, so we end up with tracks like the R&B cover of Van Morrision's "Crazy Love," the rock remake of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," the pop rock of "Meet the Clouds Again" by Justin, and the sappy ballad "Like the Rain" by the female duo Reality. Still, these tunes are probably better than the ill-fated reggae remakes of War's "Cisco Kid" and Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me." All in all, I'd say that Hawaiian Born Volume III is about 75% reggae, and though it's uneven, at times -- when it works -- it's 100% fun. My favorite aspect of Pacific Island reggae is the breeziness of it all. It's light, catchy, tropical and thus mostly suited to lovers rock and light roots reggae. Singers Norm and Justin are the stand out stars on this compilation, highlighted by "Groove Witcha," the airy "Streets of Waiks," "Polynesian People," and "My Eyes Adore You." |
| Track Listing CD1: 1. Hawaiian Born -- Norm 2. This Local Boy -- Justin 3. Touchie Touchie -- Reality 4. Slow Down -- Ka'ala Boys 5. Groove Witcha -- Norm 6. Cisco Kid -- Rodz 7. Fly Away -- Lehua 8. Jockey Move -- Ho'aikane 9. Palolo (Lahaina) -- John Feary 10. Knocking on Heaven's Door -- Tony Mangra 11. Streets of Waiks -- Justin 12. Like the Rain -- Reality 13. Tell Me One Thing -- Tony Solis 14. Crazy Love -- Justin 15. Do What You Do -- Bitty McLean 16. Free the Land -- Lance Kalahiki CD 2: |
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