Top Hawaii Albums of All Time

[pzarquon]

The June 2004 issue of Honolulu Magazine (http://www.honolulumagazine.com/) features a panel-selected "50 Greatest Hawaii Albums of All Time." The editors are careful to point out that they said "Hawaii Albums," not "Hawaiian Albums," meaning that it includes any work by an island artist, whether they'd play it on KINE or not.

The top ten are:

1. Honolulu City Lights, Keola & Kapono Beamer (1978)
2. Guava Jam, The Sunday Manoa (1969)
3. Gabby, Gabby Pahinui (1972)
4. The Extraordinary Ku`i Lee, Ku`i Lee (1966)
5. Kawaipunahele, Keali`i Reichel (1994)
6. Exotica, Martin Denny (1957)
7. Young Hawai`i Plays Old Hawai`i, Hui `Ohana (1973)
8. Ho`ala, The Brothers Cazimero (1978)
9. Facing Future, Israel Kamakawiwo`ole (1993)
10. Kalapana, Kalapana (1975)

There are 40 more, of course, and it's a great list. Be sure to pick up your own copy.

But I'm curious. What would your top five Hawaii albums be? Either what albums you think represent Hawaii best to the world, or simply mean Hawaii to you. And if there's a story behind a selection, do tell!

[Albert]

Number One for me would definitely be the Waimea Festival recording.

[Mocha]

# 1 for me would be any of IZ's CD's. I never tire of any Hawaiian music, when I visit N. CA I yearn for Hawaiian music...do they have any stations up that way that play Hawaiian music or do I have to bring my own CD's? Right now on my disk player I'm listening to: Kuleana, Amy & Willy Live, Barry Flanagan, Ho'okena & Pride of Punahele II. Otherwise it's just tuned in to KINE.

[Linkmeister]

I'm not gonna quibble with the choices, but I will certainly quibble about Honolulu Magazine's web policy; if ever there were a linkable story that would be it, but do they put the list up on the site? Nope (at least, not when I first looked; if they have since I'll apologize). Grr.

[aleno]

If you click on the link that says click to order it'll show you the 50 albums.

My favorites....C&K all of their albums, Sunday Manoa Crackseed, Olomana all albums, Makaha sons All albums, Hui Ohana all albums including Dennis Pavaos albums, but my number one is Thirst Quencher by Ho'okena.

I live in Northern CA, We don't have a station that plays hawaiian music but I do have dish network and it has a channel that plays hawaiian music.

[mel]

Through the years I have enjoyed the following:

1. Elua - Cecilio & Kapono (1975)
2. Kalapana - Kalapana (1975)
3. Cecilio & Kapono (1974)
4. Alone in IZ World - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole (2001)
5. Vanishing Treasures - Hawaiian Style Band (1993)
6. Young Hawaii Plays Old Hawaii - Hui Ohana (1972)
7. Yellow Bird - Arthur Lyman (1961)
8. Sistah Robi - Robi Kahakalau (1996)
9. Tropical Storm - Peter Moon Band (1978)
10. Like a Seabird in the Wind - Olomana (1976)

[mel]

If you click on the link that says click to order it'll show you the 50 albums.

Sadly some albums are no longer in print. That is one reason why I hold on to some of my old vinyl. I was surprised to see "Yellow Bird" to be out of print. I long had the LP and bought the CD released on Rykodisc a few years ago.

[pzarquon]

According to a Honolulumagazine e-mail alert, KINE (105.1FM) is doing a special show based on the "50 Greatest Hawaii Albums of All Time" list. Tune in over the air or online (http://hawaiian105.com/listen/) on Saturday, June 5 from noon to 3 p.m. and on Sunday, June 6 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

[Leimamo]

I could name a few of my greatest but what surprised me most was that Genoa Keawe wasn't at the top 10. I mean who doesn't recognize her voice? Who hasn't heard her sing "Alika" with that incredible lung of hers? My grandmother played the Party Hula album all the time and when it was scratched, we just put a penny on the needle arm to keep it from repeating and when that didn't work, we put on something heavier, like a quarter. So ghetto huh?

[BillMermaniac]

I've never yet found a copy of Honolulu magazine in San Francisco, so I despair of ever reading this article (it looks so good!). Still, the top ten are hard to argue against.

Since Ryan asked, here's my Top Five Hawaiian Albums

#1 Teresa Bright - Self Portrait. This smooth album is a super-sentimental favorite of mine. I bought it on my first trip to Hawaii, based on hearing "He Aloha No O Honolulu" on the radio.

Actually, when my then-boyfriend Mike and I heard the song, we didn't know the performer's full name or the song title. Browsing through Tower later that week, Mike was convinced that the singer had a non-Hawaiian first name, and decided that it was Teresa Bright. Tower had a full selection of all her CDs, but was prominently displaying her first album Self Portrait. I was skeptical ("Wouldn't the radio station be playing her newer stuff instead?"), but Mike persevered and he turned out to be right.

#2 Dennis Pavao - Sweet Leilani. I've recently discovered the beauty of early Hui Ohana albums, but this album by Pavao is still a favorite. Hapa-haole songs never sounded so good.

#3 Keali`i Reichel - Kawaipunahele. My favorite Keali`i album.

#4 Israel Kamakawiwo`ole - Facing Future. My favorite Iz album.

#5 Pure Hawaiian compilation. I guess it's a cheat to list a compilation, but it's so damn good. Some favorites: "Ballad of Keawaiki" - Peter Moon Band; "Hi`ilawe/Aloha `Oe" - Gabby Pahinui; "Pai`ea" - Pai`ea; "Kawika" - Sunday Manoa. Oh yeah, and the "Live at Hank's Place" version of "Hawai`i '78" by Iz and the Makaha Sons of Ni`ihau. I've worn this CD out.

[jerome]

I could name a few of my greatest but what surprised me most was that Genoa Keawe wasn't at the top 10. I mean who doesn't recognize her voice? Who hasn't heard her sing "Alika" with that incredible lung of hers? My grandmother played the Party Hula album all the time and when it was scratched, we just put a penny on the needle arm to keep it from repeating and when that didn't work, we put on something heavier, like a quarter. So ghetto huh?

FYI, Aunty Genoa's Party Hulas is #11. You're right... it is a great album. And she's still going strong today. She performs weekly at the Waikiki Beach Marriott.

[pzarquon]

This just in! Mountain Apple is putting out a compilation CD based on their "Fifty Greatest Hawai'i Music Albums Ever" list, published in Honolulu magazine. Due out September 7, here's the track list.


Seabird - Olomana - "Like a Seabird in the Wind"
Hawai'i 78 - IZ - "Facing Future"
Flying With Angels - Na Leo - "Flying With Angels"
Across The Sea - Jack De Mello - "Music of Hawaii"
Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai - Hapa - "Hapa"
Hale'iwa Hula - Amy Hänaiali'i - "Hawaiian Tradition"
You Ku'uipo - Willie K - "The Uncle In Me, Vol.1"
Kamehameha Waltz - Emma Veary - "The Best of Emma"
Kaimana Hila - Hawaiian Style Band - "Vanishing Treasures"
Nani Hanalei - The Brothers Cazimero - "The Best of The Brothers Cazimero, Vol.1"
Napo'ona Mahina - Ho'okena - "Thirst Quencher"
Ka Mämakakaua - Palani Vaughan - "Palani Vaughan's Best Vol.1"
Ku'u Ipo I Ka He'e Pue One - Nina Keali'iwahamana - "Nina"
Exotica - Don Tiki - "Forbidden Sounds of Don Tiki"
Ka Makani Kä 'ili Aloha - Keola & Kapono Beamer - "Honolulu City Lights"
Room Service - Rap Reiplinger - "Poi Dog With Crabs"
Aloha 'Oe - Jack de Mello - "Music of Hawaii"
You read it here first! :)

[scrivener]

I'll play:

Off the top of my head, and of course subject to editing later:


Cecilio and Kapono -- Cecilio and Kapono
Cecilio and Kapono -- Elua
Ho`okena -- Na Kai Ewalu
The Fabulous Krush -- The Fabulous Krush (I think that's what it's called)
Sonny Chillingsworth -- Sonny Solo
Led Ka`apana -- Led Live
Ka`au Crater Boys -- Tropical Hawaiian Day
Red to White -- It's True
Stephen Anthony -- Undeserved Mercy
Various -- Ki Hoalu Christmas
Schnazz -- Schnazz (this one JUST for their cover of "I Think We're Alone Now")

I didn't see a lot of rock albums on others' lists, so I included three. :)

[mel]

I'll play:


Schnazz -- Schnazz

Yep, this is a good album. The cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now" is a killer track along with "Jump on Your Bones" and "Bad Boys". Somebody ought to re-release this album to CD.

[scrivener]

I still have mine on LP--haven't listened to it in twenty years or so, but I'm hanging on to it for when I finally get the stuff I need to do a decent CD copy. I'll be sure to pass one along if I ever do it.

There's an instrumental on that album called "Pignose Under Glass," a guitar solo that was pretty good. I never understood the title until I got into guitar playing much later. A Pignose is a portable battery-powered guitar amplifier.

[pzarquon]

The Honolulu Advertiser's Wayne Harada weighs in (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Sep/12/il/il12a.html) on the CD version of the Honolulu magazine "50 Greatest" list:With just 17 selections extracted from the purported 50 best albums of all time (named in a recent Honolulu magazine cover story), this compilation is somewhat limited. Moreover, what's included is mostly archival material from Mountain Apple. Thus, if you rely on the cover image, you'd expect (but won't find) Auntie Genoa Keawe, Don Ho and Gabby Pahinui... This CD serves as a prelude to a TV special. Our take: A gentle and lilting trek down memory lane; perhaps another volume of other "greatest" will augment the exclusions here.So, is there a TV special in the works, or is he just saying it's the inevitable next step in recycling this (admittedly worthy) list?

[mel]

I still have mine on LP--haven't listened to it in twenty years or so, but I'm hanging on to it for when I finally get the stuff I need to do a decent CD copy. I'll be sure to pass one along if I ever do it.

There's an instrumental on that album called "Pignose Under Glass," a guitar solo that was pretty good. I never understood the title until I got into guitar playing much later. A Pignose is a portable battery-powered guitar amplifier.

I made a CD copy from an unopened cassette tape that I bought from Jelly's a few years back. I have 2 copies of Shnazz on LP too. Someday I will make another CD copy off the LP. You can do it if you get Griffin Technology's (http://www.griffintechnology.com/) iMic device and connect it between your Mac and turntable/amplifier system. It allows you to make half decent digital copies off analog sources. Great for copying stuff that has never been issued to CD.

Years ago I roomed with a guy who was a musician... guitar player. He had a Pignose amp. That little thing can sure blast the rafters off your average house or dorm room. Loud little sucker for something that little. So yes, I understood what the song as about on the album. It even sounded as if it were recorded from a Pignose amp.

[mel]

The Honolulu Advertiser's Wayne Harada weighs in (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Sep/12/il/il12a.html) on the CD version of the Honolulu magazine "50 Greatest" list.

The same article also reviews "Island Summer 60s & 70s (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=2342) ", which is a pretty good compilation of local radio favorites from a bygone era. :)

[mel]

KGMB TV is broadcasting a music special based on Honolulu Magazine's recent "50 Greatest Hawaii Albums" list. The show airs this coming Wednesday night, October 20 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Music from all 50 albums will be featured as well as rare footage, interviews and stories about the artists.

More details at the KGMB TV website. (http://www.kgmb9.com/now/Top50.html)

[tvguy]

Don't know how long they've been there, but on a whim, I did a search and found C & K's albums at the itunes music store.......

[alohabear]

Any of the fine albums by SEAWIND. Pauline Wilson is a wonderful singer.

[kimo55]

Don't know how long they've been there, but on a whim, I did a search and found C & K's albums at the itunes music store.......


eh.
(if yer on da island...)
try this:
go down aloha tower wed or fri eve and buy the cd's. support Cuz Henry direct and have him autograph...

[alohabear]

10. Like a Seabird in the Wind- Olomana
9. Facing Future- Iz
8. Kahaialii- Willie K
7. Elua- Cecilio and Kapono
6. Vanishing Treasures- The Hawaiian Style Band
5. Speaking Brown- Brother Noland
4. Gabby(brown)- Gabby Pahinui
3. Guava Jam- Sunday Manoa
2. Kalapana II- Kalapana
1. Kalapana- Kalapana

These are my favorites what are yours? I'm talking about a record that you can never live without. :D

[kimo55]

early Sons of Hawaii.
anything with Moe Keale