Bumpy ‘Road’
provides uneven rideRoad to Fame: Various artists (Landmark Entertainment)
COMPILATION albums have become so common that a "Best Compilation" Hoku Award should be added next year. Tai Okamura, Hutchi Boy-E and Pauwilo Look take the compilation concept to a new level with this collection of recordings by winners and also-rans in the Oceanic Cable "Road to Fame Talent Search."
Baton twirler Christina Costello was the 1997 Solo Winner; buyers with Windows compatible CD-ROM gear will be able to see her in action. "Road to Fame" is thus the first local talent contest compilation that honors a nonsinging winner with a CD-ROM track. (Perhaps I-94 will include a CD-ROM track of 1998 "Brown Bags to Stardom" winner, dancer Amanda Amby, on the next "Brown Bags" disc.)
Almost all the singing "Road to Fame" winners are here.
The most impressive song is a rearrangement of "You Are Everything" featuring Jevan Paisley. Paisley, arranger Mykey, and their studio team offer a fresh and memorable perspective of the Stylistics' 1971 hit. If one song on this album deserves radio play this is it!
MOST of the other songs are languid ballads. Many are generic local pop remakes that fall short of the originals. A bright exception is Pomai & Loeka Longakit's revival of an obscure local hit from 1984, "All My Love to You." Loeka was a "Homegrown" winner last fall. He and his sister are a duo to watch.
Two soloists also stand out. Elsa Lactaoen's near sweep of the 1996 contest showed her potential; she gives her credentials credibility with "Chasing Rainbows." Yasmeen Sulieman was a "Road to Fame" also-ran who emerged as the winner in the audio category this year in "Brown Bags." "Kissing You" introduces her nicely.
All but two songs were recorded specifically for this album. Songs by Tenderoni and Forte are the exceptions.
Tenderoni won the "Road to Fame" in 1995 and signed a national recording contract with Yab Yum/Epic. "Tonight" is the song that launched their career on "Road to Fame" in 1995.
LOCAL "girl group" Forte was among the also-rans in 1995. The group got a local record deal as a result of their participation, but has yet to record material that fully taps their pop potential. Their handlers chose not to work with Okamura and Hutchi Boy-E to record something fresh for this album. Forte's recording of "Follow the Sun" has now been recycled twice.
"Caravan of Love" brings together all the recording acts except Tenderoni and Forte.
With so many talented hopefuls involved it is absolutely inexcusable that the album art is so incredibly inept. A basic rule of album cover design is that cover art must be eye-catching. Dark blue lettering on a predominately dark gray cover is not eye-catching!
Another basic rule is that performance credits and artists' notes be legible. Silver lettering on silver streaks is not legible! Only someone with absolutely no life (or a record reviewer) is going to take magnifying glass in hand to decipher illegible annotation.
The participants, and the entire Oceanic "Road to Fame" program, deserve better.
See Record Reviews for some of John Berger's past reviews.
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John Berger, who has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings
produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Home Zone
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
