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Island Mele
Montanaro pays
tribute to MorrisonMorrison Underground:
Morrison Underground (Catlover)RON Montanaro sounds enough like Jim Morrison that he could have done a Morrison impersonation for Legends. This album is a labor of love recorded in a number of locations. It includes an imaginative reworking of "Break On Through" but the other songs are original. Some are similar to Morrison's work as lead vocalist of the Doors. Others explore different genres.
Montanaro will likely always have work as a Morrison sound-alike, but his lyrics make it clear that he has his own ideas to share.
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http://www.morrisonunderground.com
Hawaiian Ryan (Afterthought Entertainment)HAWAIIAN Ryan first surfaced as one of the 3 Local Boyz comedy act and later did a Christian rock album with the Warm Fuzzy Kookamungas. His return to comedy shows imagination and versatility.
The title track is Ryan at his best as writer, director and satirist in a great parody of the highly acclaimed film "Saving Private Ryan." "Fa'a La La La La La La La" shows his ear for dialects, "Paco Bell" and "Tripple Nipple" are clever fake commercials, and the "Grandma Mega Mix" is a popular bit from his "day job" doing morning drive radio at Jammin' 93.1. Others offer insights on the human condition. Several more are definitely non-PC.
The stupefying popularity of toilet humor in Hawaii makes it inevitable that Ryan includes plenty of that too. He has something to entertain and offend everyone!
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http://www.afterthoughtmusic.com
http://www.hawaiianryan.com
Various (Hula Records International)HULA Records principal "Flip" McDiarmid took a broad view of "island favorites" with this anthology. It includes Nathan Aweau, John Ka'imikaua, the classic sound of Peter Moon and the Brothers Cazimero in their Sunday Manoa days, and Hoku winners 'Elua Kane and Darlene Ahuna. The postmodern music of Guy Laurens and Marquisard suggests what's happening elsewhere in Polynesia.
Concise liner notes explain the significance of each song and artist and make this an effective introduction to them.
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E-mail: hularec@aloha.net
See Record Reviews for some past reviews.
See Aloha Worldwide for locals living away.John Berger, who has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings
produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Today
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
