Hawaiian Steel Guitar Classics

Various Artists - International - Pacific Islands - Hawaii | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 2, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arhoolie Records
• ASIN: B0000023TW
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,015 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic, spirited performances: great choice of material., June 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hawaiian Steel Guitar Classics (Audio CD)

This album always puts me in a good mood. It is happy, upbeat music, that is never raucous...just simple and melodic. The tenth song, "White Birds", is rather haunting. It is a nice album to have on in the background when you are working quietly or have friends over and want to be able to talk. It creates a positive, festive mood without being nerve wracking at all. Yet it is worthwhile to sit there and listen to it for its own sake, too. I find that I reach for it often.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I could give this ten stars, I would..., November 12, 2002

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hawaiian Steel Guitar Classics (Audio CD)

Hot picking, Hawaiian style, drawing on rare discs from acoustic revivalist Bob Brozman's private stash of old 78s. When this album first came out in 1981, it was unique - this is one of the early fonts of Hawaiiana for modern listeners. Brozman's passion is for the early acoustic recordings, before amplified guitars gained popularity and likewise, the music itself shifted into poppier terrain; there's a ragtime-y feel on these old tunes that adds a little bounce which later was smoothed out in favor of swaying-palm steel guitar melodies. Over the years, many of the best songs here were anthologized elsewhere -- especially upbeat novelty numbers like Sol K. Bright's "Hawaiian Cowboy" and Sol Hoopii's "Hula Girl" -- but this album still retains it's unique charm and tight craftsmanship. There are plenty of songs on here that haven't been reissued elsewhere, like tracks by cowboy singer Hoot Gibson and the latin-flavored Trio De Hawaii, as well as a couple of sweet tracks that didn't appear on Arhoolie's fab Kalamas Quartet collection. Highly recommended!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Positively beautiful recordings!, January 5, 2005

By 

Dave in foggy Daly City CA "dave" (California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hawaiian Steel Guitar Classics (Audio CD)

This is an absolutely stunning and beautiful compilation of music. Very well assembled, this music is stunning in its beauty. At times it is hard to tell the extent that Hawaiian steel guitar players were influenced by southern Delta blues, or the other way around - - but listen for the music lineage between these guitar players in the 30s, to Carl Perkins in the 50s, to Geo. Harrison in the 60s, and treat yourself and others to simply beautiful music.