Love Island

Deodato | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wounded Bird Records
• ASIN: B0002VKZTI
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,368 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Area Code 808

2. Whistle Bump

3. Tahiti Hut

4. San Juan Sunset

5. Love Island

6. Chariot Of The Gods

7. Pina Colada

8. Take The A Train

Editorial Reviews

Long Island was originally released in 1978 & reached #98 on the Billboard charts. It features guest appearances by jazz greats George Benson, Larry Carlton & Harvey Mason.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deodato performing on board the Love Boat?, July 30, 2003

By 

Reg Salangsang (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love Island (Audio CD)

Love Island captures a moment in 1978 when Eumir Deodato was on top of the world. This was his maiden release under Warner Bros. since his departure with MCA, and top notch session players are at the fore once again with warm melodies riding on phat basslines, sumptuous synthesiser waves and the presence of the legendary George Benson soloing in the centre section in the title track. Deodato also does a wonderful adaptation of Billy Strayhorn's classic Take The A Train. Also featured is very much half of Earth, Wind & Fire (Philip Bailey, Al McKay, Freddie White & Verdine White) on Tahiti Hut. Deodato had pulled together a sound that would define an era. Out of all Deodato releases, this album contains 80% original material compared to his other releases which are half original and half adaptations. Love Island also bears a tropical theme throughout the entire CD from cover to content. Co-produced with the awesome Tommy Lipuma, Love Island is smooth jazz before that term suggested toothless, emotionally banal noodling, when it meant long hot nights danced to sultry, funk-drenched tunes and chilling out to tinkling synth grooves in the back of your white Cortina. This 2002 Warner UK remaster is the best re-issue to date. Recommeded tracks: Area Code 808, Tahiti Hut, San Juan Sunset, Love Island, Take The A Train.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite The Album, November 23, 2004

By 

Andre' S Grindle "Funk Meister" (Bangor,ME.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Love Island (Audio CD)

There are probably alot of people who think of Eumir Deodato as the Brazilian equivilant of Ramsey Lewis and Bob James.That probably stems from his work as an orchestral arranger,and I must say 'Love Island' isn't exactly free of that quality.But Deodato is a clever,inventive arranger and KNOWS where and where not to put strings and horns on a song so they sound artistic and not contrived.With the help of members of Earth,Wind & Fire,The Crusaders and George Benson 'Love Island' showcases a sincere interest in R&B and funk."Area Code 808" is a GROOVE-full of hot guitar riffs and driving synth licks."Whistle Bump","Chariot Of The Gods" and "Pina Colada" are in the same kind of vein."San Juan Sunset" and the title cut have a very mid 70's Earth,Wind & Fire ballad quality to them,only without vocals.The best way to describe much of this music would be lite funk,especially on a version of "Take The A Train" (yes,it's Ellington's composition).But on each of these eight cuts I have nothing negative to say and I'm very glad that Wounded Bird has started to reissue Deodato's records.They've done a great job at putting fusion back out on CD and in that genre (notably on the R&B and funk side of it) this is high quality music.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Starting To Slip, March 30, 2007

By 

Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Love Island (Audio CD)

It probably depends on where you came aboard as a fan of Eumir Deodato as to how you view his post mid-70s work. I came aboard with Deodato 2 to which I was introduced by a friend heavily into jazz. I had ignored his music previously because I found the 2001 Space Odyssey theme played to death on the radio to be too commercial for my taste. But after hearing Deodato 2 in the mid-70s, I sought out other Deodato recordings new and old.
I bought Love Island back when it was first issued and although there were some very nice pieces on it, I felt even then as I do now that it marks the point where Deodato is starting to slip into the pit of shamelessly pandering musical twaddle that Night Cruiser and Knights of Fantasy exemplify. Exhibit A is the execrable Whistle Bump which is brutally reminiscent of that awful disco song, The Hustle.
So what do I like about Love Island? Well, to start there is the opening cut Area Code 808 which, while redolent of disco/funk, contains some excellent guitar work by Larry Carlton and George Parrish Jr. Then there is the title cut that while oh so smooth and dreamy, contains some memorable passages that feature George Benson and Larry Carlton. Chariot of the Gods is also an excellent piece which features John Tropea, a frequent Deodato sideman, on guitar. Then I just can't help but love the arrangement and the excellent cover of the classic Take The "A" Train.
If you are a long-time Deodato buff, you will notice that while Whistle Bump points to Deodato's future as a David Hasselhoff wannabe (look at the album cover of Night Rider), that Pina Colada nods to some of the funk/fusion that he sometimes indulged in earlier years.
So I view Love Island as a watershed album. The disco outings begin to chase off old fans yet they bring a new set of fans on board. So if you are new to Deodato and your tastes lean toward jazz, get this yes but stay away from his later work. In fact, I recommend you go all the way back to his work that was issued in Brazil before anyone here in the States knew who he was! But, if you prefer the fusion/funk style, then get this and maybe a couple of his earlier US issues but definitely go for more of his post-Love Island work.
By my comments, the reader knows which way I lean. I would give Love Island 3 and 1/2 stars if possible, but since its not and doesn't deserve 4 stars, I will have to tag it with three. Its good, but certainly not essential.