Customer Reviews

In the Name of Love

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Brah, if you loved their first album (like me)then don't be a schmuck (like me) and think this album has to be good. Cause it isn't! BUT, definitely check out their newest album Namahana, I've only heard a few tracks, but let me tell you! Buggas is back on track, to da roots, da sound is just like their first album. Ehh and serious, no waste your money on this one!

"In the Name of Love" is a follow-up album to Hapa's immensely popular, self-titled, debut release of contemporary/pop Hawaiian music, and it not only continues in the same vein but also explores plenty of new ground. Hapa first and foremost has always been a band to experience live, and some of their studio recordings fall short in conveying the intensity and spontaneity of their live performances. But as with all Hapa albums, this one does not disappoint, and anyone who appreciates the genre, or who just appreciates beautiful folk/pop vocals and acoustic guitar, will enjoy the album.

Hapa fans will not be disappointed, with sweet, melodic vocals and guitar on songs like "Nani Wale o Ka'iulani" and "Kahea U'ilani". And for those fans willing to allow Barry and Keli'i to explore their musical inspirations a little, the results are usually fun. Some of the songs branch out into more of a "world music" sound, combining instrumentations which evoke genres outside traditional Hawaiian music, such as Indian sitars. The beautiful, meditative song "Lelehuna" exemplifies this, and people who hear the song for the first time often don't even recognize it as Hapa.

For those who love Hapa's brilliant live shows, this album include some of Charles' Hawaiian chanting, which is a joy to listen to for anyone interested in the Hawaiian language. And this CD includes Barry's soaring interpretations of the classic surf song "Sleepwalk" and Santana's "Europa". Their cover of U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)" is a good, sincere cover with a contemporary Hawaiian feel, however this studio version does not do the live performance justice.

Harsh critics of this CD either do not really appreciate Hapa, or are too trapped by the first album to allow the band to grow and experiment a little. Every Hapa album contains a multitude of true gems worthy the price of the entire album. And to really experience their music in it's final refinement, you need to see the group live.

I really like about 4 songs on this c.d. The other Hapa c.d's I like most all the songs. This c.d. either has too much chanting or the songs have a "pop" sound to them, such as beach boy's on Waikiki with guest artist Don Ho.

HAPA, this duo's first release, was fantastic. I heard them several times live after that album came out and loved them. But since then, I've come to the conclusion that this is a group that really only had one good album in them. I made the mistake of buying this album and it is just awful. Get HAPA -- it's a wonderful album whose beauty for whatever reason they just have never been able to really match. And for the record, their cover of "In the Name of Love" is one of he worst covers ever -- it's embarrassing. Summary: skip this album, buy HAPA.

This second CD is definitely more electrifying than the first, mostly acoustic, self-titled CD. E Hele Ana E (Track 1) is a great upbeat song to introduce this talented duo. Track 6, Manoa, In The Rain, is probably the most haunting song I have heard in years. Gives me chicken skin!!! This is a must for the true lover of contemporary hawaiian music, as it mixes chants, hawaiian and english songs into a spectacular CD. Can't wait for the next one!

Hapa's second album breaks away some from the "authentic" paniolo approach of its first album, _Hapa_; _In the Name of Love_ in some ways is more mainstream rock with love ballads and English-language lyrics. It is nonetheless a successful balance of reiterative dance-tracks, poetic nostalgia, and Hawai'ian _mele_ (chanting).

I agree completely with "one beeg hawaiian music fan's" review.

I loved their first CD, every song, and it plays continuously on the car stereo. I also love "Instrumental Peace", with Barry on his own.

This one is just awful. The choice of songs lack any coherence or theme. They don't hang together as a unit, nor move smoothly or logically from one to the next. The instrumentation is flat and unimaginitive, unlike the first CD, where every note sang.
It's a mish-mash of whatever was in the cupboard - and the cupboard was pretty bare.

It's the first time I've fast-forwarded past a previously unheard song on a new CD - and I did that on several. The title track is bloody awful. Again, hit the FF button once it got to the speech bits. If I wanted to listen to a speech, I'd listen to a speech, not a music CD.

If I could give it less than one star, I would.
This one is destined to be used as a drink coaster!
Save your money and buy something else.

A fantastic album that will never leave your CD changer! It shimmers with beautiful melodies, rich harmony, and soulful vocals. The only negatives are a few overly sentimental lyrics and "The Waikiki Beachboy Song," a surprisingly bad (considering the album's overall quality), annoying, syryp-drenched dud. But the rest is so outstanding that I could never name a single song as the album's best--I'll just call the whole thing one of the best albums I own.

Hapa has always been a special twosome and this exemplifies their extraordinary skill of harmony.

I absolutely love Kahea U'ilani, it almost breaks my heart to listen. Very powerful. And of course Sleepwalker makes me miss the islands.