Taboo

Arthur Lyman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rykodisc
• ASIN: B0000009W3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,594 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > Indie Music > Pop > Instrumental Pop & Lounge
  • #9 in Music > Indie Music > Pop > Easy Listening
  • #39 in Music > Pop > Easy Listening > Lounge

Track Listings

1. Taboo

2. Love Song Of Kalua

3. Ringo Oiwake

4. Sea Breeze

5. Misirlou

6. China Clipper

7. Sim Sim

8. Katsumi Love Theme

9. Caravan

10. Akaka Falls

11. Dahil Sayo

12. Hilo March

13. Bwana A

14. Colonel Bogey March

15. Waikiki Serenade

16. Moon Over A Ruined Castle

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS BLAST FM THE TACKY TIKI (AND HIGH-END AUDIO) PAST!, October 16, 2003

By 

anonymous123 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Taboo (Audio CD)

How ignorant and provincial I have been! Until Arthur Lyman's music was highlighted in a spot on NPR's Morning Edition (10/4/03), I had not the slightest clue that anyone on earth other than my family had ever heard of him and his audio-licious TABOO. We received it in the late 50s from a family friend when he unloaded his entire record collection on my parents before shipping overseas. I was smitten with it from the ripe old age of 5!!! The acoustics of the Kaiser Dome and all those exotic animal noises and percussion instruments absolutely transported me. By the time I was 12 or 13, I had worn the grooves down to dust. It was only in the 90s that I dug it out of an ancient cabinet and queued it up again. It brought back miles of memories, but I also came to realize that, while all of the cuts had marvelous mood and execution as well as terrific production values (TUBE GEAR/ANALOG/VINYL RULE!!!), I kept waiting for Lyman to DO SOMETHING with the music, TAKE IT SOMEWHERE. So many themes, not nearly enough development. Still, I am absolutely thrilled to have discovered, albeit late, that this man had a long career, and that millions of other people know who he is. And despite arrangement limitations, TABOO is still an acoustic and instrumental tour de force. BUY THIS ALBUM!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exotic Vibes, August 28, 2001

By 

Mark Maj "80band" (Lackawanna, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taboo (Audio CD)

I just recently started enjoying exotica music. I primarily have been focusing on Martin Denny and Les Baxter, but recently i have been branching out with some new artists. One of them being Arthur Lyman. His music is different then Denny and Baxter. It has a smoother more melodic approach and yet it has good rhythms. Although most of the music has a Polynesian feel to it he does mix in a good amount of jazz stylings. I personally have recommended this CD to a couple of friends who are Vibe players because they can learn from Arthur's technique. He is a fantastic musician and even if the style of music is not in your taste, the performance by the gifted musician is well worth the listen.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Former Martin Denny sideman finds exotica sound of his own, June 1, 2001

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Taboo (Audio CD)

In the dawn of 90s cocktail culture, Arthur Lyman often stands in the shadow of his former bandleader, Martin Denny. Denny is celebrated for his seminal late-50s version of "Quiet Village" and his string of influential exotica LPs. Lyman, a charter member of Denny's combo, is often lost, despite having pioneered a unique blend of jazz and exotica on dozens of his own releases.

While Scamp Records was busy reissuing Denny's original catalog, Rykodisc took their own plunge into the warm Pacific waters with reissues of several pivotal Lyman LPsand compilations.

As a vibe player and arranger, Lyman has a relaxed West Coast sound, his band playing in a tranquil tropical style. The arrangements feature the essential exotica elements: mainland and island standards, smoothly flowing melodies, human-voiced bird calls, and a globe-trotting collection of percussion instruments.

Lyman's solo debut, "Taboo," has been remastered from the original 3-track recordings. It's perhaps the clearest statement of his musical mood: cool jazz infused with the rhythms and sounds of his native Hawaii. The differences from Denny's work of the same period are subtle, often hinging on the arrangement, or the slight swing to Lyman's beats. Chances are if you like Denny's seminal early LP's (Exotica, et al.), you'll like Lyman's, as well.