Reviews

Quotes:

"Two Waters" is a very well produced and performed project. -- It ain't easy. Is that a Martin (with reverb) on the title song? Elegant harmonics work, man... Congratulations to all concerned"....Bill McEuen; musician, producer and Coconut Grove Music customer, Kailua, Hawaii

Frank, I got your CD and have been listening to it--I'm going to bring it with me to Germany next week so I can get into it more while I am touring. It sounds good, very professionally done.... Rick Vito, Producer, Musician, ex Fleetwood Mac

Gregory House and FoodBasket... are nonprofit agencies that provide housing and food assistance to people who live with AIDS. An event was staged to honor the doctors who serve the groups' clients, as well as to raise funds via ticket sales and a silent auction. ...Gregory House Executive Director Michael Burnett credited the evening's energized atmosphere to the live music from a local band whose "legal disclaimer" is "all music presented by Coconut Joe is made in Hawaii." ...Erika Engle; reporter, 11/19/99 Pacific Business News

Hey, Coconut Joe! I'm Mike Myles, sound engineer for MP3.com. It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon here in sunny San Diego, CA and we're all working away trying to do great things for music over the internet. Jonesing for some aloha (I love island music!) I just stumbled across your song, A Summer's Wave and I just wanted to write and say how much I enjoyed it!! There are actually quite a few surfers who work here at MP3.com and I will be sure to pass word of your beautiful music on. Mahalo for the aloha and best of luck! Mike Myles, mp3.com sound engineer. http://www.mp3.com/coconut_joe.html

Aloha Bob! Been meaning to thank you for your e-mail & let you know that we really enjoy the CD. Hope you sell zillions! We'll sure do what we can on our end! A Hui Hou!.....Gina and David Deeter; proprietors Tropical Disc, Maui. http://www.tropicaldisc.com

"I'm right now groovin' to your CD that I received some minutes ago ..brilliant - excellent - wonderful .. FRESH !!! Definitely will broadcast it!" .......Litter-Dittmar, Lord Litter's Tapedepartement Radioshow, rndependent music on air across Europe via Radio Marabu http://www.snafu.de/~litter.dittmar

...No one is named Joe...John Berger; Honolulu Star Bulletin

"I'm the guy who finally put your CD Enhanced together. Don't know if I'll get a chance to hear you folks in my travels but I really enjoyed the album. Nice mastering job too- that's what I do, and I'd say Oasis Mastering did very well for you" .... Jim Rusby, Mastering Engineer, Springfield, OR

"Life is just not quite as bright and colorful without your music."....... David R. Kailua, Hawaii

... truly enchanted our senses, giving us tones of endearment, heritage and island fever. Aloha Nui Loa Coconut Joe! - Marsha Sudduth, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (after a live gig)

If I didn't listen to the lyrics, I would have sworn you were a mainland group - John Wada, Program Director, KFMN 96.9 FM, Lihue, Kauai

What a fine band this is. .... that man (Frank Kam) is an absolute wizard with an electric guitar. Coconut Joe has just released a CD called "Two Waters" and if it's even close to being as good as they are live, it's got to be a winner. I like it, like it very much. - Panther after a Ala Moana Center Stage performance.

 

Reviews:

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor,
Honolulu Advertiser, May 1, 1999

"Two Waters" by Coconut Joe (Turtle Bay Records 00864-2)

Coconut Joe is a foursome featuring Bob Rogers (on vocals, guitars, keyboards, Frank Kam (vocals, guitars), Barbara Ann Rogers (vocals, bass) and Macy Campbell (vocals, drums, percussion).

Bob Rogers is the producer-composer of all the music - a collection of impressions of various facets of Island living, though one track ("Two Pineapples in NY City") is a folk format recollection of a Big Apple journey.

The Island tunes mirror mundane activities given an updated "take": "A Summer's Wave" deals with a secluded North Shore beach; "Humpback Whale" flashes back to a Big Island experience, "Thomas Wyles" details the disappearance of a Pali hiker, "Hawaiian Rain" trickles with intimate observations about separation and isolation.

"Two of Us" is a contagious love song- with a collaboration of voices - that explores the mysteries and wonders of love.

Coconut Joe is a pop newcomer eager to connect with the island mainstream. And worth checking out.

Back to the Top

By Litter-Dittmar
Lord Litter's Tapedepartement Radioshow, real independent music on air across Europe via Radio Marabu http://www.snafu.de/~litter.dittmar

CD of the Month: May 99

Coconut Joe: Two Waters - CD; Turtle Bay Records....Once again I was simply smashed by the originality of a release ...Coconut Joe from the Hawai'ian Islands "provide a interesting and unique blend of pop, rock, light jazz and blues, all sprinkled with a little shredded coconut and luscious vocal harmonies" - that's what they say, and that's absolutely true .. but it doesn't say anything about the real originality of the band. The more the "regional" aspect of a band shines through, the more the band exists off the beaten path of the rules/sounds/strategies of a machinery that sells music as a product -Coconut Joe is a great example of this, the band is true and real. They present all mentioned influences in a REAL different context, so the result simply must be original and unique.

Listening to this CD, you almost feel the breeze from the ocean .. almost feel the warmth of the sun .. holidays in your CD player ! Well you now might think of tourist-bar-band .. wrong, completely wrong .. this is a true band that found a wonderful fragile balance of "international music" and "regional influences" .. extremely fresh, positive minded ... mhh - well, I'm a bit helpless here to explain this, I really heard a mixture like this one for the first time .. even though I'm very familiar with their influences, the result is .. sorry, no way to explain it .. extremely recommended if you are on the lookout for true originality !!

PS: There is just one song that vaguely reminds me on something; Wild Woman has a touch of White Bird by Renaissance .. if anyone remembers... and sometimes the lead vocals has aspects of Marc Bolan .. but that's all very vague.

By John Berger
Music Critic, Honolulu Star Bulletin

COCONUT Joe is actually a quartet. No one is named Joe, but multi-faceted Bob Rogers is the resident song writer. Knowledgeable observers of the local music scene will recognize guitarist Frank Kam as a former member of Shnazz and the Heebee Jeebee Brothers. Macy Campbell (drums/percussion), and Barbara Ann Rogers (bass) complete the group. All four sing.

Rogers favors a cosmopolitan light rock sound. The mood is generally somber and occasionally brooding. Several songs speak directly of Hawaii. Others are oblique. Rogers' liner notes share the inspiration for each.

Cutesy allusions trace the experiences of "Two Pineapples in NY City," but Rogers eschews that device when writing on more serious topics. Two aunties -- Charlotte Jackson and Elsie Barton -- join Kam as the trio featured on a neat reworking of "Aloha Means I Love You" that adds a hidden track to the collection.

Attentive liner notes readers will learn this is Hawaii's third CD-ROM enhanced album; band bios, photos and sound bites await discovery along with an animated clip of Hawaiian Spice reprising "Two Pineapples in NY City." The video options add another dimension to the experience.

By David Deeter
Proprietor of Tropical Disc, Maui. http://www.tropicaldisc.com)

Catchy pop rock songs flavor this album - our favorite is Two Pineapples In New York City. This is well produced and has a great sound - it's great to hear original music (what? no reggae covers? no 70's songs?)!

 

Back to the Top

main menu

If you would like to give us your opinion of the Two Waters CD or just drop us a note and say "howsit", check out our Aloha Page

 

 

Bookings • The CDs • Main Menu