Kalapana: The Original Albums CD Box Set!!!

Kalapana: The Original Albums Box Set

For this post I am stepping away from my normal Movie Reviews to talk about one of my favorite bands, Kalapana. I have been a fan since I was a little kid, my father had the cassette tapes in the car, and when I was a music columnist for Ka Leo O Hawaii my first several articles were all about Kalapana. The CD box set "Kalapana: The Original Albums" was released in 2018 and is the first time their first seven albums have been collected together on CD. It also marks the first time the band members of Kalapana will be getting their due royalties from their original and most popular albums. Released through Manifesto Records, if you like physical media and are a Kalapana fan you need to get this set before it is out of print. I've made a short video with my initial thoughts on the set that I need to figure out how to share, but in this post you will find more details I want to share with you all and that add to the video review.

Some general notes about the Kalapana CD Box Set. Individual Album info below.

• All seven albums have been remastered and the sound is clearer and crisper than the previously available CDs.
• The outer box is standard thicker cardboard (common in CD box sets) and it is painted to look like wood.
• Each disc has the respective album artwork printed on its top side.
• Each of the CDs is in its own cardboard gatefold cover (or eco-pack CD case) designed to resemble the original vinyl LP records sleeves. Be careful, the individual discs slide out of the cardboard sleeve very easily and they may fall out when you least expect it.
• While the CD sleeves are very similar to the original vinyl sleeves they are not exact replicas. For instance the inner sleeves of LP vinyl often included song lyrics but no lyrics are included here (except on Kalapana II since lyrics were printed on the outer sleeve of the original vinyl). 
• Also of note, all of Kalapana's albums are now available on streaming services and download purchase on places like iTunes. This includes their albums from the 1980s all the way into the 2000s (such as Lava Rock, Hurricane, Back in Your Heart Again, Walk Upon the Water, Blue Album, etc).

Notes about the Individual albums in the box:

1. Kalapana (also called Kalapana I)

Their big hit first album, featuring many of their best known songs ("The Hurt", "Nightbird", "You Make it Hard", "Naturally"). Released in 1975 in Hawaii on Vinyl, re-released on CD in the late 1980s in Hawaii by OTB Records. Note this boxset CD follows the original vinyl song order, this results in the song "Going, Going Gone" being the sixth track as it was on the original 1975 vinyl release and not the first track as it was on the 1980s OTB CD release. This album is a must own for any fan.

2. Kalapana II

Another hit with more classic songs, ("Juliette", "Blacksand", "(For You) I'd Chase a Rainbow"). Released in Hawaii on vinyl in 1976 and re-released on CD in Hawaii in the late 1980s by OTB Records. This is the first album to feature Alvin Fejarang on drums and Michael Paulo on saxophone/flute, both of whom would become official band members on the next release (here they are listed as side musicians). Mackey Feary left the group shortly after the release of this album. 

3. Kalapana III

Here is where the details get more complicated. Released on vinyl in Hawaii in 1977 but in the 1980s when it was transferred to CD, the CD was a Japanese edition (through Pony Canyon Records) and only available in Japan or as an import CD. This marks the first Hawaii/USA release of the album on CD. The song order is different on the various editions as well. The version in this boxset has "Alisa Lovely" as the opening track and the songs follow a largely alphabetical order based on song title this follows the listing on the original vinyl LP sleeve. As mentioned previously Michael Paulo and Alvin Fejarang are listed here as band members and Randy Aloya joined the band with this record as bass player and vocalist. 

4. Many Classic Moments (Studio Album)

There are two Kalapana albums with the title of "Many Classic Moments" (the other has the subtitle of Original Soundtrack listed below). Kalapana were hired to write songs for the surfing documentary Many Classic Moments. The eight songs featured on this album are the new songs for the documentary (really six new songs, a cover of the song "Can You See Him", and "Naturally" from their first album). The new songs include the popular title track, "The Water Song", and "Down By the Sea". Released on vinyl in Hawaii in 1978, again when transferred to CD in the 1980s it was only released in Japan or again as an import. This marks the first Hawaii/USA release of the album on CD.

5. Many Classic Moments (Original Soundtrack)

Released only in Japan on Trio Records in 1978 as a double vinyl album featuring all the music in the surfing documentary Many Classic Moments. Follow me here,  the eight songs from the Many Classic Moments studio album (listed above) are included, along with orchestral music (not written by Kalapana) and dialog snippets from the film. Older Kalapana songs (such as Blacksand, (For You) I'd Chase a Rainbow, Mana, etc.) are also included here as they were featured in the documentary film. Never released in Hawaii/USA until this box set.

6. In Concert

A double live album only released in Japan in 1978 on vinyl and then CD in the early 2000s (again only available as an import or in Japan). Recorded live in Japan and Guam this is a powerhouse recording and one of three live albums released by Kalapana (the others being "Reunion" in 1983 and the DJ Pratt led Kalapana album "Japan Jam Live" in 1980). These concerts feature exciting renditions of songs from Kalapana III and Many Classic Moments as well as the Malani Bilyeu songs from the first two albums. Kimo Cornwell (later of the Jazz band Hiroshima) joins the group on synthesizer for this album and the next.

7. Northbound

The group's final album before disbanding in 1979 (they would reunite with an altered lineup in the 1980s). Only available in Japan until this boxset. Most of the songs here will be new to fans but there are some gems. My personal favorite is "Rainy Day" by DJ Pratt that is available here (also on the compilation "Black Sand: The Best of Kalapana"). In the historical booklet it's noted that by the end of Northbound's recording there were only three of the seven band members left and those three decided to call it quits once the album was released.

I just have one criticism and it is not about the set itself it is about the marketing. I wish there was a better marketing or announcement when this was released November 30, 2018. I'm someone who is often searching and looking up information about Hawaii's music but I did not know about the box until January 2021. I know Malani Bilyeu (a founding member and lead singer) passed away suddenly in December 2018 so that overshadowed the release yet it would have been a perfect tribute to Malani for this to be really promoted especially to the fans. This is a small complaint since I found my way to the music. 

I am very very happy this set has been put together with such care. Happy listening everyone.