Cecilio & Kapono - "Lifetime Party 30 Years of Firends"

Even though Cecilio & Kapono had been disbanded for almost 20 years, excluding a number of brief reunions over the years, they decided to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their meeting and first album in 2003. C&K staged a series of concerts at Kapono's waterfront restaurant from which this live compilation, as well as its second volume, was culled. Of the two volumes this is by far the better one with a better song choice and better performances.

This contains thirteen tracks 10 of the duo's biggest hits and three new songs. As for the new tracks "Gather Round" is a "GoodTimes Together" style nostalgia song by Cecilio. Kapono provides an one of his best songs with "Too Many Lovers" both are very good and would turn up in studio versions on C&K's 2009 album "Back in the Day." The third new song is a cover of Kenny Loggins' "Danny's Song" which goes on for ten minutes of too much audience sing-a-long.

This release is really for the fans who have followed C&K over the years and also serves as a souvenir of their 30th anniversary concert series. The live versions are very good and several include extended musical jams that warrant a listen. The insert contains a number of archival photographs of C&K over the years all in a fold-out poster format. Overall this is not really necessary but is a nice addition for fans who own all of C&K's studio albums or who own the two "Journey" compilations.

Cecilio & Kapono - "The Journey Continues"

So after a week break to pay tribute to John Lennon's 70th birthday we are back to alphabetical order.

Here is the second half of Cecilio & Kapono's excellent best of compilation. The first installment "Journey through the Years" contained basically all their biggest hits but everything that was missing from the first disc is definitely included here. Between the two compilations C&K's entire landmark first album is included and almost their entire second album. While this does focus a little more on the "Night Music" album whose songs are a little lesser than their first two albums. Overall, though, this is a fine continuation of the first compilation. The liner notes include another historical essay by John Steel. These two compilations are really all that is needed for fans of C&K. "Journey Through the Years" and "The Journey Continues" are two of the finest compilations to be created for a Hawaiian Music Artist or Group.

Cecilio & Kapono - "Journey Through the Years"

I bought this CD at Tower Records in 2002 or 2003, Cecilio & Kapono (C&K for short) were doing a couple of reunion concerts at Kapono's restaurant at Aloha Tower Marketplace. I knew C&K were immensely popular in the 1970s but they had been broken up for most of the 1980s and all of the 1990s. I knew a few of their songs, "Friends" and "Goodtimes Together," I was real interested in their music at that point as there was a lot of hoopla about their reunion so I got this compilation. I listened to it and thought everything was great.

Their island folk/rock/pop combination is excellent and it is easy to see why they were such a huge hit in 1970s Hawaii. Their songs are catchy, easy, and make the listener feel good. This compilation produced by Cord International and Hana Ola Records is also excellently packaged, it includes 13 of their best songs as well as three songs that were only released as singles in 1977 and not available on any other album. There is also detailed liner notes which chronicle C&K's history together. One of the best compilations ever put together in Hawaiian Music. If you are even remotely interested in C&K's music this is the album for you.

Cecilio & Kapono back from the Day

Cecilio & Kapono (affectionately called C&K) were one of the most popular groups in 1970s Hawaiian Music and are certainly the most enduring group of the era. For the past thirty years they have been able to consistently sell out concert venues around the world despite the fact that they have not released an album of all new material since 1988's smash hit "Goodtimes Together." That album, and the following tour, was released to celebrate the pair's 15th anniversary even though they had been disbanded for nearly ten years.

They reunited for a year to support "Goodtimes Together" but then went their separate ways for the majority of the 90s.

In 1998 C&K reunited again to celebrate their 25th anniversary and promote the release of their excellent greatest hits collection "Journey Through the Years" and "The Journey Continues." They separated again until 2003 for a massive for a series of 30th anniversary performances at Kapono's Restaurant. This reunion became permanent as of this post and the pair has celebrated their 35th anniversary with their first album of all new material since "Goodtimes Together."

Their new album, titled "C&K", released in Sept. 8, 2009

This album is very catchy but it is rather short with only eight songs, the shortness may influence buyers in these tight times. Also four of the songs have been previously released, "Gather Round" and "Too Many Lovers," are available on the 2003 CD "Lifetime Party 30 Years of Friends." "Back in the Day" was released as a radio single in 2008 to coincide with the concert of the same name. And "Smooth Sailing" (a song that only C&K could pull off) was released as a free download on C&K's website. Those are actually the best songs on the album the other four are good but not equal to the above four. "Baby Mine" is very catchy and works well as a driving song. "Forever and For All" is one of those wonderful little Kapono love songs. The other two songs "That's Love" and "One More for the Road" are decent but average on the whole, the latter will work very well in concert.

The entire album is filled with nostalgia and is very similar to "Goodtimes Together" it is good but not a classic like C&K's first three albums. The sound is smooth and crisp, the harmonies are there, the songs are up lifting and inoffensive, and will probably please C&K's diehard fans (of which there are many). Time will probably do to this album what it did to "Goodtimes Together" with the lesser songs falling through the cracks and the best songs will become as enduring as C&K.

So if you are one of those fans that buys every C&K album and gets excited for every reunion concert this album is for you. If you like C&K but can take em or leave um this probably won't turn your decision either way. Overall this new album will give you a warm fuzzy feel and a memory of the good times and it is best in the car for the long hours stuck in H1 traffic.