Post #354208 by rronald33 on Thu, Jan 10, 2008 8:32 PM

While on Oahu,I stumbled upon what I think is one of the most intense (and jazziest)
steel-guitar "Hawaiian style" albums of all time. Played by a Japanese band! And
you've probably never heard of da kine...

Because it's EXTREMELY rare. "Hawaii Best 40" was issued on the well-known label,
Toshiba. I had accidentally seen the album in a record store;they refused to
sell it as it was their last copy. I don't remember the name of the group.

However,I saw the song title "Blue Muu Muu". I'd heard that on a Hawaii radio
station. Bingo! I worked backwards and yes,the station had a copy. They made a
cassette tape for me which I still have,25 years later. I made an excerpt from
that which I call "Hawaii Best 21" (instrumentals and wahine singing).

There used to be all kinds of exotic steel guitar albums around...but a lot of
these have disappeared,and were never on CD. I just wish somebody would reissue
them..."Hawaii Best 40" is just the tip of the iceberg.