N Dis Life - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Advantages: big man, big voice, beautiful songs
Disadvantages: 'world music', not to everyone's taste

...hair stand on end and go all 'goose-pimply'. There are a number of really sentimental, tear jerking songs used over and over on TV and in movies, most of which you start to detest of after the 20th use in a death scene - I'm talking the likes of Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah - I never get tired of this particular rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". I never knew much about Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and had to look him up on the Internet to find out more. The problem was, I didn't know his name, only the song. But it didn't matter, the name of the song and movie or TV programme you heard it and you get results, loads of them. Israel was part of a music group for most of his early career and only in the early 1990s released solo albums. "Facing Future" was released in 1993 is said to be his best album. Israel was morbidly obese... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Some great, memorable songs from the 1970's
Disadvantages: A lot of rubbish along the way

...in a rather precarious situation, at the hands of an intelligent but marginally insane hostage taker. It was an episode which saw the protagonist battling to save his life back in the 21st Century and I think that, because it was played at memorable stages during the instalment, it should have been a valued addition to the collection. Yet, one song that I really think should have been added onto the set was Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'. It played a special role within the last ever episode, and made for rather sad listening at a time where Sam was contemplating his options between 2006 and 1973. Within that context, it is a very depressing cover but I do think it holds a great amount of importance to the episode and programme in general and it's a shame that it wasn't included - I still get tears thinking back... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Wow. It's amazing.
Disadvantages: Closed-minded people may miss out! - It's in French.

...I am, writing about a record I found in the mainstream section of a foreign music shop, where the concept of World Music just doesn't seem to exist. This record is entitled "Je Dis Aime", which means "I say love", but like several of his albums, the title is a pun on his name - "M". M is short for Mathieu, and of course it sounds the same as the word "aime". I first heard some of the fifteen songs on this album whilst sitting dejectedly in the train station in Paris, after having been sent home from work at six am for having inadvertently turned up on my day off. Blast. But I asked my companion who was singing, and I was told "M". You can imagine the confusion that ensued - "Who?" "M" "Who?" "M" "er - " But after some time researching for a singer represented by a letter, I found this album, and was hooked. Mathieu... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful