Hai Hai

Last updated

Hai Hai
Roger Hodgson - Hai Hai.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 29, 1987
Recorded Nevada City, California
Genre Dance-pop, pop rock, synthpop
Length48:48
Label A&M
Producer Roger Hodgson, Jack Joseph Puig
Roger Hodgson chronology
In the Eye
of the Storm

(1984)
Hai Hai
(1987)
Rites of Passage
(1997)

Hai Hai is the second solo album by ex-Supertramp singer/guitarist/keyboardist Roger Hodgson, released in September 1987. Co-produced by future No Doubt and Black Crowes producer Jack Joseph Puig, and recorded at Hodgson's 48-track home studio in Nevada City, California, the album is a merger of Supertramp-styled progressive pop-rock and extensive use of Los Angeles session musicians and late-1980s synthesizer technology.

Contents

Overview

Hai Hai featured ten songs, all of which were written by Hodgson, with the exception of "Land Ho", an old Supertramp song (at the time never released on an album but only as a single), which Hodgson co-wrote in 1974 with his long-time partner Rick Davies. Hodgson had previously recorded the song in 1983 for his solo album In the Eye of the Storm, but it was never released. [1]

Background

Hodgson was unable to fully promote or tour behind Hai Hai, having sustained injuries to both of his wrists in a fall a week after its release. [2] After that accident, Hodgson stopped his musical career for the next decade, returning to the public in 1997 with live shows and a live album, Rites of Passage . His next studio album, Open the Door , was released in 2000.

In the song "Hai Hai", backmasking is used 13 seconds in. When played in reverse, a whisper says "what happened to you?"

Hai Hai was re-released in Canada on November 14, 2006.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
New Musical Express 1/10 [4]

Allmusic panned the album in their retrospective review. They declared Hodgson's decision to abandon progressive rock and experiment with other genres a disaster, since he failed to fully commit to any of these genres, resulting in songs that are musically very basic and uninteresting. They also commented that the lyrics "are at times juvenile and embarrassing... he may have been trying to say something, but the poetry reads like a bored high school student wrote them." They added that the album's over-reliance on electronics and technology made the already uninspired songs sound cold and soulless. [3]

Track listing

All songs written by Roger Hodgson, except where noted.

  1. "Right Place" 4:15
  2. "My Magazine" 4:30
  3. "London" 4:11
  4. "You Make Me Love You" 5:09
  5. "Hai Hai" 5:28
  6. "Who's Afraid?" 4:57
  7. "Desert Love" 5:26
  8. "Land Ho" (Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson) 4:06
  9. "House on the Corner" 5:30
  10. "Puppet Dance" 5:16

Personnel

Charts

Album

ChartPosition
The Billboard 200163
Canada42
Australia (Kent Music Report) [5] 88
Switzerland16
Norway20
Netherlands52

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supertramp</span> British rock band

Supertramp were a British rock band that formed in London in 1970. They experienced their greatest global success in 1979 with their sixth album Breakfast in America. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies, the group were distinguished for blending progressive rock and pop styles as well as for a sound that relied heavily on Wurlitzer electric piano. The group's lineup changed numerous times throughout their career, with Davies being the only constant member throughout its history. The classic lineup, which lasted ten years from 1973 to 1983, comprised Davies, Hodgson, Dougie Thomson (bass), Bob Siebenberg (drums) and John Helliwell (saxophone).

<i>Supertramp</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Supertramp

Supertramp is the debut album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in August 1970. The first UK press was released under the title "And I'm Not Like Other", but this title was printed on the labels only. In some countries it was released under the titles Surely (Singapore), and Now and Then (Spain).

<i>Indelibly Stamped</i> 1971 studio album by Supertramp

Indelibly Stamped is the second album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1971. It marked a dramatic change in direction to a more straightforward rock sound, and by admission of the band's own liner notes, "Travelled" is the only song with any resemblance to their debut album. Like their debut, this album was a commercial failure upon release, but in later decades it went gold in France and Canada. Original editions have a colour gate-fold cover and different text for the band name and album title. The cover photograph features the tattooed torso and arms of a topless woman. This is the first Supertramp album issued in the U.S.; the cover was in colour, but A&M pasted two gold stars over the nipples. The album was banned from a number of record stores in Australia, while others sold each copy inside a brown paper sleeve.

<i>Crisis? What Crisis?</i> 1975 studio album by Supertramp

Crisis? What Crisis? is the fourth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1975. It was recorded in Los Angeles and London – Supertramp's first album to have recording done in the US.

<i>Brother Where You Bound</i> 1985 studio album by Supertramp

Brother Where You Bound is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1985. It was their first album after original member Roger Hodgson left the band, leaving Rick Davies to handle the songwriting and singing on his own. The album features the group's Top 30 hit "Cannonball".

<i>Slow Motion</i> (Supertramp album) 2002 studio album by Supertramp

Slow Motion is the eleventh and final studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in April 2002.

<i>River of Souls</i> 1993 studio album by Dan Fogelberg

River of Souls is the twelfth album by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in September 1993. The album features a variety of genres ranging from Celtic, Brazilian, country, and African soft rock. It received mostly positive reviews from fans and critics alike, praising the instrumentation and vocals. However, some of the song's topics, which included war and politics, were not well received.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Hodgson</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1950)

Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson is an English singer, musician and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman and founding member of the progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson composed and sang the majority of the band’s hits, including "Dreamer", "Give a Little Bit", "Take the Long Way Home", "The Logical Song", "It's Raining Again", and "Breakfast in America".

<i>In the Eye of the Storm</i> (Roger Hodgson album) 1984 studio album by Roger Hodgson

In the Eye of the Storm is the first solo album by former Supertramp member Roger Hodgson. Some of its songs were initially written and recorded for Supertramp's previous album ...Famous Last Words..., but not released.

<i>Rites of Passage</i> (Roger Hodgson album) 1997 live album by Roger Hodgson

Rites of Passage is the third album by Roger Hodgson, recorded in August 1996 near Hodgson's home in Nevada City, California and his first live album. It was the last gig of several Californian dates in the summer of 1996.

<i>Open the Door</i> (Roger Hodgson album) 2000 studio album by Roger Hogson

Open the Door is the third studio album by English musician Roger Hodgson. It was his first since 1987's Hai Hai, and was released on 9 May 2000 on Epic Records.

<i>Gravity</i> (Kenny G album) 1985 studio album by Kenny G

Gravity is the third studio album by American saxophonist Kenny G. It was released in May 1985, and reached number 13 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, number 37 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 97 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Tonin</i> 1995 studio album by The Manhattan Transfer

Tonin' is the sixteenth studio album by The Manhattan Transfer. It was released in 1995 on Atlantic Records. The expression "tonin'" is associated with the vocal groups of the 1950s and 1960s. The songs on this album are favorites of the band's from that era. Singer-songwriter Laura Nyro makes one of her last performances on this recording.

<i>Live 88</i> (Supertramp album) 1988 live album by Supertramp

Live '88 is the second live album by the English rock band Supertramp released in October 1988 on A&M Records. It was their last album to feature bassist Dougie Thomson in any capacity.

<i>Boomchild</i> 1989 studio album by Dennis DeYoung

Boomchild is the third solo album from Dennis DeYoung. It was released in February 1989 by MCA Records. Boomchild featured the title track with a music video but the song was relegated to the B-Side of "Beneath The Moon", the only single. Both the single and Boomchild failed to chart and the album has since been out of print.

<i>On the Front Line</i> (Dan Seals album) 1986 studio album by Dan Seals

On The Front Line is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Dan Seals. It reached #12 on the Top Country Albums chart. "You Still Move Me", "I Will Be There", and "Three Time Loser" were all number one singles.

<i>Anywhere You Go</i> 1985 studio album by David Pack

Anywhere You Go is the first full-length recording from David Pack, the lead singer for the band Ambrosia. The LP was released in November 1985. Pack wrote five songs himself and co-wrote the other five.

<i>Kiss Me with the Wind</i> 1990 studio album by Brenda Russell

Kiss Me with the Wind is the fifth studio album by the American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell, released in August 1990 on A&M Records. The album peaked at No. 25 on the UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums chart.

<i>A Change of Heart</i> (album) 1987 studio album by David Sanborn

A Change of Heart is a studio album by David Sanborn, released in 1987 through the record label Warner Bros. The album reached number 74 on the Billboard 200, number 43 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart and number 3 on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.

<i>While the City Sleeps...</i> 1986 studio album by George Benson

While the City Sleeps... is a 1986 studio album by American guitarist and singer George Benson, released on Warner Bros. Records. It features musicians like Paulinho da Costa, Preston Glass, Paul Jackson, Jr., Marcus Miller and Narada Michael Walden, alongside young talents of the time like Kenny G, Randy Jackson and Kashif. Although it does not have any instrumental tracks, Benson's guitar playing is somewhat in the headlight in songs like "Love Is Here Tonight", "Teaser" and "Too Many Times". The most successful single of the album, "Kisses in the Moonlight", is still frequently played by Benson at live performances and is present on many of his compilation albums On the B-side of the "Kisses in the Moonlight" single – alongside "Breezin'" on the 12" version – is the instrumental song "Open Your Eyes" which is not available elsewhere.

References

  1. Melhuish, Martin (1986). The Supertramp Book. Toronto, Canada: Omnibus Press. pp. 177–192. ISBN   0-9691272-2-7.
  2. Coleman, Andy (28 September 2007). "Supertramp star plans tribute to city colleague". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 10 October 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  3. 1 2 Hai Hai at AllMusic
  4. DJ Fontana (28 November 1987). "Roger Hodgson: Hai Hai". New Musical Express . p. 34.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 140. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.