Hula Girl Highway - Mike Aiken CD

Product Description Often likened to songwriters like Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney for his signature breezy sound and to John Prine and Gordon Lightfoot for his thoughtful lyrics he delivers a show that is unique and all his own. Review Climb aboard and set sail. About ten years ago Mike Aiken brought his sailboat into Hampton Roads for repairs and a temporary layover. Turns out this area is the perfect complement to the music he plays. A seafaring musical troubadour, he writes about his experiences sailing all over the world, and his fourth album, Hula Girl Highway, makes you feel like part of the crew. It is one of the most polished recordings ever put out by a local musician. Virtually every song references his love of the ocean while the arrangements reflect his influences from country-rock to swing, Caribbean, blues, and folk. Eight of the songs are originals and so packed with images of the sand and sea, you could get a tan just listening: songs like "Jump Up," "Find Me," and his ode to the artist he is most often compared to, Jimmy Buffett, "Thank You (My Buffett Tune)." The cover songs he picks are stellar, like Guy Clarks "Blowin Like a Bandit" and "Banana Republic," a Steve Goodman song once covered by Buffett which serves as the albums closer and is so good it makes you want to listen all over again. Its rare to find an artist who is able to incorporate his lifestyle so seamlessly into his music, much less one who calls this area his home. Anyone who has ever had the wind billowing in their sails will relate, and for those who never have, Mike will take you there. --Paul Shugrue, Out of the Box, WHRV, Norfolk, VirginiaThe summer is coming to an end, the perfect time for a CD just like Mike Aikens. Only one year after the astonishing success with Just Add Salt, the successor Hula Girl Highway follows. It is already the 4th CD from this singer/songwriter and musician from Norfolk, Virginia. The mixture of honest Americana, dry roots, real old-school country, now and then a little bit of Southern Rock in the way of Marshall Tucker, and a strong breeze of Caribbean feeling can easily be consumed; it always invites you to push the repeat button on the CD player. The passionate sailor has a reason to celebrate. His dreamlike melodies, playful lyrics, distinctive voice, and supporting musicians - like Joe Spivey (fiddle), Tony Paoletta (pedal steel), Larry Berwald (guitars, dobro, lap steel), and Mikes wife Amy Aiken (vocals, percussion, washboard) - lead to an emphatic moment. Besides 8 songs written by Mike himself, you can also find 3 covers on this album that have been selected very carefully: "Blowin like a Bandit" by Guy Clark, "This Here Mandolin" by Michael Smith, and "Banana Republic" by Steve Goodman. With Hula Girl Highway, Mike Aiken succeeded in creating both a masterpiece and an album that followed the preceding one yet was surprisingly new. It is a very fresh soundtrack for a late summers day, through which you can enjoy the sun, love, and life. The best place to do so is in a hammock, with a fresh fruit cocktail or an ice cold beer in your hand. --Max W. Achatz, Country Jukebox, GermanyMy soundtrack for this summer consists of two fantastic American roots CDs, one from Mike Aiken...Its sunny, feel good, summer music suitable for every barbecue, garden party, or pleasant evening in an outdoor caf or your favorite bar. Mike Aiken is an American globetrotter and a boats, sailing, and adventure fanatic; in addition, he is an excellent country roots rocker and a lover of Jimmy Buffetts music. At present he stays on his yacht, which is also his house, with his wife in the neighborhood of Norfolk, Virginia. With Hula Girl Highway, he released his second CD on Northwind Records. It contains Southern country pop, country rock like the Eagles, Charlie Daniels, etc., truck driving songs, western swing, country swing, bar room country, R&B, island music, reggae, folk bayou country, songwriters stuff like Gordon Lightfoot, John Prine, and Steve Goodman, and a huge portion of Jimmy Buffett. In the opening song, "Jagger & Jones," he sings, "Hes got to put a little country in his rocknroll, put a little Jagger in his George Jones," and there is a lot of sense in this. In the first single from this CD, "Find Me," it sounds like this, "I come from those back roads, dirt under my boots. Now I live on the water with a country point of view." Its really a pleasant way of life, which I would like to have too. Get off your money? Indeed. Spend it! Buy this CD from Mike Aiken. As I already said, its the perfect soundtrack for this, at the moment, lingering summer. (BV) --Mark Nolis, MazzMuzikaS Free-zine, BelgiumAdditional Info: Personnel: Mike Aiken (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, National guitar, mandolin, harmonica); Larry Berwald (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lap steel guitar, dobro); Dug Grieves (electric guitar); Joe Spivey (fiddle); Dennis Wage (accordion, piano); Dennis Holt (drums, percussion).

Specifics

  • Album: Hula Girl Highway
  • Artist: Mike Aiken
  • Label: Northwind
  • Genre: Folk, World, & Country
  • MPN: NW 1553-08
Tracklist

1. Jagger & Jones
2. Thick Black Water
3. Love You Tonight
4. Find Me
5. Jump Up
6. This Here Mandolin
7. Blowin' Like A Bandit
8. Down In Daytona
9. Bottoms Up
10. Thank You (My Buffett Tune)
11. Talk To Your Daughter
12. Banana Republic

SKU CD-890776002373
Barcode # 890776002373
Brand Northwind
Shipping Weight 0.1090kg
Shipping Width 0.130m
Shipping Length 0.140m

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