The Sound of Tiki ...

No self respecting Tiki fan would be without their own copy of the Book of Tiki by Sven Kirsten which is widely considered the Tiki Bible.

I was therefore expecting a lot from The Sound of Tiki a seventeen track cd featuring some interesting selections of exotica music.

Having been fortunate to have met both (and seen perform) the two foremost practitioners of Exotica music, Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman before they joined the Big Luau in the Sky, urban archeologist Kirsten is now applying his vast knowledge of Tiki culture to throw new light on the themes and concepts of Polynesian pop. By assembling a cornucopia of songs and visuals that evoke the time of Tiki, this compilation brings the escapist fantasies of yesterday back to today's much too real world. Contains a 52-page booklet with beautiful colorful rare images and insightful text that complements the musical experience.

My picks from it are the Don Ho - Hawaii 5-0/Quiet Village Medley and House of Bamboo by Andy Williams, neither of these feature in the YouTube sampler. Still available from Amazon and good record stores.