Released in 1987, “Hai Hai” was former Supertramp singer/multi-instrumentalist Roger Hodgson’s second solo album.  Following 1984’s ‘In The Eye of The Storm”, which yielded the rock radio hit ‘Had A Dream (Sleeping With The Enemy)’. Whereas the first album was a true solo work with Hodgson performing 99% of the instruments himself, “Hai Hai” went back to a more traditional album approach working with well known studio musicians, including members of Toto and guitarist Dan Huff (of Giant fame).

The album dropped in September of 1987 with a thunderous THUMP.  Whereas the previous album sounded like the music he created previously with Supertramp, “Hai Hai” was a complete departure.

Surprisingly the second half of the album is MUCH stronger than the first.  ‘Right Place’ kicks off the album with a drum and harmonica blast and then the singing starts.  Known for his soaring high voice in Supertramp, it’s hard to explain the singing style he used on this song (and subsequent ones on this album).  It’s almost as if he’s singing in staccato, not holding the notes out. He used this style in the next two songs as well, ‘My Magazine’ and ‘London’.  None of which are memorable.   That’s the problem with this album overall, the songs didn’t hold up to previous efforts.

It’s only on the sole single from “Hai Hai’ , track four, ‘You Make Me Love You’ that we finally hear from the vocalist that sounds like the Roger Hodgson that the world loved, but even that song is very generic pop-ish tune and did not chart.

The next few tracks, the title track, ‘Who’s Afraid’ and ‘Desert Love’, muddle in the same sound and tempo as the first three.

It’s only the final three tracks where “Hai Hai” rises above complete disaster territory. Not surprisingly they are also the three tracks that sound most like Hodgon’s songs in Supertramp.

‘Land Ho’ is credited to Hodgson and Supertramp cohort Rick Davies and has a copyright date of 1974 which means it originally was composed around the time of Supertramp’s breakthrough “Crime Of The Century”.  This is finally a song that the listener would want to sing along to, is catchy and just fun. Reminiscent of his best songs with his former band.

“House On The Corner” keeps the tempo up and while not one of his best songs overall, it’s much more pleasant to listen to than 80% of the rest of this album.

“Puppet Dance” closes the album. It’s a moody introspective song not dissimilar to ‘Only Because of You’, the final track on his previous album.  The soaring chorus is in sharp contrast to the muted tracks earlier on the album.

It’s obvious that this album was done to break with the past.  Roger Hodgson felt it was time to try something different, and unfortunately he went about it wrong.  From what I’ve read he broke both of his wrists in the lead-up to the album coming out so there was no media and no tour.  I can’t imagine how either of those would have helped sell more of this Jekyll Hyde effort. Not surprisingly there was a long break between this album and it’s follow-up, the live ‘Rites of Passage’ album which came out ten years later. Unless you are looking to complete a collection, this is probably an album you can skip.  Search out either “In The Eye Of The Storm” or 2000’s “Open The Door” first.

website: http://www.rogerhodgson.com/