Customer Reviews
A pure easy soaring voice - By: Mrs. C. Watts, 18 May 2008 
Why oh why have I only just discovered this wonderful man? I have been listening solidly all day to Over the Rainbow & Kaulana Kawaihae, & can't get enough! Both tracks are just so moving, especially knowing Iz is no more. I still have to listen to the other tracks! I have already orderd another cd & that will not be the last. What a shame he wasn't more widely known. Tell everyone about this amazing talent.
Mark - By: Mark Luyt, 02 Dec 2007 I first heard "Beautiful World" on Classic FM (Radio) & bought on that basis & did not regret it, OK one or two are not quite my liking, but overall its' beautiful, & other friends have liked it (including one who singsin a classical group), I don't understand some if it (in Hawaiian) but the harmony is brilliant, & would recommend it to anyone whose music taste can run that way (bearingin mind I still think that Ozzy & Sabbath are the best band ever!)
MY NAME'S SAM TYLER.... - By: SDB MELLONIE, 15 Apr 2007 Let's add to the ads & films/TV shows Iz's version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" has already been usedin with the final episode of the sublime Life on Mars. As Sam "returns home" this song starts playing...and we all end up with a tearin our eye! Astonishingly not on the LOM Soundtrack CD (nor Tom Wait's "Hope I don't fallin love with you", also featuredin the last episode - astonishing omissions) this song is a wondeful contrast to the rest of the series' 70's soundtrack. Know nothing about Iz other than he's no longer with us but with this undoubtedly reaching a new audience expect him to "do an Eva Cassidy".
Sorry, but it's not THAT good. - By: A. G. Whittaker, 04 Sep 2006 
There are quite a few 5 star reviews here, & I'm sorry to be a dissenting voice, but there's no way that I can give it an unconditional endorsement.
There's no doubt that the boy's got an amazing voice, & most of the songs are rendered very nicely. But, if you're buying this for 'over the rainbow/wonderful world', you may not like what you get. The other songs are of a very different (hawaian) style. Even 'Over the Rainbow' is terminatedin a very grating manner (a load of guttural noises that spoil the song) - it was a bad call by Isreal & the recording engineers really ought to have removed it.
Of the remaining songs, some of them are great, if your tastes extend to that style (although 'take me home' doesn't translate well into Israel's style,in my opinion). Personally, I can listen to it, but wouldn't go out of my way to do so. I guess that,in some ways, that makes me a poor person to pass comment. BUT, like others here, I bought this for Over the Rainbow, & put my faithin the other tracksin the review comments here.
What comes acrossin many of the remaining songs is a strong sense of anger at loss of the native Hawaiian culture. In so many ways this is great, but if you want easy listening, perhaps it's too much like listening to Hawaiian independence protest songs - assuming that you listen to the words. If you can shut of from the lyrics, it really is easy listening Hawaiian style...
MAGICAL! - By: , 16 Aug 2005 I bought this album specifically for the 'somewhere over the rainbow' song, which gets right to my heart every time I heard it on the end of a film/advert. Just listened to the rest of the album & its all absolutely magical! The sound, the words, his voice profoundly exquisite!!! Would recommend this to everyone for a really relaxed mood but also to anyone who appreciates great & original music. Wish I had discovered him sooner!
