Hacken Lee Seoul Concert Hall II (5th Anniversary 24K Gold) (Limited Edition)

Unlike the complex "lyricists duel" in Concert Hall I, Hacken Lee opted out of lyrics duty this time around (with 4 new lyricists on board), and there is only one overall theme for the entire album: Hong Kong. It starts spectacularly with the first track, "Heaven and Water - Fortress" (a rewording of Hong Kong's Tin Shui Wai district), a grand symphonic track on the state of Hong Kong that integrates instruments ranging from a small strings ensemble to a harp to even a Korean big drum. "Heaven and Water" is essentially the epitome of what the Concert Hall series ought to be - Hacken, with his flawless vocals, and a grand symphony of a wide range of instruments playing their hearts out, and it's the perfect opening to Concert Hall II.

Concert Hall II, however, quickly retreats to what Hacken does best - ballads. Fortunately, the ballads this time, in terms of both arrangement and melody, have improved upon those of Concert Hall I. Standouts include the jazzy "Every Bit of Bliss" (Track 5), the Ivana Wong-penned "Love is Thinner Than Paper" (Track 6), and "Times Square" (Track 8) by Silver Bear-winning composer Peter Kam. The biggest improvement this time around, though, actually lies in the faster mid-beat tracks. From the hyper tango of "Disgusting" (Track 3) to Paris Hilton (Track 7) - the hotel, not the person - the new variety in instruments (a bandoneon?!) has brought a new degree of flexibility to music and arrangement choices this time around. Even the controversial track, the Flight of the Bumblebee-inspired "Hong Kong Sons" (Track 4), is an acquired taste that is worth acquiring thanks to the engaging arrangement and its biting lyrics. The only fast track that falls flat is "Queen of Kowloon" (Track 9), a cover of the Japanese reggae-pop hit Pure Love Song. Hacken's polished vocals, even as hard as he tries to emulate the original, still doesn't compare to the seasoned dynamic vocals of the original.

That is not to say that Hacken's vocal performance is lacking in any form this time around. While he's known for perfectly toned vocal performance in both his albums and live performances, he has also been criticized for not showing enough emotions in his songs. However, Hacken has roughed up his vocals this time, most noticeably in "Disgusting", for a more dynamic performance. While he may not always hit the right note, Hacken's performance in Concert Hall II is one of his best in years.

While Concert Hall II remains an exceptional pop/live album that's an immense improvement upon the original, I still can't help but feel slightly disappointed. I had always expected the Concert Hall series to be similar to the concert Hacken had done with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 2001, at least in arrangement and scale. Instead, both albums have simply been Hacken-style ballads with better arrangements. With the budget and free rein they're given this time around, Concert Hall II feels like it remains a missed opportunity. Personal expectations aside, it seems like the team is expanding what they can do gradually, and if the two bonus tracks of new renditions of old Hacken favorites are any indication of the new direction for the Concert Hall series, then Hacken and his team will have plenty of chances to improve the series for years to come.

by Kevin Ma