The Essential Daryl Hall & John Oates (2CD) [Best of, Original recording remastered]

(This is the same collection as what was originally released as "The Ultimate Daryl Hall and John Oates," with an altered title and different cover art.)

Who would have thought a duo from Philly with a couple of modest blue-eyed soul hits would become a pop juggernaut? Even more so, who'd have even dared predict that these songs would have maintained their integrity almost two decades later? Those are the questions begged by this "Essential" collection, that, for once, comes pretty darn close to deserving the moniker. Daryl Hall and John Oates get the royal treatment on this two disc set, the first American release that covers all three of their major label gigs and even a few choice cuts from their more recent forays back into music making.

While it is easy to hear the seventies attempts at hard core soul in "She's Gone," "Sara Smile" and the underrated "Do What You Want, Be Who You Are," there's also the dabs of folk that popped up in their best early albums. I'd heartily recommend "Abandoned Luncheonette" from that period, but it didn't take long before their pop sense began to emerge. Like so many other acts in the seventies, Hall and Oates had no problems pushing their styles around. It made a softer rock single like "Rich Girl" instantly memorable. It also made their middle seventies output commercially rocky, at one point they joined a chewing gum promotion to play concerts in high schools based on student gum wrapper collections! So while modestly successful singles like the terrific "It's a Laugh" and commercially questionable albums like "Beauty On A Back Street" and "Live Time" were making the duo look like they were on their way to the history books, Hall and Oates decided that the only people who could properly understand their sound was - themselves.

This realization got them on track to record the self produced "Voices," and the golden period began. As showcased on the later half of disc one, the gigs in those high schools had made Hall and Oates more savvy than ever, and songs like "Kiss On My List" and "You Make My Dreams" own the kind of hooks that you just couldn't shake. Both men had also come into their own as singers, as John Oates' turn at the classic "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" shows. Hall's gospel inflected performance on "Everytime You Go Away" had tongues wagging, pouring out such superlatives as "Genius."

With the flow of hits that followed, it would be hard to deny that claim. From "Private Eyes" to "Possession Obsession," everything that hit the airwaves sounded alive and immediate. The remasters here help hold up the songcraft that Hall and Oates seemed so infallible at during their strongest moments, and that they were willing to experiment with the formula (bringing in folks like Robert Fripp and Arthur Baker) made it all the juicier.

The Arista albums seemed like a misstep, but in retrospect, Hall and Oates had probably just hit the overexposure mark. (It didn't help that "Ooo Yeah" was overproduced.) "So Close" remains a great song, and even the lesser heard "Don't Hold Back Your Love" sounds as good as the peak period. The album wraps up with "Promise Ain't Enough" and "Do It For Love," showing that, although the flash may not be as bright as before, the H&O songwriting team remains pretty strong.

If I have any quibbles, it would be that a few albums are completely ignored and some ommisons seem glaring. Those moments would be (for me anyway) "War Babies," a brilliant early experiment in rock with Todd Rundgren, the Stones/Zepplin/soul of "Beauty On A Back Street," the "Live at The Apollo" medley that was a substantial hit, a single only version of the O'Jay's "Love Train" from the "Earth Girls Are Easy" movie, Hall's solo hits from "Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine" and the wacky disco of "X-Static's" "Portable Radio." But that would have necessitated a three disc set, and there's nothing already on the collection I'd cut off! So over all, "The Essential Daryl Hall and John Oates" is worth every penny. It also has me salivating for the coming reissues of their classic seventies and eighties albums.

maybe you're like me and you're looking for the most complete Hall & Oates collection. well, let me save you some time. After looking through the 5 or 6 "greatest hits" collections in their catalog, THIS 2-CD set has virtually ALL of the songs that the other collections have and then some. Nothing is left out.

In fact, there are two 2-CD sets here (ESSENTIAL Hall & Oates and ULTIMATE Hall & Oates) and THEY HAVE THE EXACT SAME TRACK LISTING. What the hell's the point in that? LOL So buy whichever one is cheaper.

You're welcome. :-)

Wow. In just a few short years we went from one very dated 1983 collection to four. Hey, fine with me. Hall & Oates are one of those groups that when you look at a tracklist like this, you forget just how many hits they really had. Then when you give it a listen, you remember how great they really are, and how much you've always enjoyed them. I usually tend to listen to more alternative and hard rock, but being a child of the 80's, and a music lover in general, I can't help but love Hall & Oates. This 2-disc collection is a generous 37 tracks, half of which is easily recognizable to any radio listener. My personal favorites are "You Make My Dreams", "Private Eyes", "Family Man", and of course "Maneater". I also really like the songs "Out Of Touch", "Method Of Modern Love", and "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid", all from the same album. The great thing with an "Essential" type collection though, is that you get all the hits, as well as the early and later songs. In short, it's an excellent collection of Rock & Soul.

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