defend the indefensible: Hall and Oates

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i always wondered if Method Man had/should've sampled that

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 2 January 2004 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

He lifted the hook in the song "M.E.T.H.O.D. Man" on the first record.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 2 January 2004 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

haha, i guess i should've heard that by now

anyone remember the Hall & Oates as council workers (or something) sketches on Big Train?

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 2 January 2004 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

"Abandonded Luncheonette" is a great early album of theirs. Worth getting for the folky-soul of "When The Morning Comes" and - swoon - the long version of 'She's Gone"

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Friday, 2 January 2004 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Shit, why can't you edit messages here? That should read "Abandoned Luncheonette"

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Friday, 2 January 2004 16:19 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

"Adult Education" fuckin' rocks. There's nothing wrong with Hall & Oates, apart from John Oates' mustache.

and their mullets.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 26 July 2004 04:55 (twenty-one years ago)

If you like Rich Girl, you've got to check out the version on their 1978 Live album. It kicks ass.

Also, I think one of the main problems that people have with H&O (besides John's mustache, already covered here) is G.E. Smith. His dumb mug was all over those videos...

― Garibaldianne (Garibaldianne), Monday, 26 July 2004 05:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I love 'Rich Girl' but I just realized that aside from that, my entire knowledge of Hall and Oates is based on an old Christian anti-rock propaganda book that I have which quotes Oates as saying that he "would not be turned off by the idea of sex with a man".

― Daniel DiMAGGIO (Daniel DiMAGGIO), Monday, 26 July 2004 06:11 (twenty-one years ago)

So, then it's TRUE what they say about guys with a moustache!

Me, I'm fairly indifferent to H&O. "Sara Smile" I remember as pretty great, tho I've not heard it in 20+ years! "Kiss On My List" and "You Make My Dreams" are probably my favourites. I don't think I can ever again stomach "I Can't Go For That", just 'cause I'm sick to fucking death of that goddamn Simply Red song that I'm forced to endure at the office at least twice a week. (I hate it.)(I hate Simply Red!) But I never cared much for it originally anyways - partly because the phrase "No can do" always infuriated me! (Dunno why.)

Two unanswerable questions: 1. How is it that I've never heard "Family Man" despite remembering all their other early '80s hits? And 2. When and why did they add the "Daryl" and "John" to their bandname? Egotism? A silly decision if you ask me: "Hall And Oates" rolls off the tongue so much more easily. (But at least "Daryl Hall And John Oates" is still much better [in every way] than "England Dan and John Ford Coley"!)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 26 July 2004 06:15 (twenty-one years ago)

My cubicle neighbor at work and I swapped CDs last week. She picked Shuggie Otis out of my collection (asking "What's this?" and me replaying, "Oh, it's great great great, just listen to it"), and I picked Hall and Oates Greatest Hits out of hers. We bonded.

My last job at a coffee shop piped in that cable radio stuff, which is hit and miss at best. One day "She's Gone" came on, and I started singing along as I made coffee. So did my co-worker Andre. "You like this?" I asked him. He said, "Lemme tell you a secret. Black people like Hall and Oates." I had no idea.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 26 July 2004 06:17 (twenty-one years ago)

seriously, some of the best blue-eyed soul out there. i'll defend them to the bitter end. just not here.

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Monday, 26 July 2004 06:19 (twenty-one years ago)

"I Can't Go For That" was No. 2 soul in Billboard, I believe.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 26 July 2004 06:30 (twenty-one years ago)

wow, I just downloaded 'I Can't Go for That' from the recommendations here; it's gorgeous. Thanks.

'Private Eyes' is my favourite H&O song.

― derrick (derrick), Monday, 26 July 2004 07:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Derrick, get the whole Private Eyes album!

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Monday, 26 July 2004 07:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Or even just download "Mano A Mano", which is possibly the gayest song ever recorded.

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Monday, 26 July 2004 07:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I've seen a remastered/liner note filled copy of Private Eyes around. Should I really go for it?

― derrick (derrick), Monday, 26 July 2004 07:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes!!

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Monday, 26 July 2004 07:38 (twenty-one years ago)

PRIVATE EYES UP IN DA HIZZOUSE!

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 26 July 2004 07:51 (twenty-one years ago)

excellent!

― derrick (derrick), Monday, 26 July 2004 08:48 (twenty-one years ago)

i interviewed darryl a couple of years ago, and he was *wonderful*, but said he resents the blue-eyed-soul tag, because it suggests they were white artists approximating soul, when, in fact, they just were *soul*. he said they were heavily involved in a number of classic Philly Soul trax, and i *think* (but can't say for sure) he sang on a couple, as a session singer. he was lovely.

i asked him whether he and john were into drugs during the height of their fame. he replied, "just look at our clothes, at our shoulderpads."

― stevie (stevie), Monday, 26 July 2004 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

i am have been obessively listening to ooh yeah! for the past few weeks. it is practically flawless.

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Monday, 26 July 2004 10:20 (twenty-one years ago)

So, then it's TRUE what they say about guys with a moustache!

DANCE ON YOUR KNEES!

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 26 July 2004 12:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Derrick, get the album. If you don't, the private eyes will know because they're watching you watching you watching you watching you whoa whoa.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 26 July 2004 13:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I like them fine. "Kiss on My List" is my fave, and I also like "Sara Smile." And the Todd-Rundgren-produced "War Babies" (their last LP for Atlantic, I believe) is pretty interesting stuff...kind of the Scritti Politti of the '70s if you get my drift.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Wait - this kills me - Ned went to see Hall & Oates with his dad! What an endearing vision! I went to see Duran Duran with mine, though my dad didn't exactly enjoy it. First concert I ever went to.

I was going to say I never actually bought any Hall & Oates records but still enjoyed and enjoy them enough on the radio, when I realize I think there is one 45 I bought and I do think it might be "Adult Education". Can't remember how it goes, though. Was that the one where they're on a roof in the video?

Yes they were great in their own way, glad to see people cheer them here.

I wonder if we had a shoot-em-out "blue-eyed soul" cowboy duel here on ILM between Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates who would come out on top? Well perhaps there's been a taking sides thread and I only need search for it...

― Bimble (bimble), Monday, 26 July 2004 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Ehh well H&O only seem to get better as the years went by, whereas Todd started bottoming out around 82 or whenever The Ever Popular... came out. Todd can't beat Daryl's heavy wail, nor his mad vocal acrobatics.

I supremely worship Todd but I always feel like I have to explain to people how great his vocals are, whereas Darryl is kind of a more "traditional" sort of vocalist.

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Tuesday, 27 July 2004 03:48 (twenty-one years ago)

four weeks pass...

"EVERYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES" everybody listen to this song

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 08:05 (twenty-one years ago)

as emotionally expansive at pop gets, in an "ignition (remix)", "enjoy the silence" sort of way

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 08:07 (twenty-one years ago)

this band really benifits from it's somewhat uneven albums. listening to a best-of hall & oates is like watching porn for 3 hours.

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 08:12 (twenty-one years ago)

"Out Of Touch" is a perfect pop song.

That is all.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 13:19 (twenty-one years ago)

so is sara smile.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)

they really are the best aren't they? reminds me i need to hunt for that 'sacred songs' lp some more.

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

Hall and Oates are amazing. As a few people said, "War Babies" is a tremendous and uncategorizable rock album (that I'm listening to right now!); and the hits that eventually followed are unstoppable. I guess Rich Girl and Can't Go for That are my favorites.

And, you know, you don't have to take sides between H&O and Rundgren, because War Babies is both of them -- it's produced by Rundgren, and he plays lead guitar on the entire album.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Monday, 20 September 2004 17:45 (twenty-one years ago)

No mention of their weird token rock explosion track "Alley katz"! funny thing is, it actually rocked harder than anything Elvis Costello was doing at the time (and this was during "this year's model" too.)

I love the weird vocoder/warped guitar sounds of their cover of "family man". also those giant keith leblanc drums on the remix of "out of touch". and the sound production on "i can't go for that" made this the only 80s song that sounded BETTER on AM radio than FM radio.

don't forget g.e. smith! oh, why did you fall so low and become the driving force behind making us all hate the SNL band, G.e... why why why?

― Tofukyo Scramblass, Monday, 20 September 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I love the weird vocoder/warped guitar sounds of their cover of "family man".

WTF??? "Family Man" was a cover???

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 20 September 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow. "Family Man" was a Mike Oldfield original?!?!? I had no idea!

― frankE (frankE), Monday, 20 September 2004 20:04 (twenty-one years ago)

When my eyes hit Jess's use of the phrase "funky ass" I decided not to read the rest of this thread. That has to be the peak.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 20 September 2004 20:24 (twenty-one years ago)

jess was going through his morcheeba phase

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 00:14 (twenty-one years ago)

there's this one '80s hit of there's that has the most disturbingly etheral chorus and I can't remember what the name is. I hate like half of what I've heard of theirs so I'm hesitant to buy anything but I'd listen to the other half asap.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 00:21 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, they have a pretty schizoid catalogue, and a large one too. a really interesting duo all things considered.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Tuesday, 21 September 2004 00:24 (twenty-one years ago)

four months pass...

I've been playing their cover of "Family Man" nonstop for three days now. Everything about it is great: that guitar break! the Oates harmonies! Daryl Hall was always an asshole, and in this song he surrenders to the persona.

This song never gets as much love as "I Can Go For That."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 14 February 2005 02:11 (twenty-one years ago)

How are the studio albums? I have two of their greatest hits, both of which are unimpeachable; the only song I'm not sick of is "Did It In A Minute," which sounds like the theme song for an early '80s sitcom.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 14 February 2005 02:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Daryl Hall was always an asshole, and in this song he surrenders to the persona.

Which is funny in that he didn't write the song. (It was the dudes who wrote "Like a Virgin" for Madonna a couple of years later.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 February 2005 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

He always came off like one of those moderately talented cute guys who thinks these qualities afford him the right to be smug.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 14 February 2005 02:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey, Ned, do you own that mid '80s Daryl Hall solo album? I vaguely remember "Dreamtime" from my childhood.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 14 February 2005 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Moderately talented! You're fired.

Never owned that album but "Dreamtime" was as close as Dave Stewart got (along with "Don't Come Around Here No More" for Tom Petty) for trying to make pop/psych that got on the radio via production. But Prince was doing far better on that front overall.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 February 2005 02:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember lots of swirly pseudo-psyechelic strings and backwards shit on the outro. It sounded very expensive - and, yes, very reminiscent of "Don't Come Around Here No More"

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 14 February 2005 02:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i love hall and oates and play the greateest hits all the time but :
they have had only 5 singles from 15 albums

― La Camilla Henemark, Monday, 14 February 2005 02:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"It's a laugh/it's so stupid/THAT I GOTTA LAUGH!"

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 14 February 2005 02:31 (twenty-one years ago)

their version of "i'll be around" is pretty nice!

― stockholm cindy's secret childhood (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 14 February 2005 02:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 625 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Saw them last year and had the same takeaway. Very chilly vibes between the principals. Hall was also screaming at his monitor engineer the entire time. That said: sick show!

― Davey D, Tuesday, 12 December 2023 21:47 (two years ago)

This is more than just publishing, though, right? They perform as a duo still. Or were they already going to stop touring?

― Reeves Gabrels' Funko Pop (majorairbro), Wednesday, 13 December 2023 06:34 (two years ago)

Whoah oh here she comes

She's a Ritz eater

― ; Powell (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, December 7, 2023 10:48 PM (six days ago) bookmarkflaglink

"You're out of Tuc"

― Mark G, Wednesday, 13 December 2023 07:58 (two years ago)

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