REVIEW (WJRT) -- It's been a long time since Daryl Hall & John Oates were churning out hit after hit and ruling the charts alongside the likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Bon Jovi and George Michael in the 1980s.
That doesn't mean they haven't been busy. Although the hits have diminished, the most commercially successful duo of all time is still recording music, touring and making meaningful contributions to the music world.
In recent years they were given awards by NARM and BMI, and were voted into the songwriter's Hall of Fame.
Both are working on solo albums and they contributed vocals to the fast-rising country single by Jimmy Wayne, a cover of their timeless hit, "Sara Smile."
Hall's groundbreaking monthly online series features a vast array of artists jamming "Live From Daryl's House."
Even their '80s hit "You Make My Dreams" was featured in this summer's critically acclaimed indie film "(500) Days of Summer."
They've achieved milestones any artist would be proud of: They were a part of "We Are The World" and Live Aid, they performed with idols Eddie Kendrick and David Ruffin of the Temptations at the famed Apollo Theatre.
They will be one of the last to play at the Philadelphia Spectrum, which is set to be retired. About the only thing Daryl Hall & John Oates haven't achieved is admission into the hallowed halls of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, though they probably aren't losing any sleep over it.
Through it all, they still found the time to compile and release a career-spanning retrospective box set entitled "Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates."
And it's a monster.
The set comes complete with a 60-page book filled with never-before-seen photos, song-by-song anecdotes, and quotes from peers, mentors and followers, including famed Philadelphia producers Gamble & Huff, Rob Thomas, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), Mick Jagger, Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes), and Smokey Robinson, among others.
As nice as the book is in telling the story of the Philadelphia natives, the most important thing here is the music. The four-CD set contains 74 tracks, 16 of which have never been released.
The set starts off nicely with two rare tracks from Hall's former band, The Temptones, and one from Oates', the Masters. All three tracks go a long way toward showcasing just how firmly the pop duo was entrenched the sounds coming out of Philadelphia in the mid to late '60s.
The rest of disc one is filled out with an array of tracks from the early '70s, also known as the Atlantic era, which contained two albums produced by Arif Mardin (1972's Whole Oates, 1973's Abandoned Luncheonette); one by Todd Rundgren (1974's War Babies); and a compilation album (1977's No Goodbyes).
The folk-influenced "Had I Known You Better Then" and the first song written about Hall's now-former girlfriend Sara Allen, "Las Vegas Turnaround" -- both penned by Oates -- are absolute standout tracks from the sophomore album, "Abandoned Luncheonette."
About "Luncheonette," Oates recalls: "(It) may be the greatest thing Daryl and I ever did." That's saying a lot considering the album only contained one hit ("She's Gone") after it was a hit for Tavares and re-released by H&O.
Another gem is the Hall track "Love You Like A Brother," which is a soulful triumph from "No Goodbyes." Why this wasn't on a proper album is puzzling, to say the least.
Filling out the disc is five live tracks from the New Victoria Theatre in London in 1975. The live band gives Hall & Oates' already cheerful-and-energetic studio tracks a surprising lift.
"Lady Rain" is extra funky and the guitar solo is electrifying, as is the unaccompanied Hall & Oates on "When The Morning Comes," perhaps a precursor to their "Change of Season" acoustic tour in the early '90s.
"War Babies'" "Beanie G and the Rose Tattoo" and "Better Watch Your Back" are just as groovy, extending an impossible-to-resist invitation to get up and dance.
The only mishap is replacing the sublime studio version of "Abandoned Luncheonette" with the live version, which nonetheless has its own charm.
Disc two picks up with six tracks from the 1975 RCA debut "Daryl Hall & John Oates," the duo's most soulful album to date. Known as the "Silver Album," it contained the top five smash "Sara Smile."
On this set we find a previously unreleased remix of "Gino (The Manager)," written about Tommy Mottola, Daryl and John's first manager.
Disc two continues with songs from the underappreciated "Bigger Than Both of Us." Released in 1976, the album spawned "Rich Girl," the pair's first real chart-topper.
The jazz-infused R&B track "Back Together Again" features John as much as Daryl on vocals, a practice more common in the formative years.
Next in line is a slew of tracks from the David Foster-produced albums, which include 1978's "Along the Red Ledge" and 1979's "X-Static," which saw the group experimenting with disco and punk.
"Time's Up (Alone Tonight)" is another rare track that made its first appearance as a previously unreleased track on a reissue of "X-Static."
Disc two is finished up with four tracks from 1980's "Voices," the album that ushered in the group's most prolific chart era and the first produced by John and Daryl.
With John Oates on lead vocals, "How Does It Feel To Be Back" is pure perfection and a crowd favorite at live shows, as is "Everytime You Go Away," a Daryl-written hit for Paul Young.
It's here you'll find a stunningly arranged, nine-and-a-half-minute live version that starts with Daryl on keyboards (as if he was leading a full-on gospel choir) and finishing with his patented vocal adlibs. Everything is wrapped around a wonderful Charlie DeChant sax solo to boot.
Hit after hit pours from 1980's "Voices," 1981's "Private Eyes," 1982's "H2O," 1983's "Rock 'N Soul" and 1984's "Big Bam Boom."
The lone previously unreleased track on disc three contains an outtake from "Private Eyes." The song, "Don't Go Out," is a dark, art-rock piece by John.
And two tracks from 1985's "Live at The Apollo with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick" close out disc three in high style.
The set's final disc starts off with the rarely heard video mix of the No. 3 hit "Everything Your Heart Desires," the last top 10 single Hall & Oates would see on the pop charts. Two more underappreciated tracks from Arista's "Ooh Yeah!" follow, with "Missed Opportunity" and "Keep On Pushin' Love."
"Storm Warning," an outtake from 1990's "The Change of Season," is a cover of a Philly hit by Barbara Mason and The Volcanoes. It sounds pretty much like you'd expect, a '60s R&B classic.
"Starting All Over Again" and "So Close" are another testament to the musical partnership's ability to infuse new life into studio cuts with live arrangements. However, it would have been nice to hear versions from the "Change of Season" acoustic tour instead.
Hall's vocals are a bit strained on the 2006 version of "So Close," but three tracks from 2003's "Do It for Love" provide a comeback of sorts. The single of the same name hit No. 1 on the AC charts.
The outtake from that album included here is "All The Way From Philadelphia," a song that easily could have been written in the late '60s or early '70s, a tribute to the City of Brotherly Love, which finds the duo in fine vocal form.
The demo of the Celine Dion hit "Have You Ever Been In Love," co-written by Daryl, is a delicate acoustic piece that, while satisfying for diehard fans, doesn't seem to reach the same stratosphere as other Hall & Oates tracks.
"Me and Mrs. Jones," a live staple, sure does. While not listed as a previously unreleased track, try finding it elsewhere on an official H&O release. The first time I heard it performed by Daryl was on an import CD single of his and I was blown away.
Daryl's vocal adlibs on this track can't be topped. He doesn't merely sing the song, he exudes it. The first official release of a "Live From Daryl's House" performance has John as the guest on "I Want Someone," a cover from an obscure Memphis group, the Mad Lads.
Once again we see John and Daryl's vocals playing off each other beautifully. "Do What You Want, Be What You Are" from "Bigger Than Both of Us" is another quintessential Hall & Oates track that translates well live.
The final track, "Dreamer," is a Daryl song written in 1972 but recorded in 2009. Never recorded in 1972, Daryl believes, "it would have really fit with the 'Whole Oates' album very well."
Inexplicably absent are tracks from three albums: 1977's "Beauty On a Back Street," 1997's "Marigold Sky" and 2004's "Our Kind of Soul," not to mention 2006's "Home for Christmas." The set could have easily contained another disc or two.
Additionally, a few of the hits could have been replaced with live versions because, frankly, if you're looking for hits, you ought to invest in one of the plethora of hits compilations that have saturated the market over the last several years.
It would have been especially nice to hear "Sara Smile" from 1978's "Livetime," as Daryl blows the studio version out of the water.
Apart from the lack of live versions of the biggest hits and having ignored four studio albums, one serious track omission that stands out is "Don't Hold Back Your Love," a No. 4 AC hit from "Change of Season."
The top 40 "Downtown Life" from "Ooh Yeah!" is also missing.
Among other small gripes, it would have been stellar to see the inclusion of "Love Train" from the "Earth Girls Are Easy" soundtrack. Nonetheless, these are minor qualms, considering this set does an outstanding job of guiding the listener through an audio journey of two guys from Philly who deeply love soul.
Somehow, the pair are always in tune with the sound of the times while remaining true to their Philly roots and to themselves. And they certainly have lived up to the title of this collection.
And they've left a musical legacy as rich as any artist could hope for, even if the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame doesn't come calling.
Source abclocal.go.com
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