Customer Reviews

Ultimate Daryl Hall & John Oates

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Back in 1983, Daryl Hall and John Oates released what was a highly successful Greatest Hits album called "Rock and Soul Part 1". However, things have changed since that release. Namely: 1) Hall and Oates went on to release other material, most notably the their biggest hit album "Big Bam Boom"; 2) With the advent of CD, it is now possible to fit more than 12 songs included on "Part 1". In the 90s, RCA would release a slightly more complete Greatest Hits collection entitled "The Very Best of Daryl Hall and John Oates". While this has 18 songs, it still mostly covers the "hits period"- it still doesn't do a good end to end job at presenting the Hall and Oates portfolio from career inception to modern times. This is where "Ultimate Daryl Hall and John Oates" has its sweet spot. On "Ultimate Daryl Hall and John Oates" you will get some of the earliest material from Hall and Oates starting with 1973's "She's Gone" all the way to 2002's "Do It For Love". This collection contains 37 songs packaged on 2 CDs - it is as closed to a boxed set as you can get. It also is the most comprehensive Hall and Oates collection available today.

Despite today being a dated greatest hits collection, "Rock and Soul Part 1" did a nice job for its time at being a greatest hits collection. I was always intrigued by that title because of the "Soul" being used in the title. Hall and Oates have always had a Soul influence in their music. This dates back to their early days of being a Philadelphia based band in the "Sound of Phildadelphia" days (I music, I think Philadelphia was to the 1970s a lot of what Detroit was to the 1960s). Clearly on "Rock and Soul Part 1" you will hear some soul influences in songs such as "Maneater", "I Can't Go For That" and even earlier songs such as "Sara Smile". However, one general problem with "Part 1" is that album was it never went deeper into some of Hall and Oates' true "Philadelphia Soul" works. Since "Ultimate Daryl Hall and John Oates" does a nice job at providing the end to end view of Hall and Oates' work, you are going to see much more of a better representation of this period. In fact, 11 songs are prior to 1980's "Voices". The liner notes include a nice writeup by Michael Hill that pays some tribute to the early days of Hall and Oates - newer fans and even 80s fans will learn something more about the duo from reading this.

Although the deep Hall and Oates fans will know all of the early songs, this provides a great introduction to the more casual and mainstream fan to these works. The track "Las Vegas Turnaround" from the "Abandoned Luncheonette" is a terrific sound and really shows some of the duo's "Soul Roots". You will hear 'Sara' in this song - yes this is the same 'Sara' as from the song "Sara Smile". This refers to Daryl Hall's longtime girlfriend and soon to be songwriting partner, Sara Allen who at the time was a stewardess (Hall recently split with Allen after nearly a 30 year relationship). Of those first 11 songs - yes the casual fan will know "She's Gone", "Sara Smile", and "Rich Girl" - but much better "Soul" sounds will be heard from "Cameilla", "Do What You Are", "Back Together Again", "It's a Laugh", and "I Don't Want to Lose You". There is some terrific sax playing on "It's a Laugh" and "I Don't Want to Lose You". The song "Back Together Again" reminds me a bit of ELO's "Evil Woman". Finally, Hall and Oates show they are not all "Soul" on the folksy sounding "When the Morning Comes".

Hall and Oates brought in producer David Foster for the 1978 "Along the Red Ledge" and "X-Static" album. Foster has a distinctive keyboard sound on a lot of his productions. Foster gets somewhat of an unfair rap when he transformed Chicago into a "adult contemporary" band, but Foster still managed to keep true to their brass horns roots (if was after Foster where they really deviated). With Hall and Oates he also kept true to the Soul roots - especially songs like "It's a Laugh","I Don't Wanna Lose You", and "Wait For Me". Following working with Foster, Hall and Oates began to move more into the Rock and Pop direction with 1980's "Voices" featuring such classics as "Kiss On My List" and "You Make My Dreams Come True". However the duo never fully abandoned the soul roots - yes they did change gears, but songs such as the cover of "You've Lost That Lovin Feeling" and the original version of "Everytime You Go Away" prove these roots are still in check. The version of "Everytime You Go Away" is very different than Paul Young's 1985 cover.

What is nice that even after "Voices", you'll still hear plenty of "Soul" influence. This includes such later hits as "I Can't Go For That", "Maneater", "Your Imagination", "Possession Obsession", and "Missed Opportunity". They are even true on the later works such as "Starting All Over Again", "Promise Aint Enough", and 2002's "Do It For Love." Plus they still do a great job on the Pop/Rock stuff such as "Out of Touch", "Method of Modern Love", "Did It In a Minute", and "Family Man".

The only disappointment is that there is no inclusion of any of the songs done from the 1985 "Live at the Apollo" album. Terrific liner notes give you all the song credits as well as little tidbits of background behind some of the songs. You won't find any lyrics to the songs. This is by far the best greatest hits collection Hall and Oates has put out - I highly recommend it.

Odd that with all the favorable reviews, no one, including Amazon has seen fit to list the tracks on the 2-CDs. Let me remedy that:

Disc 1
1. She's Gone 5:16
2. Las Vegas Turnaround 2:59
3. When the Morning Comes 3:13
4. Camellia 2:49
5. Sara Smile 3:09
6. Do What You Want, Be What You Are 4:35
7. Rich Girl 2:25
8. Back Together Again 3:27
9. It's a Laugh 3:46
10. I Don't Wanna Lose You 3:48
11. Wait for Me 4:03
12. How Does It Feel to Be Back 4:35
13. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling 4:37 (Righteous Brothers cover)
14. Kiss on My List 4:26
15. You Make Me Dream 3:10
16. Everytime You Go Away 5:24 (covered by Paul Young)
17. Private Eyes 3:37
18. I Can't Go for That Long (No Can Do) 5:08
19. Did It in a Minute 3:37
20. Your Imagination 3:33

Disc 2
1. Maneater 4:32
2. One on One 4:17
3. Family Man 3:27 (a Mike Oldfield cover!)
4. Say It Isn't So 4:17
5. Adult Education 4:34
6. Out of Touch 4:08
7. Method of Modern Love 5:32
8. Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid 5:25
9. Possession Obsession 4:07
10. Everything Your Heart Desires 5:01
11. Missed Oportunity 4:47
12. Downtown Life 4:28
13. So Close 4:41
14. Don't Hold Back Your Love 5:14
15. Starting All Over Again 4:08 (Mel & Tim cover)
16. Promise Ain't Enough 5:47
17. Do It for Love 3:58

This is definitely and definitvely the best H&O collection I've ever seen, beating even a 2-CD Australian import I paid primo bucks for. My sole regret is that the Tempations medley that Hall & Oates performed with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks in front of a worldwide audience (& hometown crowd) at Live Aid, and which later cracked the top 40, is not included on this or any other Hall & Oates CD.

This is all you'll need if you're looking for a career overview of Hall & Oates' hits. Covering their Atlantic, RCA, Arista and 2 Independent labels, this has all of their Top 40 hits (save for their Live at Apollo medley). Brief liner notes, chart info and some mini recollections on certain songs by the duo, this is the best of the many Hall & Oates compilations that are on the market. Also check out their underrated studio albums, the best being: Abandoned Luncheonette, Big Bam Boom, Voices, Along The Red Ledge, H2O and Daryl Hall's 1980 studio album, Sacred Songs.

Now dont get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Hall & Oates, but whoever the sound enginneer was on this album, should be fired.

I'm big into sound quality car audio systems and have always enjoyed my hall and oates CD's as listening material. They've always really popped and sounded wonderful.

Something about this album though just doesnt sound right. I know some of the songs are not the radio versions, but album versions, which Ive heard before. Most songs on this collection sound either flat with no vibrance, or completely uneven as you listen to the song. It's almost as if complete frequency ranges are missing. This is from listening back to back to the same track from different CDs.

I wouldnt recommend this "remastered" collection to anybody. Buy a couple of the other greatest hits albums that are available for this great band.

I have been waiting for this CD for a long time. I even made tapes of Hall & Oates songs in the early 1990's which had almost all of these songs. Only missing ones are "Forever For You", "Love Train" and "Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Heart?" but a great collection nevertheless. There weren't enough space left on CDs anyway. Three songs, "Adult Edcation", "Out of Touch" and "Possession Obsession" are indeed re-mixed singles version. All other versions are complete album versions. This collection also shows that John Oates is a fine singer as well as musician. Just listen to "How Does It Feel To Be Back?" and "Possession Obsession".

This collection also shows how their music evolved and how some are timeless hits. "She's Gone" and "I Can't Go For That" sound fresh even now. Many singers have come and gone since Hall & Oates arrival, but not many have been able to top them.

With 6 # 1 songs, 10 additional top 10 singles and a string of gold and platinum albums, Daryl Hall and John Oates have rightfully earned their place in rock history as the most successful duo in music, a title they still hold 20 years later. And while their chart appearance is sporadic these days (their single "Do It For Love" ascended to the top of the Adult Contemporary charts 2 years ago). This 2 - disc set keeps the extraordinary legacy alive.

Disc 1 has all the stuff from the early years. Just about all the hit singles from their first 9 chart years are here. Songs like "She's Gone", "Sarah Smile", "Rich Girl", "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" still sound as fresh and vibrant as they did 20 years ago. And don't overlook lesser - known early material like "Las Vegas Turnaround" and "It's A Laugh", not to mention their stunning cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling".

Disc 2 continues with their bigges hits from the 1982 - 85 period, starting with their signature song "Maneater", which still remains one of the best songs of the 1980s'. My other favorites from this period are "Out Of Touch" and "Method Of Modern Love". Their later work is not to be overlooked by any means. The Jon Bon Jovi co - written "So Close" is absolutely brilliant. And their cover of the Mel and Tim classic "Starting All Over Again" and "Do It For Love" prove they still have it.

This is probably the best collection of Hall and Oates hits money can buy. It doesn't leave any hit out. It's what you might call an essential album by two of the greatest artists of all time.

BMG, which nearly a decade ago released the solid Hall & Oates "Best Of" compilation "Starting All Over Again" overseas, outdoes itself with this "Ultimate" upgrade.

Everything you should expect from a Hall & Oates retrospective, short of a boxed set, is here. This collection spans all of the duo's major hits, with first-class remastering and liner notes. And it improves on the "Starting All Over Again" double-CD by subbing out a couple of the duo's Arista-era clunkers with the wonderful "Las Vegas Turnaround" and "When the Morning Comes."

A thumbs up, too, for including the John Oates composition "How Does It Feel To Be Back," from the "Voices" album, a nicely-written tune and a vital link between the struggling post-"Rich Girl" years and their 80s salad days. (To me, only the unneeded echo on Oates's voice kept it from really clicking on on the charts.)

Otherwise, take your pick from the catalogue of the duo's truly great songs -- "Sara Smile," "She's Gone," "Kiss On My List," "Maneater," "Out of Touch" or the well-written 1997 comebacker "Promise Ain't Enough."

Going through "Ultimate Daryl Hall & John Oates" is a trip into an ocean of hits at the perfect temperature. Come on in; the water's fine.

This is not really a review, but rather a pointer to the new title of this collection. Due to the Sony and BMG merger many previously issued double disc collections are being reissued under Sony's excellent "The Essential _________ " series. This really fine double CD collection of Daryl Hall and John Oates has been given better cover art and retitled The Essential Daryl Hall and John Oates, but it is the exact content and mastering. There is no better collection of Hall and Oates although I am hoping that a boxed set is eventually issued.

To date, Hall and Oates are the most successful duo of the rock era. Be sure to get Abandoned Lunchonette, Beauty On A Back Street, Change of Season, and Marigold Sky if you can find them. None of these were very successful commercially, but they are fine albums.

For most people, greatest hits collections are a hit or miss affair. But then there are some that really do an excellent job at showcasing an artist or band's best moments without leaving out anything important. "Ultimate Daryl Hall And John Oates" is one of those collections. At 37 tracks on two discs, it is an extensive overview of all the band's biggest hits as well as some choice underrated numbers that will delight a lot of harcore fans.

For a solid look at the long career of the duo (the most successful in history), this collection cannot be beat. If you are a beginning fan, than this has all the basics: "She's Gone", "Sarah Smile", "Rich Girl", "Kiss On My List", "Private Eyes", "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)", "Maneater", "One On One" and a host of other 1970s' and 1980s' classics. Plus, if you're a hardcore fan who owns all their albums but sometimes would like to hear all the band's best stuff in one sitting, than here is your collection, since in addition to including the big hits, you get a lot of underrated album tracks, such as "Camelia", "Las Vegas Turnaround" and "When The Morning Comes".

I must say that the liner notes are absolutely brilliant. In addition to a well written essay, Daryl and John give insightful notes on certain songs and there is a complete list of information about the songs (chart positions, etc.) that wil surely delight many. As a whole, this is defintiely a must own album.

The "Ultimate Daryl Hall & John Oates" offers you pretty much everything that the Blue-Eyed soul duo released from the mid 70's and forward. It's one of my alltime favorite bands and listening throgh this albums you will undestand why.

It starts with "She's Gone" that on it's first release in September actually flopped, but it was re-released 2 years later in 1976 to be a big chart success and since, they have gave us so many great songs such as "Sara Smile" and "Rich Girl" both in the late 70's. Songs that were both soulish and catchy. "Kiss is on My list" from 1980 is one of my favorites, it got what a good song should have. Melody, sound and lyrics. "Everytime You go Away" is perhaps more known as a Paul Young song but it was written and recorded by Hall & Oates. "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go for That" from 1981 followed the great trend of hits right into the 80's. On H20 from 1982 another 80's classic was made "Maneater" that was a massive hit aswell. "Family Man" was also from that album and is also great. In 1983 "Adult Education" was made, it's a catchy soul-pop song in the same way as others, but there are also cheer-leaders singing on the hook. In 1984 "Out of Touch" was released from Big Bam Bam, it's arguably their best song and most played aswell. "Method Of Modern Love" also featured from that album. "Downtown Life" and "Everything Your Heart desire" may be underrated but they're both excellent songs. In the 90's they didn't follow up the same with the same succes as in the 70's and 80's but a few years ago a new album was released that gave us the great "Do It for Love" that proved that they still can create wonderful music.

It's a complation that you should have, almost 40 great songs from a band with it's very own sound. A long journey through music history. 5 stars.