War Babies [Import]

Hall & Oates | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 24, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Wea International
• ASIN: B00000G6HL
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #250,268 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Can't Stop The Music(He Played It Much To Long)

2. Is It A Star

3. Beane G. And The Rose Tattoo

4. You're Much Too Soon

5. 70's Scenario

6. War Baby Son Of Zorro

7. I'm Watching You(A Mutant Romance)

8. Better Watch Your Back

9. Screaming Through December

10. Johnny Gore And The > Eaters

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars War Babies, February 2, 2006

By 

B (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: War Babies (Audio CD)

There's a reason Hall & Oates have erased this one from their history. "War Babies" is really a Todd Rundgren album in which Daryl Hall happens to be singing songs that he wrote.

The production is unmistakeable Todd. It sounds just like "A Wizard, a True Star" and "Todd", his two 'psychedelic' albums that were recorded right around the same time (I think this fell in between the two, chronologically).

Todd basically tosses Oates to the side, and takes over on guitar. Which is a good thing. His classic "blistering" solos are stamped over "Is It a Star", sweet arpeggios on "You're Much Too Soon", slide guitar solo on "I'm Watching You", and funky licks on "Better Watch Your Back" (by far the catchiest song on here).

He has also enlisted the original rhythm section from Utopia (John Seigler on bass, Jon Wilcox on drums), so the songs are capable of meandering around, switching tempos at the drop of a hat. There's a frightening middle section on "Is it a Star?" that scared the hell out of me as a kid. Also, a sharp turn on "Screaming Through December" turns a haunting piano ballad into some weird spacey funk suite.

Also highlights are the lush "Can't Stop the Music" (the only John Oates penned song on the album), the clavinet-driven funk "Beane G. and the Rose Tattoo", the melodically rich "You're Much Too Soon" (which is the closest you'll get to the "classic" Hall & Oates sound), and the catchy title track "War Baby Son of Zorro", which sounds like a cross between "International Feel" and "Sunset Boulavard" from Todd's aforementioned AWATS album.

So, I would recommend this highly for Todd Rundgren fans who enjoy "A Wizard, a True Star". You've basically got the same lineup of talented musicians, with the addition of another really talented guy in Daryl Hall. Just don't expect "Abandoned Luncheonette 2".

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Todd Piece of Work!, December 5, 2005

By 

Christopher Minjoot (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: War Babies (Audio CD)

War Babies is far from your typical Hall & Oates fare; I dare say it's the most challenging to listen to of all their albums. Greatly to 'blame' is the contribution of one eccentric producer genius, Mr Todd Rundgren! Coming off the schizophrenic consecutive releases of his own two classics, Something/Anything and Wizard/A True Star, Rundgren (a Philly boy just like Hall & Oates), turned the duo's music on its head with his idiosyncratic arranging and production.

Digesting War Babies took me the better half of my life ...! I was bred on the classic Hall & Oates 80s sounds of Voices, Private Eyes and H2O. I gradually made my way through their back catalogue and albums like War Babies and Hall's Sacred Songs were listened to once and left on the shelf. Only after years of listening to different kinds of music, did I finally GET into War Babies. The album is an aural collage of decadent-sounding urban rock, funk and soul sounds, peppered with odd-time signature rhythms and spaced-out guitar licks from Rundgren himself. Do not expect to find hit singles on this album - it is meant to be listened to as a whole, from start to finish. And that is the beauty of the album. Was Rundgren's work appreciated by the dynamic duo? Probably not, as they never revisited this sound, although Hall did venture into progressive territory, albeit a different sounding one with his Sacred Songs.

Is there anything out there that sounds like War Babies? Probably not, although Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World keeps popping in my head - must be the similar dense and thematic nature of both albums.

War Babies is worth the effort in tracking it down, if you can find it. The CD version that I have is part of the 1998 Atlantic 50th Anniversary Digipak series (European Import).

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Cosmic Hall & Oates Album, April 23, 2003

By 

Michael Kniat (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: War Babies (Audio CD)

I'll admit, from the moment I first heard this as a brand new release on my local AOR radio station back in 1974, it was the obvious Todd Rundgren production values - soaring, penetrating and multi-dimensional - that immediately caught my ear, and that for me remains among the most attractive aspects of War Babies to this day.

As much as I respect the pure pop craftsmanship of their later Top 40 hits such as Maneater, I Can't Go For That and Your Kiss Is On My List, this is the creative direction I wish Hall & Oates had pursued instead. There's something about the collaboration with Todd that seems to have released from them a certain transcendent quality - and one artistic rather than commercial - a satisfying synthesis of songwriting, performance and production that at times can leave one with goose pimples and shivers. And the vocals throughout are simply superb!

Though definitely a product of its period, younger listeners with open ears and open minds will find it a richly rewarding experience with a cosmic edge that is rare in more recent releases. An overlooked and under-rated gem.