Private Eyes

Daryl Hall & John Oates, Hall & Oates

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 11, 1997)
• Original Release Date: 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Bmg Special Product
• ASIN: B000001U3Q
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,033 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Private Eyes

2. Looking for a Good Sign

3. I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)

4. Mano a Mano

5. Did It in a Minute

6. Head Above Water

7. Tell Me What You Want

8. Friday Let Me Down

9. Unguarded Minute

10. Your Imagination

11. Some Men

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hall & Oates' best ever?, October 6, 1998

By	Jon Taylor "Train-Drum-Photo Nut" (Metropolitan Pleasant Hill, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a loyal fan of Daryl & John since 1975's "Bigger Than Both Of Us", and upon consideration of their whole catalog through "Marigold Sky" I think this is their best offering. The first side (I got everything on vinyl first) is quite entertaining with the three "hit" songs (Private Eyes, the funky I Can't Go For That, and Did It In A Minute) bracketing a soulful Motown-inspired Looking For A Good sign and Oates acceptably performing one of his token tunes, Mano a Mano. The second side (tracks 6-11), while not getting any airplay, is the real gem of this disc. It opens with G.E. Smith performing his usual outstanding guitar work on the rocker Head Above Water, and moves nicely to the alternative/punky Tell Me What You Want, reminiscent of their work on "X-Static." John then slips in for a better than usual performance on Friday Let Me Down. The disc finishes extremely strong with three songs that I feel represent Daryl & John's finest efforts. Unguarded Minute, while somewhat moody, definitely gets the juices flowing for what comes next. From the first beat of the drums to T-Bone's powerful bass line, Your Imagination is infectious - it deserves to be listened to loud. They finish with Daryl singing his heart out on the raw Some Men - while not as slickly produced as most of their stuff, it is proof that they don't have to use all of the effects to hide anything - and G.E. Smith agains shows that today's 90's pickers don't have anything on a guy who can play with a sense of music and use a chord in a solo every once in a while. Later albums feature more production gimics (ala H2O, Big Bam Boom), but for great lyrics, great arranging, outstanding musicians and two guys who put everything into their music, Private Eyes can't be beat. It is not head and shoulders above the rest of their impressive portfolio, but I think it wins by a hair. If you ever get a chance to catch these guys in concert, don't miss it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Big Hit, Uneven Album, April 7, 2003

By	Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Hall and Oates were, first and foremost, a singles band whose studio albums were often of secondary importance. The one exception was 1980's "Voices," which contained several excellent tracks beyond the obvious hits. With 1981's "Private Eyes," however, it was back to business as usual. The title song was the biggest hit on this album and one of the duo's all time best. Up against ... contempraries such as Duran Duran and Culture Club, it was a breath of fresh air on the radio at the time.

"I Can't Go for That" was also a big hit, while "Did it in a Minute" and "Your Imagination" (deservedly) scored some airplay as well. Beyond that is mostly filler material recommended only for diehard H&O fans. It should also be noted that the CD for this album contains no CD booklet, only a single page that repeats the back cover.

Overall, an unveven period piece that has more than its fair share of decent singles.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sound quality sinks this CD, January 23, 2003

By	Michael J. Cohen "goldfish_boy" (Queens, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This album is one of H&O's best, with smooth Motown harmonies and lots of bracing G.E. smith guitar licks. Unfortunately, the archaic mastering of the CD leaves the sound lifeless and listless. This album desperately needs remastering and only once that's done will it be worth buying. Meanwhile, hunt down a vinyl copy.