Change of Season

Daryl Hall & John Oates, Hall & Oates

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: October 9, 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VH4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #151,821 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the sales figures deter you from buying this, November 4, 2001

By	andrew i. chaplowitz "arame29" (springfield, nj United States) - See all my reviews

After 1984's BIG BAM BOOM and 1988's OOH YEAH, which were percussion-oriented records and explored new rhythms, this was a return to SONGS. Scaled down acoustic and let the music stand on its own.

I nearly wore out the CD replaying it. All quality songs, esp. DONT HOLD BACK YOUR LOVE, which seems unanimously the best of the bunch, and a killer reprise of SO CLOSE, scaled down to piano and spanish guitar.

I have been an admirer of Hall and Oates since PRIVATE EYES and H20 flooded the air waves in the early 80's. This was a refreshing surprise with some of the music that has come out in the last decade. Although it was not a "fashion in vogue" record, and it was at a time when MTV shifted genre (their videos in the 80's helped them--Daryl moves very well), I believe that good music transcends time and catagory---for example, Daryl re-recorded "She's Gone" for an import release and it sounds fresh and contemporary.

If you like good music and well-crafted pop songs, you'll enjoy this for a long time.

Hope that they will have the freedom to record again without bending to corporate pressure. They had that freedom on CHANGE OF SEASON

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Slight Sales, But Worthwhile, January 16, 2004

By	Musings (Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

Hall and Oates came upon a good trend - strip down the songs and use acoustic instruments if possible. Unfortunately, after recording the album I assume someone at Arista got panicky; there seems to be no other explanation for the second, louder version of "So Close," produced by studio vet Danny Kortchmar and then-hitmeister Jon Bon Jovi, that became the album's big hit. Oddly, Bon Jovi's contribution appears to be limited to the booth (he's not listed as a player in the album's massive credit list, although he and Kortchmar are given partial songwriting credits). Kortchmar contributes guitar with longtime buddy Waddy Wachtel; he's rewarded by having his name misspelled in the production credits.

Anyway, don't go just on the basis of that one song. It does appear H&O were a little dry on ideas - "Starting All Over Again" is a remake of an old Mel & Tim song, "Give It Up (Old Habits)" only credits Hall with additional lyrics, and "Heavy Rain" and "Don't Hold Back Your Love" are written (and produced) by David A. Stewart and Richard Tyson, respectively. But the album is more cohesive than anything they had done since "Voices" (unless you want to count the consistently misogynistic "H2O"). The themes are simplicity (title track), getting back to basics ("Sometimes a Mind Changes") and working to keep what's good in your life around ("Give It Up").

Hall is in good voice throughout, and manages to restrain himself from overdubbing furiously. Oates is, as usual, underused - he's down to one solo spot ("Only Love") and a couple of cowrites. Guests include Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit on backing vocals, and a couple of dozen others - the "band" from "Private Eyes" had ceased to exist by that point.

Start with the last track first (the unplugged version of "So Close," which far outshines the hit version), then program the other songs randomly. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good little nuggets here, July 10, 2004

By	Lisa C. Thompson (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews

While "So Close" and "Don't Hold Back Your Love" are definite keepers on this album, there are a couple more that make it very worthwhile. Notably, "Starting All Over Again" is a catchy remake worth hitting the repeat button for, as is the jazzy "Halfway There," guaranteed to make you dance and sing along. "Starting All Over" is cool because it showcases John Oates' voice as well as Daryl Hall, who dominates on stage during their concerts.

By the way, their "Rock and Soul Revue" with Michael McDonald and the Average White Band is a fantastic show, a must-see. The boys and their band kick some ass on many of your favorite songs, and if you stomp hard enough, they'll return for an encore of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and another song.