Hall & Oates

Voices

One Great Lost Musical Act

Review Score:

(10/10)
Of H&O's 15 studio albums this is truly their most consistent and enjoyable. It pains me to say that most people snicker when H&O are mentioned, but this album is testimony to their place in rock and roll history. I have all 15 of their cds and all 4 of Daryl's solo cds. To be fair, Voices, Private Eyes, H2O and Big Bam Boom are all excellent discs with minimal flaws. However, it is Voices that still sounds like it could have been made today over the other three mentioned. I am biased towards the 1980-1984 H&O time period because it seems that was the time they were making their best music. I was only 7 when Voices was released but I have repeatedly gone back to it over the last 20 years. I never get tired of that cd, and if you are NOT a H&O fan, then this is the cd for you. It has hits: "How Does It Feel to Be Back", "Kiss on My List", "You Make My Dreams", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling", and the original, non-Paul Young version of "Everytime You Go Away." It also has some great non-hits: "Big Kids", "Gotta Lotta Nerve", "Africa" and "Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear the Voices)". It's not a bloated, 75 minute opus like many of the cds being released today. It's 40 minutes in length and not a note wasted. No excessiveness, just a tight pop/r&b/punk/rock cd. Now, if only the record company would digitally remaster and re-release all 15 cds like other record companies have done for Billy Joel, Elton John, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, some Cheap Trick. Hall and Oates are an American classic. They haven't even been inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame yet, what a shame. Let's not forget that they still hold the record for most successful duo of all time in rock. Buy the cd and tell me that it's not great, I dare you.

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