The Smiley Smile Message Board

Going gaga over these guys at the moment. Finally completed my H&O on vinyl and am loving it.

Anyone else a fan or non-fan??

Holland Oates is great. ;)

They have some really great piano work on their songs.  I think they are really underrated.

Yes! "Laughing Boy" from Abandoned Luncheonette is an especially good example.

This is just plain wrong, however:

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=724&bih=464&tbm=isch&tbnid=1s5_Yol5n0W-kM:&imgrefurl=http://bassroutes.blogspot.com/2010/07/daryl-hall-john-oates.html&docid=mQnjeyaQUNANMM&imgurl=http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/5663138296_20a8b8bed9_o.jpg&w=500&h=500&ei=wetYUOCYEuSKjAL4noDYDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=187&vpy=90&dur=48&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=121&ty=182&sig=115680290546523838317&page=7&tbnh=128&tbnw=133&start=68&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:68,i:330

Philly treasures, both of them! Love 'em.

Never got into them...anyone have any suggestions or where to start?

Hmmmmm, not sure who else might agree, but I consider H2O to be their best album, then I'd say go all the way back to Whole Oates and follow the progression all the way through Big Bam Boom.... They lose me after that when they seemed to be trying their hardest to conform to the worst of what Adult Contemporary seems to be.

Like Black Sabbath with Born Again...they tried to make the heaviest, most evil album ever and ended up with their worst and muddiest.

Some incredible singing on their records for sure. Production values are great too.
IMO:
Underrated singers
Overrated songwriters

John Oates grew up in the neighboring town and went to the same high school I attended (I am graduated now). A couple of years ago, when I was still in school. John Oates came and made a surprise appearance, an interview and acoustic set in the auditorium. The math teacher I had at that time wouldn't let us go, so I never saw John Oates perform at my own high school. Never forgave him for that!

^hater

Go for a hits comp. I have several of their albums, but I don't think any of the ones I own are mindblowing or anything. Private Eyes (black cover IIRC) is the one I liked the most when I went on a H&O buying spree. One of their less successful albums, "Along The Red Ledge", has a couple tracks I really like - "It's A Laugh" and "The Last Time". Any of their albums (vinyl) can be found in the dollar bins if you look long enough.

Haha, can just imagine you going,

"Miss, John Oates is playing in the auditorium!"
 
"God, that's the worst lie yet! Sit down and do your work!"

Small world: I know some names you'll probably recognize...

And I remember very well when Oates made that appearance at the school - I got the whole story from some people who were very close to me and who not only were alumni of that school and employees, but also knew Oates' parents through various wrestling activities. Oates in his day was a very good wrestler in school, I think it was his dad who was still involved for years with various wrestling programs, if I'm remembering it correctly.

I saw pictures of the school gig, he told stories about when he was a student there, they got to talk to John, the whole deal - and I think either that night or the next day he was doing a solo gig at the Sellersville Theatre. I wish I could have gone to either or both but my schedule doesn't allow for those things during the week.

It brought back some bittersweet memories, let's just say I was very happy at that time.  :)

For anyone looking to get into the music, I'd recommend - definitely - a solid greatest hits comp with all the years covered. For those into full albums, first on my list would be "Abandoned Luncheonette", with the highlight being the simply amazing song "She's Gone" in its original version. And for those willing to get a DVD or a live set, they did a terrific acoustic "Storytellers" type of performance some years ago where they did stripped-down versions of their songs and went into some stories about how they were made. That performance gave me a whole new appreciation for them as performers and especially as top-notch *songwriters* - some of those hits have so much great stuff going on under the hit-sounds productions we all know.

It is sad now to see some of the older shows because we lost T-Bone Wolk a few years ago. He was like their musical go-to guy, their rock solid musician who I think may have been thier musical director for live tours as well. Incredible bassist (you saw him in the SNL house band in the late 80's and 90's jamming next to GE Smith), and a very, very tasteful and good guitarist. I always enjoyed hearing him play.

I have a bunch of threadbare Daryl Hall connections, too - local stuff, various people, etc. since he grew up about 15 minutes from where I lived.

At one point in the 90's my parents were living within walking distance of the "diner graveyard" where the cover photos for "Abandoned Luncheonette" were shot. After getting some college friends hyped on the album, on a vacation break we were all in PA and went to the place to check it out but all the old diners were long gone, it was just a wooded area with a bunch of old tires and such. But as a kid, in the 70's, if you drove past that lot on Rte. 724 you could see that diner, and fans would stop to take a photo of it.

Daryl Hall was like musical royalty around here, and when they were at their peak in the 80's, a local Daryl Hall sighting could and did make headlines in the local paper. "Rock Star Spotted at Local Eatery!", all of that stuff. Very neat.  :)

I've been a huge Hall and Oates fan since  the Todd Rundgren-produced War Babies album in 1974. Any fan should check out ALL of their 70s output through Beauty On A Back Street (1978). Voices (1980) was their last really consistent album, and then they fell victim to trying to duplicate the success of that album for many years with diminishing creative returns. I still follow Daryl Hall's career quite closely though- his 2003 album  Can't Stop Dreaming is excellent.

I'm torn between the way you feel and still thinking H2O is their best album/loving the "hits" era...... I think the reason the "Private Eyes" through "Big Bam Boom" ear works so well is because they'd hooked up with T-Bone and started recording with their awesome touring band. Those records sound like A BAND, which gave everything that extra kick that was missing from their earlier stuff....... BUT....... those earlier records were more organic and honest and experimental, so....... there ya go. H&O rule either way though :)

Nice Always Sunny reference. :lol :lol :lol

 8) Thanks.

worst tv-series ever!

WHAT

May John Oates' mustache haunt your dreams!!!!!!  :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

Speaking of worst tv shows ever, I watch "Glee" all the time.  I don't know why.  I guess i'm hoping it'll get good again.  It hasn't.

Every once in a while, though they do a pretty good song.  one of the absolute best they did was they fit together "You make my dreams come true" with "I can't go for that". 

Very nicely done, imho.  Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZCUq9o3T3Y

Hi all,

I am very happy that Hall & Oates are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!!!   :)  ;D  8)   I haved liked this group since I was in Junior High School.  They are an excellent group. 

I feel the same way about them. I love all of their hits and my favorite album is Voices.

I love it all, but I'm especially fond of the earlier stiff where there was more Oates!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2Fn1gSdqyk

I really like them.  I have yet to delve into their albums but the singles I know are great. 

BTW, this may not be to everybody's liking, but back when GLEE first started, about once every few episodes they'd do a pretty damn good version of a song.  They did "I Can't go For That" mixed with "You Make My Dreams come True", and I thought it was excellent, lol.  Really captures the spirit of the music, pretty corny but damn good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_sDLrMHQaQ

Nice song - however, Erik, you should 1st have directed Mary to your own topic about "Hall & Oates". Wouldn't it be more logical, you know? Anyway, there you go:
http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,14349.0.html
 
2Mary: Next time make sure to use search function beforehand to find out if there's already a thread about your planned topic or not. Okay?

What's wrong with starting a new topic about something?

Searching around is not as much fun and if a thread/topic has died as it is, then there's no harm done for someone else to start a new one....

But pointers well taken. I will be sure to obey next time.

BTW, isn't it the moderator's duty to go around telling people how to function here?

Agreed pinder.

I"m with you, Pinder.  Nothing worse in the world than Netiquitte Nazis.

Also only a moron would think there's too many Hall & Oates threads.

Nothing H&O related should be given the chance to be buried under other threads!

I might just start a new Hall & Oates thread every single morning from here on out  ;D

Tell it John!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAmgHGtOeJ0

Hall & Oates aren't in my top ten, but I have liked a lot of their stuff through the years - and like you, preferred when Oates was allowed to contribute more. But I have a soft spot for those second bananas in rock - that explains my fascination with James Griffin (Bread), Dave Davies (Kinks), Carl Wilson (well, maybe he was third or fourth banana) and George Harrison (ditto).