Search - Hall & Oates :: Change of Season

Slight Sales, But Worthwhile

Musings | Illinois United States | 01/17/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Good little nuggets here

Lisa C. Thompson | Tampa, FL | 07/10/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Hall & Oates' second and last Arista album

andy8047 | Nokomis,Florida | 04/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Daryl Hall and John Oates were dropped from RCA after 1984 and found a new home at Arista in early 1988. Their first Arista album,OOH YEAH,released that same year,was neither a flop nor a major hit. This is the duo's first album since the vinyl record phaseout began in 1989. There were LP copies of this album available in limited areas and quantities when it was released in the fall of 1990. Hits from this album include SO CLOSE,DON'T HOLD BACK YOUR LOVE and STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN which was first a hit for another R&B artist in 1973. After this album,the duo went on a studio break for seven years."