Hall & Oates - Voices

Digitally remastered Japanese release featuring 2 bonus tracks: "Kiss On My List (Remix)", & "Every Time You Go Away (Remix)". Album Description

The CD that made Hall & Oates mega-stars

This is where Daryl Hall and John Oates found their groove. This is the one on which the classic pop/soul sound that made Daryl Hall & John Oates Big 80s video-era mega-stars.

Instead of trying to make grand statements, the boys just concentrated on having fun. And the hits are huge fun. "Kiss on My List," with a surprisingly cynical undercurrent, is pure summer fun. (Daryl Hall always said it was an "anti-love" love song, being that "your kiss" was merely on a list, and "one," apparently among others, of the "best things in life.) "You Make My Dreams" is another teleportation device, taking you back to 1981, and Izod shirts, topsiders with no socks, and all the other trappings of the music era immediately before the breaking of MTV.

What sets "Voices" apart from the Hall & Oates predecessor LPs is the quality of the album tracks. Most of the album tracks are equal to the hits is catchiness and sing-along-i-ness (if that's a word). The percussion-driven "Hard to Be in Love with You" is a great mix of doo-wop harmony set to a jerky new wave-flavored beat. "Gotta Lotta Nerve (Perfect Perfect)" is more doo-wop, possibly veering into the world-beat African percussion that was just becoming popular with Talking Heads ("I Zimbra") and Peter Gabriel ("Biko"). "United State" is built around clever wordplay which hold up for the 3:09 playing time. And, of course, the gospel-flavored "Everytime You Go Away" even became a hit when it was whitened up by Paul Young.

Why this works is because Hall & Oates ended two unfortunate tendencies that damaged their 1970s works. They stopped trying to make "grand statements" (see, e.g., "It's A Laugh," off "Along the Red Ledge," or "Do What You Want Be What You Are," off "Bigger Than Both of Us") with their pop tunes. They decided that they were not sage observers of the human conditions, but, instead, were extremely capable of crafting soul-tinged catchy pop tunes. And were they ever! They played to their strengths and it paid huge dividends. Secondly, they stopped trying to "rock out." Again, they found their niche and stayed with it. What they could do better than anyone in the 1980s was pop-flavored "blue-eyed" soul, with occasional new wave influences that have held up over time (and seem more sincere and well-accomplished in retrospect than they did at the time). The 1970s LPs had some truly embarrassing album tracks in which the boys tried to RAAAWWWWKKKK (see, e.g., "Alley Katz," off "Along the Red Ledge," andf "Room to Breathe," off "Bigger Than Both of Us"). They even experimented with one truly embarrassing LP ("Beauty on a Back Street") that was nothing but 1970s era dinosaur-rock pretentiousness. They don't rock out on this one -- even a little -- and the Hall & Oates sound is massively improved by the omission.

It all comes together on the essential "Voices." Of course, the sound would improve even further with their follow-up, their pinnacle achievement, "Private Eyes." June 23, 2007

Much improved

I have the originally issued CD (from the early 90's or whenever) of "Voices" and the mastering is ATROCIOUS (like many of those early CD's).

I have it on my playlist with a bunch of other albums, and you have to crank the volume way up for any of those tracks since they're so quiet and tinny sounding. Editing off Daryl's exclamation at the beginning of "Hard To Be In Love With You" makes no sense, but it doesn't bother me that much. I'd much rather have a CD that sounds good..

Now if only someone could reissue "Whole Oats" and "Abandoned Luncheonette".. August 31, 2006

Woah ... I may not get this after all!

After reading the two previous reviews, I may not want to buy this. Hall's exclamation at the intro of Hard To Be In Love With You is ... essential! Well, at least to my ears and brain. And also, what's with the cover ... if I remember correctly, Daryl Hall's picture is different (Oates is the same); his jacket was off his shoulders and he is supposed to be higher up (don't mistake later pressings which had a coloured pic)

Looks like I'm gonna stick with my Japanese paper-sleeve edition. At least that's faithful to the original. If BMG does redo the CD, please please put in the bonus tracks! August 19, 2004

I would have given it 5 stars but...

What the heck happened to the intro to "Hard To Be In Love With You"? On the original LP, tape and CD, you hear Daryl Hall screaming "Ba-Bap!" or "Wop Bop", then the drums kick in.

On this supposed "deluxe remaster", you don't get to hear that!
Who put this this remaster together? Hellen Keller!

Plus, parts of the CD are hissy (listen to the beginning of "Big Kids").

I'm glad BMG is releasing the Hall & Oates back catalog. I just wish there was a little more attention to detail!!

Damn! July 30, 2004

Loud & Clear Voices

Daryl & John's re-mastered 1980 initial self-produced Voices album is mainly a labor of packaging in this 2004 release.

The new features are extensive liner notes (which are well-written save for the tired 'blue-eyed soul' moniker that Ken Sharp felt necessary to include). The notes feature recent interviews with Daryl Hall & John Oates about the making of the songs on the album.

Some ads may say this album has 'Extra Tracks' when in fact, there aren't any. (If you want that remix of Every Time You Go Away, I recommend the 12-Inch Collection (Volume One). The remix of Kiss On My List is on the 12-Inch Collection(Volume Two). Therefore, if you already have this album on CD, keep it and get the two 12-Inch Collections.

Best tracks: "How Does It Feel To Be Back, Kiss On My List, Gotta Lotta Nerve (Perfect-Perfect), You Make My Dreams, Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear The Voices).

Buyer beware: I found out that "Hard To Be In Love With You" has the first second of the intro edited out. Wish I knew why, but if you're a purist, I suggest buying a different CD issue of this album. The quality is just as good.


July 29, 2004

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