Hall & Oates - Along the Red Ledge (Original Recording Remastered)

Along The Red Ledge was a return to the soulful rock sounds that superstars Hall and Oates were known for. It proved to be a huge hit with the fans netting several hit singles and accumulating another platinum chart record for the team. As an eighth album in their extensive catalog, the Philly duo explored a redefined approach to their trademark sound, which would continue their winning streak for the next long run of platinum plus albums into the new millennium.

Enlisting a new producer in David Foster, the new conglomeration got down to business and put together a stellar list of ten new songs and kicked things off with the huge radio hit It s A Laugh. Clocking in less than four minutes, this magical song had the melody, harmony and familiar guitar and piano interplay that only Hall and Oates could create.

Their band included some of the hottest musicians of that era with stellar players like Kenny Passarelli, Caleb Quaye, long time stable mate Charlie DeChant and future superstar producer David Foster.

If that wasn t worth its weight in gold, the duo also brought along some very big heavyweights for the session including the late great George Harrison, Toto s Steve Porcaro and Steve Lukather, King Crimson founder Robert Fripp, Cheap Trick s Rick Nielsen and of course Westbrook Park, PA native and Philly soul brother Todd Rundgren.

The sessions were recorded and mixed in Los Angeles and New York City and proved to be the winning combination to capture some of this collective duo s most powerful recordings from the late seventies. Along with their aforementioned hit It s A Laugh, Melody For A Memory finds Hall and Oates with a very classy nod to the progressive rock style they found on their previous works like Is It A Star, Winged Bull and more of their harder edged material. The Phil Spector influenced The Last Time is a very interesting departure from the rest of the album. Drenched in 12-string rhythm guitars, the wall of sound drum beat , the strategically placed string section, and Hall s strong vocal, made this one of the finest album tracks in their repertoire. If you never heard this song before, you will never stop playing it. It is just one of those carefully crafted hypnotic tunes that you ll remember forever in the record player in your mind.

Growing up in the Philly area back in the sixties and seventies, you had the golden opportunity to have been blessed to listen to and buy the coolest soul and rock sounds ever waxed. Both Hall and Oates had their beginnings as well in several area bands that would eventually lead to their superstar partnership.

Daryl Hall (originally Daryl Hohl) was in the blue-eyed soul band, The Temptones, who had cut a few Temptations influenced sides. Later on, he formed Gulliver with another fine songwriter/vocalist Tim Moore, while John Oates was carrying some very fine melodies himself with his band The Masters. The significance of the second hit single culled from this album, I Don t Wanna Lose You, truly brings all of these rudimentary elements and influences to the forefront and helped deliver a slamming soul rocker that is still one of their finest songs ever.

Don t Blame It On Love captures the essence of their live performances at the time. On the level of 1976 s Room To Breathe from Bigger Than Both Of Us (Friday Music 1976) or from some of the more rocking offerings from 1977 s Beauty On A Back Street (Friday Music 1977), this track displays the incredible range this act could deliver on a consistent basis.
The amazing thing about Along The Red Ledge is that it has been out of print for over a decade in any format, that is until now. As a second installment in the extensive HALL AND OATES REMASTERS series, Friday Music has gone back to the original source tapes and this gem is now presented as pristine remaster. More to follow! Product Description

I knew there was a reason I waited to buy this on CD

I have always loved this album, ever since I first heard it as a distracted college student in 1985-86. I could only find it on vinyl, and there was no room in my dorm room for a record player. The college had a sound studio or something, where you could actually bring your album and a cassette tape and they would dub it for you for free. I spent some wonderful hours in that studio, listening with headphones as I was suddenly immersed in this album, Abandoned Luncheonette, Beauty on a Back Street and Bigger Than Both of Us.

Along the Red Ledge tends to be called underrated, and I have to agree. They show a depth here, musically and lyrically, that is simply amazing. I find myself wanting to hurl all kinds of hyperbolic praise on this album, and once you hear it, you'll understand why. I find myself not as impressed by It's a Laugh (don't know why, it's just kind of there for me), but it segues beautifully into Melody for a Memory, which is an awesome duet. The Last Time and I Don't Wanna Lose You are also favorites. Alley Katz is fun, silly and pretty hard rocking all at the same time. When I read their autobiography, I inferred from it that George Harrison had actually played on this track (the book doesn't say specifically, though). From there I assumed that they had given him the guitar solo, although when I played it for a diehard Beatles fan, he said it wasn't Harrison's style. I'm not sure I get why you would have someone like George Harrison play on a song and not give him the lead guitar solo. But I didn't realize the significance of the other heavy hitters guesting on this one.

Serious Music is actually just what it says, and you have to listen to the right music or listen with the right company of friends to hear homages to Bach and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. I admire them for writing this one.

Pleasure Beach never gets any mention, but I really like it. To me it's like a typical Beach Boys song married to the cynical lyrics Daryl and John are sometimes capable of. That juxtaposition makes you want to dance to it, and think. Can't go wrong with that combo. And August Day is just poetry, another favorite of mine. Between the synthesizers and what sounds like Frippertronics, and Daryl's haunting vocal...you just have to hear it.

The only reason I don't give it five stars is because I'm not absolutely in love with every song on the album. Don't Blame It On Love doesn't do that much for me, sorry. But I can't WAIT to hear this remastered! There was a period between the Silver Album and this one, including Bigger Than Both of Us and Beauty on a Back Street, where they really did a lot of gorgeous work and you realize just how great it is when you hear it remastered. This album has needed the remaster treatment for a long time, and it finally now gets its due. And yes, I'm writing this before I've actually listened to the remastered version. But I honestly can't imagine loving it more than I already do. August 23, 2008

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