Just got tickets to see Hall & Oates this summer. I’m pumped! My beloved bride and I are gonna go boogie the night away! Worth a 4-hour drive? You betcha!
Love this band. Daryl Hall has long been one of my vocal heroes – his range, his clarity, his soul…wow! I always wanted his hair and that voice. I first turned on to Hall & Oates in the early ‘70s – pretty much wore out their Abandoned Luncheonette album, and was thrilled when it became available on the CD format later on. I used to sing Do What You Want, Be What You Are with my Pennsylvania band, Cartoon, and really enjoyed each performance. They definitely had an influence on my writing and rhythms.
The band is a deserving member of the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame and Hall of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. Hall & Oates’ Philadelphia soul sound dominated the charts and dancefloors throughout the end of the 20th Century with, what I call, R&B city rhythms such as Maneater, You Make My Dreams, and Can’t Go For That; pop tunes like Rich Girl and Kiss on My List; and gorgeous songs like She’s Gone, Sara Smile, Every Time You Go Away, and Do It For Love.
I had the pleasure of catching their 2007 “Home for Christmas” show in the Orpheum Theater in Boston, but I remember being rather annoyed at a large segment of the crowd that fussed and even booed because the first set was Christmas music…beautifully performed, I might add. The all-hits 2nd set had everyone excited and not wanting the show to end.