Daryl Hall and John Oates are literally the top selling duo of all time with 28 top forty hits. On Do What You Want Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates,you get a fine retrospective of a long and fruitful career. There are few recording acts, much less duos, that can fill up a four disc box set with 74 tracks and make a statement worth listening to from start to finish. Well let me introduce you to a collection that qualifies as such.
This expansive set includes a book that has commentary on every single track, along with a nice introduction that serves as their story and meteoric rise to the top of the pops, including archive photos.
Hall & Oates were never afraid to take chances with their music and they adapted to the times while creating appropriate and very successful recordings. Unlike their contemporaries, they had staying power that took hold right from the start and their legacy still shines bright today. This box set is a reminder of that recorded history and how the duo made an indelible mark on the industry and also the millions of people that listened to their output.
Disc one starts from their days as the Temptones, which was an obvious tribute to their influences The Temptations, all the way through to the mega hits into discs 2-4 such as “Private Eyes”, “Maneater” “Out of Touch” and “Kiss on My List”…well the list goes on forever it seems, but you get the idea.
These two men were huge, and that “Philly Soul” sound had never got such an injection of energy from two white boys before, and probably never will again. This was reserved territory for legends like Eddie Kendrick and David Ruffin of the Tempations. The apex of their career was performing at the Apollo with their idols and yes, there are some live cuts here from that performance on Disc Three track #18 “The Way You Do The Things You Do/My Girl”. That one track alone defines their career and what they set out to do all along.
There are songs everyone remembers that give you a warm feeling and an exhilarating chill up the spine, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” (track #18 disc two) certainly can qualify for many people as one. The Righteous Brothers scored that huge hit in 1965 and Hall & Oates nailed it again in 1980. It is one of the remakes in history that I distinctly remember and will always enjoy every time I hear it. In the same instance, it is a little nudge to a listener that there was a slew of great songs these two pumped out over the years and you can sing along to them all because they were always playing on the radio or in someone’s car stereo passing by (if you were around during those times). The old adage “Where were you when you first heard that song?” comes to mind. I know it sounds corny and dated to say that, but how many songs can you attach that kind of meaning or reference point to?
Hall & Oates had a knack for pulling off the most unlikely successes, but they always managed to do it, burying any negativity or any putting the naysayers to rest quickly. I guess you could say that this boxed set is their “I told you so” to all of those that may have given them a bad review or forecasted doom and gloom for their future. I think the music contained in this comprehensive set is a testament not only to their success but their craft and all around talent displayed during each period of recording documented so well in all four discs.
Do What You Want Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates is an excellent collection of tracks, a quality package that anyone would be proud to have in their collection. If you happen to be a big fan of the duo then this is the ultimate set that you simply cannot miss. If you are curious about their sound, this is an excellent group of songs to listen and absorb while taking note of the development and changes from the beginning to more modern times as two men prospered artistically.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
