Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Hall & Oates - Voices (1980)

A recent comment on this blog called me a cross between SR Prozak & an effeminate hipster, which is really cool to me. Also, according to people who I know, "hipsters" are really into Hall & Oates these days. If this is true, this is the greatest thing that hipsters have ever done, because Hall & Oates are the epitome of genius.

This is Hall & Oates's best record, and this is their most "rock" record. Some of this kind of sounds like Buzzcocks and I also hear quite a bit of the power pop of the 70s creeping into these songs. Either way, choruses are super catchy, but the verses and pre-choruses of these songs often offer the most interesting twists, regularly catching me off guard with wildly unexpected melodic phrasing. Check out the aggressively successful hit single "Kiss on my List" for a perfect example. That pre-chorus, man. That pre-chorus makes me want to become a better person.

In a cool "connect the dots" moment, one can see how the chords at the beginning of "Hard to be in Love with You" became "Out of Touch" a few years later. You've gotta lotta nerve, Daryl Hall. (got-ta lot-ta)

15 comments:

Daniel Shea said...

I like this now. Also "aggressively successful" made me lol.

Andy said...

I'm reading this now and trying to decide if I'd think you were a hipster if I didn't know you. Whatever boner said that, he should be thoroughly patronized for his obviously Jewish behavior.

Todd said...

"thoroughly patronized"

Roger Camden said...

I have a compilation of theirs floating around here (somewhere).

Never bothered to listen to a full-length of theirs

...until now.

Todd said...

If you don't know, now you know, Roger.

Anonymous said...

your blog is great. you should talk about squeeze. that is some mindblowing songwriting.

Todd said...

Dude's voice is also cool. Maybe I will.

Carm said...

Hall & Oates: getting people laid since the late 70's.

Todd said...

I'm honestly not sure how anyone managed to successfully reproduce before Hall & Oates. I know they're the only reason I can occasionally stomach the sight of a vagina.

d.ross said...

Most of the hipsters I know that listen to this soft rock shite are a little too young to have lived through it the first time.
sounds more like the vibrators than the buzzcocks.
d.ross

Todd said...

Nah man the slightly weird melodic tricks in the verses of these songs could be on Buzzcocks records. Vibrators never did anything like that.

kugayama said...

Last time I was in Williamsburg (2009) all the hipster bars were playing Fleetwood Mac. So it's H&O now??

Personally i prefer 'War Babies' to this one. But then again - i'm a sucker for Todd (not you, the other one).

Cheers for this blog btw.

Todd said...

Here's the thing, my social life died about two months ago, so I'm just clutching at whatever rumors I can get my fingers on.

Anonymous said...

i bet the hipsters feel like chumps when they go to a H and O concert and find out that DH can no longer carry on his blue eyed soul voice...as say Jamiroquai can.

Todd said...

Dude sounds pretty good on "Live at Daryl's House"...