Search - Hall & Oates :: Our Kind of Soul

A very good album of soul classics

Robert G Yokoyama | Mililani, Hawaii | 10/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a very good album of soul classics. After over 30 years together, Hall and Oates pay tribute to the music that inspired them to become musicians. The best track is their cover of the Spinners song I'll Be Around, but there are so many others. I loved their version of Ooh Child. It is a very postive and optimistic song. Used To Be My Girl is another favorite of mine on this album. I also liked the song Used To Be My Girl. This song has a great beat and really captures the spirit of the original.



There is a beautiful rendition of You Are Everything on here. I think this is one of the best love songs ever written and Hall and Oates sing it so well. I liked the song Can't Get Enough of Your Love too. Hall and Oates' version of this song sounds just as soulful, but I think is more subtle and mellow than Barry White's original.



Neither One of Us is another highlight for me on this CD. Darryl Hall's voice has so passion singing this Gladys Knight classic. You can sense the pain of losing someone in his voice. I really liked it.



Our Kind Of Soul is a CD filled with great tunes. All of the tracks sound great and bring back a lot of memories for me. I recommend this album to anyone who enjoys classic soul."

A keeper, a classic!

Naomi Johnson | Columbus, Ohio USA | 10/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just got my CD today, and am listening right now (again) trying to decide what makes this CD not just a rehash of classic material by mature artists. It could be the way H&O found their own arrangements instead of just swiping the old ones (like the Michael McDonald karaoke CD of soul songs). It could be the obvious love of and respect for genuine R&B. It could be the great way their voices blend, lift above each other, then blend again. It could be the soul genie that blessed Daryl Hall's vocal cords. Or the great mix of classic R&B with new songs that have the feel, the heritage of the great old songs but does not merely imitate or plagiarize them. Could be any of those or all. This is one fine CD - I don't know why you haven't bought it yet!"

You should stop what you are doing....and buy this CD now!!

Dwayne G | Florida | 10/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have read all the reviews lately about artists doing remakes and being at the end of their career...well, I got news for them; Hall and Oates (as well as Michael Mcdonald)are still at the top of their game. I swear between Daryl and Michael- I can't think of soul singers who can touch them today!!! It is refreshing to hear real soul music for a change. Today's artists (justin T. and Usher) are battling it out, thinking they are the best today.....HA, please. The both of them are more pop than anything and you can't hear any emotion, passion, or heart in their songs...maybe if they wrote their own stuff ;) hehe. Anyway, If you were to listen to this album...you would be blown away by the arrangements of these classics. For example, the harmonies used would never be used in todays music (do they even know what harmony means?). You know it's soul when the goose bumps jump out when Daryl belts out a note, or his throaty falsettos (the man's range is still phenominal) and passionate growls got ya feeling like you're having a religious experience.

I kept replaying his cover of "Standing in the shadows of love"...one word..WOW !! you can feel it...when he belts out..."please don't leave me". That track alone is worth buying the CD for !! Their cover of the O'jays; "used to be my girl" is Fun and infectious. I almost had to grab a kleenex for his rendition of Gladys Night's, "Neither one of us". My all- time favorite group is the Stylistics...and The rendition that Hall and Oates do on "You are everything" is incredible. Daryl stays with the smoothed out Falsetto stylings that made the Stylistics a household name too. Their remake of Teddy P's "Love TKO" and the Spinners, "I'll be around" are sure to be on the Adult contemporary radio stations. I can't help but move on their rendition of "Rock steady"..the beat and groove will have you dancing in your car (leaving other drivers wondering what it is you are listening too). They recorded 3 originals too,I just love their song, "Soul violins" it sounds like an Al Green song. My only disapointment with the album is that....as great as Daryl sounds, he still sounds 10 times better in concert (I've seen them over 9 times). I understand the biz (because I am in it) and know that labels and producers sometimes have a direction different than the artist may have. I just am spoiled that's all. This is not to belittle Daryl... in my opinion he is one of the best soul singers of the last 30 years (no kidding)...check a live show sometime and prepare to be amazed by the man's performance and vocals. I have heard him sing a couple of the songs on the album before and he just seems a bit more subdued than he did in concert. Regardless, this album is a instant classic for Hall and Oates fans or even the Fans of real soul music. I can't wait for a part 2...if there is going to be one. Thank you H&O for putting out music worth listening to.

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