Our Kind Of Soul (CD) ~ Hall & Oates (Artist) Cover Art

Our Kind Of Soul (CD)

By: Hall & Oates (Artist)

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Review

Mojo (Publisher) (p.102) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]heir poised take on the old Stylistics' hit 'You Are Everything', for example, is a masterstroke..."

Title Note

Daryl Hall and John Oates sold millions of records in the 1970s and '80s by fusing their soul influences with contemporary pop production, so it's only fitting that decades down the road they would pay tribute to those influences via OUR KIND OF SOUL. Most of the album is made up of the duo's cover versions of classic soul/R&B tunes. Instead of slavishly recreating the original arrangements, though, Hall & Oates give songs a modern update, with crisp keyboard touches and programmed drums in abundance. While such chestnuts as the Four Tops' "Standing in the Shadows of Love" and Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady" may be forever ingrained in the collective musical consciousness in their original versions, Hall & Oates do their best to redefine these songs on OUR KIND OF SOUL. Perhaps partly as a gesture to longtime fans anxious for new material, the duo throws in a few original tunes as well, which unsurprisingly sound very much of a piece with the rest of the material here.

Considering that soul has been at the foundation of Hall & Oates' sound throughout their career -- even their early folk-rock records had soulful underpinnings -- it only made sense for the duo to eventually cut their own soul tribute album. As the title suggests, that's exactly what 2004's Our Kind of Soul is: Hall & Oates' spin on their favorite soul sounds. This includes, of course, heavy doses of Philly soul and Motown, along with other smooth soul of the '70s. Most of the album is devoted to covers -- usually familiar tunes like "Standing in the Shadows of Love," "I'll Be Around," and "Used to Be My Girl," yet there are a couple of more obscure entries and a heavily rewritten "I Can Dream About You" (in his excellent track-by-track liner notes Daryl Hall reveals that Dan Hartman wrote the song with the duo in mind) -- but there is a handful of originals that fit into the vibe quite well, such as the lush "Soul Violins" and "Let Love Take Control." All the songs, whether they're covers or originals, are given a clean yet warm production similar to the pair's successful 2003 comeback effort, Do It for Love, but this is a little more laid-back and unassuming. Consequently, it doesn't make as big of an impression, but it's a friendly, mellow affair that finds Hall & Oates in good form. It's not quite as strong as Do It for Love, and its tasteful relaxed vibe may strike some fans of their '80s hits as being a little sleepy, but for longtime fans who like the folky Atlantic material as much as their blue-eyed soul, this is a nice, enjoyable listen. [A Barnes & Noble Exclusive was also released.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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