Hall & Oates

Despite the fact that he once recorded Aleister Crowley-influenced songs with prog master Robert Fripp — seriously, we can't make stuff like that up — Daryl Hall has never been given the credit he deserves. Of course, you can't blame the public for its perception of Hall and his sidekick,...

By Jason Heller

August 27, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Despite the fact that he once recorded Aleister Crowley-influenced songs with prog master Robert Fripp — seriously, we can't make stuff like that up — Daryl Hall has never been given the credit he deserves. Of course, you can't blame the public for its perception of Hall and his sidekick, John Oates; as Hall & Oates, the twosome once epitomized slick, plastic-coated pop. But their '80s hits like "Maneater" and "Private Eyes" have a soulfulness and sophistication that drew from their stint as '70s R&B balladeers — and taken as a whole, their catalogue is an impressive one, full of risky moves and inveterate trendsetting. And just to show how universal their appeal remains, Hall and Oates have been working on a collaboration with funky neo-wavers Chromeo. It's a bit of a step down from Crowley and Fripp, but it just goes to show that Hall (and his group's smooth hooks) can hang with just about anybody.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.