Sunday Afternoon Listening Cafe #2

Beauty on a Backstreet, Daryl Hall & John Oates

I’m a massive, massive Daryl Hall and John Oates fan. In the late 90s I was a regular on the fan discussion board. We did a board get-together at a casino in upstate NY to see them play their first concert in a few years where there was general mayhem and one of the band members played us some early tracks from Do It For Love. (We heard later Daryl was NOT HAPPY.) I also travelled to Niagara Falls NY to meet up with a board member and see a show there, where I danced with Charlie “Mr Casual” DeChant in the aisle while he wailed on his sax. I travelled with a couple of other board members to see them play at Casino Rama and we ended up in the same restaurant as Daryl afterwards.

I was hardcore.

This is the album that Daryl Hall and John Oates hates and I absolutely love. Produced by Chris Bond (longtime bandmate turned producer who also plays some blistering guitar throughout the album), they feel that he took the album in a direction that they weren’t really on board for. (There are direct quotes but my H&O books are in storage and the internet is mum.) It does have a rock feel to it, especially in the guitar playing of in line with the FM sound of the time, which is part of why I love it. It takes some wild swings musically. But its true genius is the poignant lyrics examining romantic relationships. It’s messy and imperfect, which makes it perfect in my eyes.

You can really get that sense in the opening song, Don’t Change. The protagonist pleads for the woman not to change his life in a poppy-rock style. Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts has a bit of a Beach Boys feel to me with a 70s edge. You Must Be Good for Something continues with the rock feel, as well as the common Daryl theme of not trusting women.

Then we get to The Emptyness, with a lead vocal by John Oates. I wrote more about the song yesterday - click on the link if you haven’t read it yet. My favourite H&O song ever and probably a contributing factor to why I love this album so much. The first side ends with Love Hurts (Love Heals). It’s a true duet by the boys, trading lead vocal back and forth between them and the lyrics feel raw and hopeful.

Side 2 starts with Bigger Than Both of Us, which is here rather on the album that has that title. I’ve never been able to find why. (ETA: Turns out they didn’t write this song until after the album BTBOU was released.) Re-listening to it, it needs its own post so I’ll save most of my thoughts for that. The lyrics are *chef’s kiss* and Daryl’s vocal is great.

Then we get to the experimental tracks. Bad Habits and Infections, has a sound I can’t place it but hopefully someone in the comments can tell me. Daryl’s vocal gets somewhat deranged in sections and this gives a glimpse of what he would explore with Robert Fripp on the solo album he recorded right after, Sacred Songs.

The most unusual and adventurous song on the album is the next track, Winged Bull. It opens with John Oates playing a dulcimer and the song sounds almost spiritual. Then the drums kick in and it becomes a mix of eastern and western influences. Then in the bridge it’s stripped down to a basic drumbeat punctuated by strings, before going back to the dulcimer sound to finish. The lyrics use mythic imagery to tie the couple in the song together. I adore it but will admit it’s a love it or hate it song.

The album ends with The Girl Who Used To Be, another John Oates lead vocal with a delicate sound and poignant lyrics about a former child star. Its empathy is a beautiful way to end the album.

She don't want sympathy or pity from me

She wants the chance to do it over just to prove that she can

Enjoy this quirky album!