Really looking forward to the return of the Listographies.. It's been too long for a fan of the channel! Even if I'm not crazy about Hall & Oates... but I'm sure that the boys will put out a great show as usual

The guy in the top left box doesn’t get Hall and Oates at all. Random example of what I mean: calling “Have I Been Away Too Long” boy-bandish wtffff

Thank you guys for this Listographies!!! Especially, with a major drop like Hall & Oates. Glad to hear some deep, in depth dives on these albums.

Great to see you all back doing the rankings...I've only ever given Abandoned Luncheonette a cursory listen but I have a Greatest Hits comp which I'll play after your show...

I was just looking for a Bowie album ranking video and came across this channel. I been watching your videos since.

I enjoyed several moments when Jason and Joe gave balanced descriptions of some of my favorites. Beauty On The Back Street flirted heavily with my #1 spot. Joe’s description of Along The Red Ledge was vivid & complimentary. Jason, Ooh Yeah! does showcase their vocals beautifully - that late 80s pop production hits just right. I’m happy 2 of you recognized Abandoned Luncheonette’s greatness. I love Static-X for many of the same reasons Kramzer mentioned: it has a sleazy, bass driven and electro-disco feel. I think I got more enjoyment out of this discography than most, based on your reactions and what I read in the comments. Hall & Oates gloss listlessness and heartache with a sparkly sheen💄 that just speaks to me on a deep level. This was an uplifting, cathartic, and satisfying experience. They resonate in countless ways and my top albums are impossible to forget.

Love me some Hall and Oates. 15: Marigold Sky 14: A Change of Seasons 13: Beauty on the back street 12: Ooh Yeah! 11: Big Bam Boom 10: Whole Oats 9: Along the Red Lodge 8: X-Static 7: Bigger than the both of us 6: H2O 5: Private Eyes 4: Voices 3: War Babies 2: Darryl Hall and John Oates 1: Abandoned Luncheonette I just want to say, I like all of these Albums, I just prefer some more than others.

The Fripp produced Hall solo ‘Sacred Songs’ also has cool moments

Really great to have the three of you back with your chemistry and passionate opinions (negative from Kram, positive from Joe, Jason more cerebral and nuanced)…all combined to do what you do best! I can honestly say I have never listened to a Hall & Oates album, so have nothing of substance to offer…but being around back in the day I can tell you they were omnipresent on the radio for a while there. And it’s hard to overestimate how controversial/confusing it was for early fans for the group (is this a band?) to go from Sara Smile and She’s Gone to Rich Girl and Private Eyes, etc. They became a high gloss bubble pop act…catchy stuff, but not an LP listen/buy surely. Maybe too much of a music snob to check them out. But their ace was John Hall’s voice…fantastic on those guilty pleasure pop hits…and so good Elvis Costello used him on The On.y Flame in Town off Goodbye Cruel World, an under-rated album. And I was shocked to learn that GE Smith, who was Dylan’s touring guitarist for years (though never used on a Dylan album), launched his career with Hall & Oates, of all people. So maybe something there…I will check out War Babies…sounds interesting. Keep ‘em coming! Cheers, JPE

I feel for you guys... ha ha. I'm watching all 2 hours of this, and I feel your pain being only 30 minutes in. I'm still hoping for the day you react to SPARKS. 🙂

1. Abandoned Luncheonette (1973) 4 2. Private Eyes (1981) 3.5 3. Whole Oates (1972) 3 4. Beauty On a Back Street (1977) 3 5. H2O (1982) 3 6. Voices (1980) 3 7. Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975) 2.5 8. War Babies (1974) 2.5 9. Along the Red Ledge (1978) 2.5 10. Bigger Than Both of Us (1976) 2.5 11. Big Bam Boom (1984) 2.5 12. Do It For Love (2003) 2.5 13. Marigold Sky (1997) 2.5 14. Change of Season (1990) 2 15. X-Static (1979) 2 16. Ooh Yeah! (1988) 2 17. Our Kind of Soul (2004) 2 18. Home For Christmas (2006) 2 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: 3.0 Whole Oates (1972) 4.0 Abandoned Luncheonette (1973) 2.5 War Babies (1974) 2.5 Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975) 2.5 Bigger Than Both of Us (1976) 3.0 Beauty On a Back Street (1977) 2.5 Along the Red Ledge (1978) 2.0 X-Static (1979) 3.0 Voices (1980) 3.5 Private Eyes (1981) 3.0 H2O (1982) 2.5 Big Bam Boom (1984) 2.0 Ooh Yeah! (1988) 2.0 Change of Season (1990) 2.5 Marigold Sky (1997) 2.5 Do It For Love (2003) 2.0 Our Kind of Soul (2004) 2.0 Home For Christmas (2006) This duo lit up the charts in the late-1970s and early-1980s with their mix of blue-eyed soul, spacey folk, and throwback pop. While not considered a core artist of the Phillysound, it's clear the Philadelphia-raised Hall & Oates learned much from groups like The O'Jays and The Spinners. As a rule of thumb, their discography gets more slick and rock-influenced as it goes along. But, to be honest, these guys aren't deserving of an album-by-album breakdown. They're a singles act through and through. It's kind of remarkable how their singles can be so good while their album tracks can be so inconsequential. That doesn't mean their discography is completely devoid of deep cut gems, e.g. "Fall in Philadelphia" (from Whole Oates), "The Girl Who Used to Be" (from Beauty On a Back Street), or "Every Time You Go Away" (from Visions). But consistency across a 40 minute LP is not Hall & Oates' forte. The one exception is their sophomore effort, Abandoned Luncheonette (1974). Its best cuts- "Lady Rain," "I'm Just a Kid," "Everytime I Look at You"- epitomize their urbane soul-pop fusion. "She's Gone" was the album's big hit and gets my vote as their most memorable song. I wouldn't say Daryl Hall has an all-time great voice or anything, but I do think he's one of the better white-guy soul singers out there. I enjoy his tone and phrasing. In 2007, he launched an excellent performance series called "Live From Daryl's House," where collaborates with a variety of artists. These guys won't get near my all-time top 100, as I think they're pretty lightweight. I almost never seek them out. But when the occasion calls for soulful party music, spinning a Hall & Oates "greatest hits" comp gets the job done. And if you're ever playing GTA Vice City, there's no better song for swiping an Infernus and running from the cops than "Out of Touch." MY RATING SYSTEM: 5.0 = major classic (consistently great *and* stratospheric highs) 4.5 = minor classic (consistently great *or* stratospheric highs, but not both) 4.0 = great (a clear majority is worth revisiting and it's one of the best things for this artist/style) 3.5 = seriously good (at least half is worth revisiting) 3.0 = nominally good (less than half is worth revisiting) 2.5 = fair (competent but uninspired, not worth revisiting) 2.0 = poor (difficult listen) 1.5 = awful (can't finish it) 1.0 = historically awful (musical apocalypse) ▪︎ "Consistently" does not mean "flawlessly." I allow for a few duds if the rest of the songs are good enough. "Stratospheric highs" refer to albums that feature iconic songs or have an iconic sound. (Albums I consider to be "perfect" can also reach 5 stars, even without containing legendary songs or being highly influential.) ▪︎ I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible, I don't care to differentiate anymore. ▪︎ Anything I rate 3.5 stars or better is an album I'm enthusiastic about and would likely revisit at some point.

As good as a few of their records are, all one truly needs is a copy of ‘Rock 'n ‘Soul Part 1’, all the best singles plus a great live version of ‘Wait For Me’

I have nothing profound to say except that I always enjoy these videos. Thanks guys. I don't know how you make it through some of these catalogs.

“. . . like a sophisticated Mentos commercial” is an all timer. I’m glad I stuck around for it. And Kramzer really spells it out, Method Of Modern Love is really cool.

Hi guys, welcome back, i've never been into Hall & Oates, i'll have a go at them, at least trying to listen the top 5 albums. Looking forwatd to watching new ranking, keep up the good work

Kramzer how can you possibly think Have I Been Away on Along the Red Ledge sounds like a boy band song. Are you crazy?? The song has more heart and soul than anything that came out of the 90s boy band fad. It was also actually written by Hall too. And the vocals are unreal!

Great episode. 1) War Babies 2) Beauty On The Backstreet 3) Along The Red Ledge 4) Voices 5) Abandoned Luncheonette 6) Private Eyes 7) Big Bam Boom 8) X-Static 9) Bigger Than Both Of Us 10) H2O Thanks for diving into Hall & Oates.

Abandoned Luncheonette #1. Concurrent with peak Loggins and Messina, James Taylor, etc., they fit the singer songwriter heyday and added a Philly vibe with killer harmonies.

I think that self titled silver lp from 1975 is a masterpiece! I also love hall’s solo effort for 1977 he did with fripp. Another masterpiece Top 5 1. Silver album 1975 2. Private eyes 3. Abandoned luncheonette 4. War babies 5. Whole Oates (waterwheel is beautiful) 6. Along the red ledge Check out the single only song called it’s uncanny for more war babies esq pop

I'm really a fan of their late 70s stuff such as beauty on a back street, along the red ledge and x-static I love the diversity of these albums and I also love their 80s albums to with voices, private eyes and h20 these guys knew how to pack an album with so much great music

you can't feel the same about these 70s albums as i did - i am 69 and i was in my early 20s - she's gone - so blue eyed soul - abandoned lunchenett was class

Kudos on making Hall and Oates way more interesting than they typically are! The three of you , the carbon and monoxide choked my thoughts away, or something

Thanks to the three of you, I have a newfound appreciation for the duo. My Top 5: 5) Abandoned Luncheonette 4) Private Eyes 3) Big Bam Boom 2) H2O 1) Voices

As a huge Hall and Oates fan I’m not going to go off on your list and why this, why that…I just discovered your channel and am happy you spent the time going through their catalogue. I’m looking forward to seeing your other episodes.

Great video guys. It’s an interesting discography in my opinion, although I don’t think anyone would really consider them an albums band, maybe the die hard fans would? Which is fine, as a singles band they’re fantastic, some of the best pop songs from their respective era.

How can anyone not like One on one?🤔

I'm a fan but would agree that their strength is definitely in producing hit songs rather than any album consistency. Abandoned Luncheonette is for me is the one that stands out from all others, and have never really stopped listening to it since I bought it back in 76, I don't feel they ever managed to even come close to equaling it, glad to see it high from most commentators. H2O was one that I was at first a little resistant to, but apart from Family Man and Maneater I love the variety of quirky songs, with Jason on Italian Girls... sublime silliness.

Whoever thought Joe and Kram would out do Jason with Todd love? It's great to see the album rankings back, I've really missed these.

I think Hall & Oates deserve much more credit and appreciation of their work than given here. Their 80's output especially was filled with many masterful pop gems that few others achieved so consistently. And "So Close" is a wonderful "back to basics" album that made perfect sense in the MTV unplugged era - it deserved much higher ranking. I admit most of their songs are not super deep or contain social messages but there's nothing wrong with pure pop fun.

I _think_ I know what you mean by "stardust chimes". That's what's called a "mark tree". I played percussion in a church orchestra and we had one that was made out of old keys! Kids were fascinated with it!

Kram I don't agree with you on H2O. My top five Hall & Oates albums 1. Private eyes. 2. H2O. 3. Big bang boom. 4. Voices. 5. Bigger than the both of us.

Funny, I always thought the Tastes Like Music theme song had an H&O vibe; specifically a turn on Private Eyes.

BTW, I usually watch and/or listen to your videos on my phone, but right now I'm watching it on the TV, so I'm getting a better look at all of your houses! Kram, what's the occasion for the balloons?

Hall & Oates Albums Ranked: 1. Abandoned Luncheonette (1973) 2. Along The Red Ledge (1978) 3. Beauty On A Back Street (1977) 4. Big Bam Boom (1984) 5. X-Static (1979) 6. Whole Oats (1972) 7. Ooh Yeah! (1988) 8. Bigger Than Both Of Us (1976) 9. War Babies (1974) 10. H2O (1982) 11. Private Eyes (1981) 12. Voices (1980) 13. Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975) 14. Change Of Season (1990) 15. Marigold Sky (1997) 16. Our Kind Of Soul (2004) 17. Home For Christmas (2006) 18. Do It For Love (2003) I initially voted for The Damned, but I’m happy that Daryl & John took this poll in the final moments. Growing up as an 80s kid, H & O were frequently on the radio, and I was familiar with many of their hits, but there is such depth in their catalogue! What a rich & diverse discography this is: rock, pop, country, jazz, orchestral, new wave, folk, dance, funk, prog, disco, gospel, blues, and soul are all in the mix. So many first-rate session & collaborative musicians lend their gifts to round out the sound. There are experimental elements, esoteric allusions, moments of melancholy, playful touches, and lots of diverse sonic textures to keep me intrigued. Thankful for the prompts of childhood nostalgia and rekindled curiosity in this duo to nudge me forward. I mean, “Maneater” has lived in my radio head for decades, and for good reason. I suppose I’m adult enough now to appreciate “yacht rock” and “adult contemporary“ or any other of the loaded genre labels that stereotype and limit the understanding of this creative pair and their craft. I confronted my own preconceived notions & biases and was surprised several times while listening. Hall & Oates embody that boy next door facade for your Mama’s benefit, but you know better now girl, don’t cha?! There’s an urban landscape grit deeply embedded in the most beautiful of harmonies & melodies. This contrast is so appealing to me, and if I look at other favorite artists, they have “it” too. This juxtaposition will always resonate with me. It’s that Rust Belt allure, and it doesn’t just apply to US cities. I look for the dandelion poppin’ out of the cracked sidewalk, the birds conversing on the wire, and the deep hues of a sunrise over the smokestacks. I didn’t expect to be so deeply moved by these albums, however. My surface crush with these two escalated quickly into full-blown L-O-V-E. Daryl Hall’s voice is unbelievable. Soulful, powerful, and born to sing his heart out. Oates ain’t no slouch on the mic, either. Their vocal harmonies together are stellar - somethin’ special happens. High EQ comes through in their songwriting (kudos to writers/muses Sara & Janna Allen as well) & performances. It’s so easy to feel it. A run through of their music videos is certainly a good time if you don’t take life too seriously, enjoy well-coiffed men, and are down with quirky dancing. I feel like they fell off for me after about ‘88, but this doesn’t dampen my intense affection for the majority of their 70s & 80s output. Their music swells with smooth, smart and seductive synergy.

Yacht rock must be a relatively new phrase. I grew up with all this music when it came out. It was a basically top 40 back in those days top 40 had every genre you could think of not like today.

It be cool to see a Huey Lewis and The News ranking. Keep up the great work.

You are brave men. H & O really went off my radar after ‘Out of Touch’ so the quantum of misses here must be pretty significant. So weird they never did an ‘unplugged’ back in the ‘90s - might’ve properly reoriented them.

Like a lot of people, I know the 80s hit singles but don’t know any of the albums. Don’t think I’ve ever intentionally played any of their songs, but if they come on the radio they’re not something that has me reaching for the off switch - the hits are pleasing enough to the ears. Still enjoy watching these reviews despite not really knowing the music, and fair play to you for committing to it and actually getting through all the albums!

Before listening through their albums I'm not sure I could even name three Hall & Oates songs, but it was interesting. Had no idea they had that many albums. Haven't finished listening to them yet, but it's gonna be a fun watch anyway.

I knew Jason wouldn't have War Babies at number one, but I did not predict who would LOL. This was a lot of fun to watch and a very interesting discography. Mostly a pleasant time to listen through a good chunk of these even though there weren't any all-timers as far as albums go. I didn't end up ever motivating myself to listen to the last two but sounds like I didn't miss anything anyway so sometimes you just have to make that call. I've always been a bit curious about their discography so I am glad I checked it out, I never imagined this would be what it was like but that's part of the fun. 16) Do It For Love - 2 15) Change of Season - 2.5 14) Marigold Sky - 2.5 13) Big Bam Boom - 2.5 12) Ooh Yeah - 2.5 11) Beauty on a Back Street - 3 10) X- Static - 3 9) Bigger Than Both of Us - 3.5 8) Whole Oats - 3.5 7) Along the Red Ledge - 3.5 6) Daryl Hall & John Oates - 3.5 5) H2O - 3.5 4) Private Eyes - 3.5 3) Voices - 4 2) Abandoned Luncheonette - 4 1) War Babies - 4

Coincidentally, I just saw Daryl Hall and Todd Rundgren live last week here in Minnesota. Rundgren was a little rough out of the gate, but finished strong. Daryl Hall, however, put on an amazing show. His band, of course, was amazing and his voice was every bit as strong as it was decades ago. I liked that he didn't over saturate his set with the usual poppy stuff, but rather got into his solo stuff (which was great) and some classic covers. Just a great show overall!

I always enjoy the episode’s where i have no dog in the fight but am familiar with some of the catalog. Smooth sailing no spike in blood pressure etc etc.

Here is mine: 1. Abandoned Luncheonette 4.0 2. Voices 4.0 3. Private Eyes 4.0 4. Bigger Than Both of Us 4.0 5. H2O - 4.0 6. War Babies 3.5 7. Marigold Sky 3.5 8. Change of Season 3.5 9. Whole Oats 3.5 10. Daryl Hall and John Oates 3.5 11. X-Static 3.0 12. Ooh, Yeah 3.0 13. Along the Red Lodge 2.5 14. Beauty on a Back Street 2.5 15. Do It For Love 2.5 16. Big Bam Boom 2.5 17. Our Kind of Soul 2.0 18. Home For Christmas 2.0

Voices, was always their most interesting album by them for me. Private Eyes is also good. The 70’s singles were also good. Daryl Hall’s album with Robert Fripp was a sleeper hit also.

Ryan Kramzer gets the gold star here - from 2.5 to 4. Didnt expect it. Bad ass. Plus his hair is getting good in the back. Great work fellas

Are you guys familiar with a band called The Bird and the Bee? They did an entire album once of Hall & Oates covers, thought some were fairly decent. They also as a side note, did the same thing with Van Halen, though I could see that project being a stretch for some lol

Dont know nothing a out these guys but finally got a ranking video backcagain mannnnnn

Glad you finally did the boys, but mostly disappointed in the overall assessment. "Private Eyes" is a perfect early 80s pop record. The b-side is just as good as the A-side for different reasons. If you don't like "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"- do you even really like pop music? It's tied with "When Doves Cry" as the best (and one of the more sonically innovative) #1 pop singles of the 1980s. It sounded nothing like anything else on the radio at the time - and inspired a little song called "Billie Jean". Kramzer over here making it sound like Hall & Oates are on the same level as an Air Supply or Christopher Cross. Even in their MTV prime, I never thought of them as generic, "good little boys". They never got credit for their mean/weird/streak ("Kiss On My List" is an example of really big FU song). And, for the record, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk was absolutely on par with the likes of Leland Sklar (And, fun fact, he played the bass on Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks"). Let's be honest, the likes of Michael Jackson and Madonna had their fair share of "We've got nothing to say" moments, but those artists get praised up and down (and they didn't even write a lot of their own shit!) What's funny is black music audiences gave Daryl & John more credit than the white music press, who always seemed "suspect" of their intentions. Either way, enjoyed watching it and looking forward to a Todd list (and perhaps maybe one for Canada's Tragically Hip at some point...?)

Since you're doing a lot less ranking video's, I have to wait longer before you tackle an artist that I really like. This time I had to wait some months, if I remember correctly. To me Hall & Oates always were a singles band of pure pop jewels in the first half of the 80's. I wondered if they would have a classic album that contains more than a bunch of decent singles. Private Eye perhaps. After hearing the verdicts of you three I'm not really interested to dive deeper into their 70s catalaogue which I don't know that well. I think I prefer the early 80 albums, simply because they have the hits which the 70 ones don't. In fact your ranking video did what it had to do : guiding me through a pretty long catalogue without listening the albums myself. My respect to Kramzer who had to listen an entire backcatalogue he didn't like to finally find a decent Todd Rundgren album he could like. Indeed crazy that Joe who's comments were a lot more balanced and nuanced during the entire run of the video came up with the same result. Another thing I learned: just go for Jasons number two or three album. Although I like his reviews, mostly his number ones are the odd balls.

Jason, I agree with you about the Daryl comparison. I found out later that he produced Hall and Oats but I think Todd's approach to vocal harmony is a lot different than Daryl. Daryl could sing it if you put him on a Todd record but a lot of time it would be something he would never come up with. Looking forward to the Todd list! ✌️

I love Daryl Hall and John Oates! Fan since 75

18 HOME FOR CHRISTMAS ⭐ 17 SOUL KIND OF LOVE ⭐ 16 CHANGE OF SEASONS ⭐ 💫 15 BEAUTY ON BACK STREET ⭐ 💫 14 MARIGOLD SKY ⭐ 💫 13 WAR BABIES ⭐ ⭐ 12 WHOLE OATS ⭐ ⭐ 💫 11 ABANDONED LUNCHEONETTE ⭐ ⭐ 💫 10 DARYL HALL AND JOHN OATES ⭐ ⭐ 💫 9 BIGGER THAN THE BOTH OF US ⭐ ⭐ 💫 8 OOH YEAH ⭐ ⭐ 💫 7 DO IT FOR LOVE ⭐ ⭐ 💫 6 VOICES ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 5 PRIVATE EYES ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 💫 4 BIG BAM BOOM ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 💫 3 X-STATIC ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 2 H20 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1 ALONG THE RED LEDGER ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ These albums don't wow me at all. They suffer from John Oates's weak sole credited songs. A lot of great hit songs though. Daryl Hall has an amazing voice.

Posting this before watching. Should be interesting because I have no idea where you guys stand on these two. 1. Private Eyes (in my top 50 albums by anybody) 2. H2O 3. X-Static 4. Voices (then I had to up and dock 'Voices' points for the 'You've Lost' cover) 5. Daryl Hall & John Oates (a 70s summer breeze. no duds, no long songs, AM gold) 6. Abandoned Luncheonette 7. Big Bam Boom (the four singles are sturdy enough to hold up the whole table just fine. and really the only misfire is 'Going Thru the Motions') 8. Bigger Than Both of Us 9. Change of Season (a few weaklings but most of this is surprisingly stellar) 10. War Babies 11. Along the Red Ledge (a lot of the 78-80 pop rockers have better verses than choruses but 'Serious Music' is one of the exceptions) 12. Whole Oats (so light it wants to fly away on you, but nice) 13. Beauty on a Back Street 14. Marigold Sky (yeah there's some decent songs, there's also piss poor adult contempo like 'Promise Ain't Enough') 15. Ooh Yeah! ('Heart Desires' is top level late 80s radio pop. 'Missed Opportunity' is alright. 'I'm in Pieces' comes on like an okay Huey Lewis 'Doing It All for My Baby' knockoff. Side two is very unpleasant) 16. Do It for Love

Kramzer being wrong about two different H2O's at the same time. I'm not sure which one hurts more.

Great discussion, Boys! Hall & Oats have an interesting discography. Shifting sounds on almost every album. I own about 60% of their albums but there’s a few on here I had no knowledge of! (Including “Beauty on a Back Street” which I’m listening to right now and enjoying a lot even though I’ve never heard one track off it before.) I agree they are more of a singles band than Album band. As a fellow Rundgren fan, I’m with Jason: Todd did no favors for Hall and Oats’ sound. I bought “War Babies” a few years ago at the used LP store, put it on and had to check the label to make sure it was really H & O because it sounds nothing like them. This album sounds like it was recorded in conjunction with “A Wizard, A True Star”, which would explain its muddy sound. The sound and the arrangements sound like Todd but the actual songs, not so much. I don’t think it plays to their strengths at all. I just listened to it again to refresh my memory, and nope, I still don’t like it. Todd’s own material of this era is way more compelling. Hall and Oats’ prior and subsequent albums are much better and showcase their strengths and sound. I like all the Rundgren love here, but I won’t be reaching for War Babies any time soon. Agree (with Jason I think) that Todd’s voice can and does sometimes sound exactly like Hall (or vice versa). Todd has many voices though and is a more versatile vocalist and his voice has aged better. But Hall in is 1980’s prime was hard to beat.

Such an unpredictable list. Honestly as much as l like War Babies, at #1 I thought that was quite a surprise but Beauty In A Back Street which is way down for me is even bigger.

The Hall & Oats that I love, I LOVE, the rest, not so great: so all I need is Rock 'n Soul Part 1 (Greatest Hits) LOVE everything on it!

I like there hits and a few deeps cuts from the Phillies record years. But Abandoned Luncheonette is the only one I listen to as a full album. I also have it on vinyl and it's a perfect album for all the reasons to listen to vinyl instead of digital. Not hard to find and usually fairly priced.

Joe had me chuckling out loud with the overabundance of stardust chimes comment 😂😂😂

all i can say is that private eyes record sleeve would make the perfect security warning sign for a commercial property.

This is my kind of video. I’m rationing out the albums I haven’t heard yet. I’ll definitely be back to hear y’all’s opinions.

1. Big Bam Boom (1984) 5 stars (9.6) 2. X-Static (1979) 4.5 stars (9) 3. War Babies (1974) 4.5 stars (8.8) 4. Bigger than Both of Us (1976) 4 stars (8.3) 5. Beauty on a Back Street (1977) 4 stars (8) 6. Whole Oates (1972) 4 stars (8) 7. H2O (1982) 4 stars (8) 8. Voices (1980) 3.5 stars (7.8) 9. Abandon Luncheonette (1973)- 3.5 stars (7.7) 10. Daryl Hall & John Oates (The Silver Album) (1975) 3.5 stars (7.4) 11. Along the Red Ledge (1978) 3.5 stars (7) 12. Private Eyes (1981) 3.5 stars (7) 13. Ooh Yeah! (1988) 3.5 stars (7) 14. Change of Season (1990) 2.5 stars (5.8) 15. Do It For Love (2003) 2 stars (4.7) 16. Home for Christmas (2006) 2 stars (4.5) 17. Marigold Sky (1997) 2 stars (3.5) 18. Our Kind of Soul (2004) 1.5 stars (2)

Great video... Kinda what I expected in general overall reaction to their material. Though I consider them one of my favored acts, they were never favorite act.. I've had all their albums from the self titled to Change of Seasons since the 80s (pretty much bought them as they came out from Private Eyes) I didn't get the Atlantic albums until the 90s and 00s. And this was the first time listening to their final four albums. My rankings: 1) Abandoned Luncheonette [1973] (9.2) ★★★★½ 2) Big Bam Boom [1984] (8.8) ★★★★ 3) Private Eyes [1981] (8.7) ★★★★ 4) X-Static [1979] (8.5) ★★★★ 5) Voices [1980] (8.4) ★★★★ 6) Daryl Hall & John Oates [1975] (8.2) ★★★★ 7) Bigger Than The Both of Us [1976] (7.8) ★★★½ 8) War Babies [1974] (7.4) ★★★½ 9) H²O [1982] (7.1) ★★★½ 10) Along The Red Ledge [1978] (6.9) ★★★ 11) Marigold Sky [1997] (6.7) ★★★ 12)Whole Oats [1972] (6.5) ★★★ 13) Change of Seasons [1990] (6.4) ★★★ 14) Beauty on the Back Street [1977] (6.1) ★★★ 15) Do It For Love [2003] (5.8) ★★½ 16) Home for Christmas [2008] (5.4) ★★½ 17) Ooh Yeah! [1988] (5.2) ★★½ 18) Our Kind Of Soul [2004] (4.4) ★★ Only one real clunker for me, four below three, but the majority of the albums are more like to really like. The top six I really enjoy listening to from time to time and what csn I say, I kinda love Luncheonette the best blend of their folky side and blue eyed soul. My favorite material from them is actually their 79-84 albums but other than BBB (and to a lesser extent PE) I find the albums rather spotty, but great highlights.

Hey, where’s Kram’s songs of 1963 list?

Kramzers' description of how he respect Hall's talent but that Hall doesn't do a thing for him is exactly how I feel about Rob Halford.

Abandoned Luncheonette and X-Static are my favorites.

My list 6: Along the Red Ledge 5: Bigger than the both of us 4. The Silver Album 3: Beauty in The Back Street 2: Abandoned Luncheonette 1:War Babies After 1978. they lost something

I put off watching this video because I thought I’d never listen to a Hall and Oates album so what’s the point. But now I’m intrigued enough to give a listen to a couple at least.

@jason you think the album cover for d hall & J oats is good . Check out the inner sleeve. Hall is in a spacesuit thingy behind oats who is sprawled out naked in front covering his bits. You know hall had to stare at oat ass the whole shoot . Incredible.

Daryl hall what a voice

Well done for sitting through the entire Hall & Oates discography. That sounds like torture to me. lol

Jason: Insightful, terrific reviews. Joe: Good reviews (especially the 1977 album), slightly overrates a couple of things. Kramzer: More John Wesley Harding please.

Never listened to an album of theirs and this review confirmed that they are indeed a singles band. As far as albums go they are completely middle of the road. (skipped the last two albums) (I tend to score too many albums 3 stars but I have a hard time scoring an album below that unless it has songs that really annoy me. For me, 3 stars is simply middle of the road background music. But I'm stingy on 4 stars and above as they need to be albums I'd want to listen to again.) 16) (2003) Do It For Love (3 stars) (Catchy but no stands out) 15) (1997) Marigold Sky (3 stars) (Generic Adult contemporary) 14) (1972) Whole Oats (3 stars) (Pretty rough and dull. The last song is the only hint of what they'd become) 13) (1974) War Babies (3 stars) ( I Didn't see this one coming. I have mixed feelings. It feels overproduced and badly mixed on first listen. The vocals are overwhelmed at times) 12) (1988) Ooh Yeah! (3 stars) 11) (1979) X-Static (3 stars) (The New Wave songs are cringe inducing) 10) (1990) Change of Season (3 stars) 9) (1977) Beauty on the Back Street (3 stars) 8) (1978) Along The Red Ledge (3 stars) (Much better production here than on previous albums but the material isn't strong) 7) (1973) Abandoned Luncheonette (3 stars) 6) (1984) Big Bam Boom (3.5 stars) 5) (1975) Daryl Hall & John Oates (3.5 stars) 4) (1976) Bigger than the both of us (3.5 stars) 3) (1981) Private Eyes (3.5 stars) 2) (1980) Voices(3.5 stars) 1) (1982) H2O (3.5 stars)

I only know Abandoned Luncheonette In the early 80's they were huge,but for a true hard rock fan like I was at the time it was not "cool" to listen to them. What a jerk I was lol. My wife has always loved them I like a lot of their 70's hits(she's gone,rich girl,sara smile),was never crazy about the 80's stuff( private eyes,maneater,kiss on my list) But they were HUGE then

I’ll never understand the bands Kram has such a seething hatred of lol. Out of Touch is a perfect pop song. You have to at least give them credit for that.

Love them

Looking at the comments, patting myself on the back for not having listened to this discography. Hours of my life I got to keep - that’s a win, baby. Do like their hits to some extent. “Never mind Hall & Oates - those guys are a couple of goats!!”

Love u guys are Pittsburgh boys. Grew up in butler and live in Chippewa

That was a strange and fun video. Kramzer is mister all or nothing. He loves someone or a band so much that every album is 4 stars, or he spends two hours rationalizing why albums with songs he likes are still bad. That said, I don't entirely disagree. I would have been in high school when H2O came out, sort of the highest point in their career perhaps. I did own that album, and three or four others, but really they were just about the hits and once all of my albums went away the only H&O cd that ever made it into my collection is a 2-disc greatest hits set. Therefore, many of these albums I have never heard, War Babies being first and foremost in that group. Hall & Oates were a lot of fun in the day, and Daryl Hall really was a fantastic singer. I think I saw them at Jazzfest in New Orleans ten years ago, and at least back then they were still putting on a great live show. Oh, and G.E. Smith to me will always be remembered for being Bob Dylan's guitarist for a period on the neverending tour; I must have seen him play with Dylan at least three times. I promise to listen to War Babies and the one Jason ranked at number one. Great video!

War Babies is my favorite album of all time

Aside from the all timer ‘Kiss On My List’ and ‘You Make My Dreams’ the rest of Voices blows

They are the perfect greatest hits band. All u need is the hits

they had some real good albums , but some of these albums were painful and couldnt wait to get done lol!!🐯🐯

Jason the beauty on the backstreet in my top five love you guys

Finally

John mentions in his book Beauty on the Backstreet was their least favorite based on what was going on behind the scenes. It is top 5 for me. 1. H20 2. Along the Red Ledge 3. Marigold Sky 4. Abandoned Luncheotte 5. Beauty on the Backstreet 6. Bigger than Both of Us 7. Private Eyes

I’ve missed your rankings so much that I’m gonna watch the whole of this even though I have absolutely no interest in Hall & Oates… I agree with Kram’s assessment of Hall as a singer, very skilled but doesn’t move me at all

I've never listened to War Babies before. Listening to it now. Doesn't even sound like a Hall and Oates album (at least as I know them). Sounds like a Todd Rundgren record :)

Finally 👍🏻

The artwork on H2O is not the front artwork...it is the back artwork. I like Private Eyes, H2O, Big Bam Boom and Ooh Yea! as their top four 80's studio albums.

But just what exactly IS a maneater? “Singles artist” sounds like a pejorative, but I feel like Hall & Oates should wear the label with pride, although I agree, they have several gems that weren’t singles, particularly early on. Hard for me to look at them as some sort of “criminally overlooked album artist,” but you guys doing videos on weird, under-the-radar discographies like these are precisely why you get paid the big bucks. I CAN go for that, yes can do. I grew up on Rock ‘N Soul Part I (as Questlove once joked, “Still waiting for Rock ‘N Soul Part II…”), but when I later heard every album up through H20, the only one I was comfortable genuinely recommending to listeners as an individual, album-length listening experience and not just as “Here’s a bunch of songs we had lying around” was Abandoned Luncheonette, which I’d give 4.5 stars (best/strangest lyric: “His voice was rusty/From years as a sergeant in this man’s army/He was old and crusty”), and I’d put the rest of their albums at like 3.5 and below. But those singles? Who cares? I do want to mention a few favorites on the debut album that no one really highlighted: “I’m Sorry,” “Fall in Philadelphia,” and “Lilly (Are You Happy).” Also, as a fellow Rundgren partisan, I agree with Jason that War Babies, despite the presence of peak period Todd behind the boards, is more of an intriguing experiment that doesn’t really capture Hall & Oates in their comfort zone, rather than some sort of career highlight (not sure if anyone mentioned my favorite track, “70s Scenario,” which sounds more like something in their own style). Look, the man’s a master, but let’s give a hand to Jason for his restraint and admirable refusal to slobber over an album just because his idol was involved. Is Patti Smith’s Wave better than Horses, or Cheap Trick’s Next Position Please better than In Color? Come on, people. Basically, when friends used to ask me for some Hall & Oates, I’d give them The Atlantic Collection (which features almost all of Abandoned Luncheonette, plus the highlights from the other two albums) and The Very Best of Hall & Oates (which has a few smaller hits that didn’t make it onto Rock ‘N Soul Part I, plus “Out of Touch,”) and I’d say they were pretty much set.

I'm picturing a scene something like this: CRAM: Hall & oates, huh? Well...allright, sure, why not? How pain ful can this be? (Clicks around on his computer for a while, expression gradually growing more clouded) EIGHTEEN ALBUMS?!! GOD, WHY?!?!

John Oates - Baba Booey

Puppy!!!!❤❤❤❤

"Let's use our adjectives properly"😂😂

If jason shaves his 'stache he's got a future as a Dobie Gillis impersonator. Vegas calls!

if Kramzer likes war babies he should check out the collaboration Daryl did with Robert Fripp. not even remotely blue eyed soul. not necessarily the best songs but its very expermiental compared to some of their later stuff.

Yes, War Babies does not sound like a quintessential Hall & Oates album. Maybe better titled, Hall, Oates & Rundgren! A fine album none the less. What’s great and valuable about these artist catalogue review shows is that it gives a real window into everyone’s particular tastes. Mine are more aligned with Jason, but Joe as well on occasion. Kramz and myself are polar opposites! We are not on the same page about anything music wise. If Kramz hated an artist or album I would rush right out and immediately purchase it! And if he loved something I would be sure it would cause projectile vomiting in me. But that is helpful. We all hear things differently! Just gotta know where a reviewer is coming from and apply it to your own particular wheelhouse. Thanks for looking at one of my all time favs.

here goes my list 18 home for christmas 2.0 stars 17 our kind of soul 2.5 - 16 ooh yeah 2.5 15 do it for love 2.5 14 big ban boom 2.5 13 x static 2,5 12 private eyes 3.0 11 marigold sky 3.0 10 voices 3.0 9 h2o voices 3.0 8 whole oats 3.0 7 bigger than both of us 3.0 6 along the red edge 3,5 5 daryl hall and john oates 3,5 4 change of season 3,5 3 war babies 3.5 2abandonded luncheonette 4.0 1 beauty on a back street 4.0 cheers!! 🐯🐯

Definitely got a soft spot for them ( I think it's the fact they were totally unpretentious ). Fantastic singles band, but surprised how many " 4 star " albums they have, imo. Good on them, they seem like decent people.