Isn’t it funny how things pan out in life?
Many moons ago, we – dad and my sister and I (and Claire) – travelled to Canada, my grandfather’s home nation, and stayed with my dad’s brother, Nick, and his family.
Whilst we were there, we visited Toronto, and my sister and I bought a bunch of music at Sam Sam’s. I believe my sister bought this album, on vinyl, all those years ago.
I’ve always quite liked the few Hall and Oates tracks I knew, even if only vaguely. She’s Gone, Rich Girl, and maybe one or two others. I’d never paid them much mind, though, to be honest.
And now, donkey’s years later, I decide to buy this on CD, only to discover I absolutely love it! In the last few days I’ve been listening to it repeatedly. And it remains fresh and invigorating and beautiful on every spin.
There is not one duff track on it. And there are quite a few that are pretty doggone sublime. She’s Gone is the obvious diamond, but the title track is wonderfully evocative. And the three that lead up to She’s Gone are all top notch.
It a kicks off with the very winning When The Morning Comes, slipping into the very tender Had I known You Better Then. Track three, Las Vegas Turnaround, is the second most familiar, and a real corker.
As I say there’s nothing here but excellence. I’m Just A Kid is fab, and Lady Rain also. Laughing Boy finds Daryl Hall alone at the piano, save for the superb Arif Marden arrangements and the flugelhorn of Marvin Stamm.
And the disc ends with the rather epic Everytime I Look At You, which morphs from funky soul, to epic ballad rock, and finally gets a bit country! What a stunning album.