Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Big Bam Boom is the last of the big Hall & Oates albums, the one that closed their period of greatest commercial success and artistic achievement. Parting from Neil Kernon, their engineer/co-producer for Voices, Private Eyes, and H20, the duo hired Bob Clearmountain as a co-producer and engineer, bringing in hip-hop pioneer Arthur Baker for additional mixing and production, and the change behind the boards is evident on the record. As the title none too subtly implies, this is a bigger, noisier record than its predecessors, with its rhythms smacking around in an echo chamber and each track built on layers of synthesizers and studio effects. Hall & Oates' crack touring band are credited in the liner notes as playing on each track, but this is one of the first mainstream records of the '80s records where it sounds as everything was sequenced and run through a computer -- the sound that came to define the latter half of the decade. There's undeniably interesting things going on in the mix on each of the nine tracks -- frankly, there's too much going on, and the production weighs down many of the songs on this sprawling, diffuse album; it also obscures the dark undercurrent to many of the tunes, several of which seem to foreshadow the duo's long hiatus following this record. Some songs cut through on the strength of their craft, and these are usually the singles: the excellent "Out of Touch," which rivals anything on Private Eyes or Voices; the silly yet engaging "Method of Modern Love"; the haunting "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid," easily the best ballad on the record; then, the exception to the rule, the hard-rocking "Bank on Your Love," which is one time the production works in the favor of the song, adding muscle instead of diluting its impact. These songs, matched with the ambition of the rest of the record, makes Big Bam Boom an interesting, worthwhile listen, but coming after a trio of records that had very few flaws, it feels like a disappointment, and it was no great surprise that Hall & Oates took a lengthy break a year or so after its release.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Oates, Producer - Arthur Baker, Composer, Lyricist - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Oates, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Janna Allen, Lyricist - John Oates, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer - Darcy Proper
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Oates, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer - Sara Allen, Composer
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Darcy Proper - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Oates, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Oates, Lyricist, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer - Janna Allen, Composer - Sara Allen, Lyricist
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Daryl Hall, Producer - John Oates, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Oates, Composer, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer - Sara Allen, Composer
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Oates, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer - Sara Allen, Composer
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Producer, Associated Performer, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist - John Oates, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Janna Allen, Composer, Lyricist - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist - Arthur Baker, Mixing Engineer
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Oates, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer - Sara Allen, Composer - Arthur Baker, Producer
(P) 1984 BMG Music
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Arthur Baker, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Oates, Producer
(P) 1984 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
Big Bam Boom is the last of the big Hall & Oates albums, the one that closed their period of greatest commercial success and artistic achievement. Parting from Neil Kernon, their engineer/co-producer for Voices, Private Eyes, and H20, the duo hired Bob Clearmountain as a co-producer and engineer, bringing in hip-hop pioneer Arthur Baker for additional mixing and production, and the change behind the boards is evident on the record. As the title none too subtly implies, this is a bigger, noisier record than its predecessors, with its rhythms smacking around in an echo chamber and each track built on layers of synthesizers and studio effects. Hall & Oates' crack touring band are credited in the liner notes as playing on each track, but this is one of the first mainstream records of the '80s records where it sounds as everything was sequenced and run through a computer -- the sound that came to define the latter half of the decade. There's undeniably interesting things going on in the mix on each of the nine tracks -- frankly, there's too much going on, and the production weighs down many of the songs on this sprawling, diffuse album; it also obscures the dark undercurrent to many of the tunes, several of which seem to foreshadow the duo's long hiatus following this record. Some songs cut through on the strength of their craft, and these are usually the singles: the excellent "Out of Touch," which rivals anything on Private Eyes or Voices; the silly yet engaging "Method of Modern Love"; the haunting "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid," easily the best ballad on the record; then, the exception to the rule, the hard-rocking "Bank on Your Love," which is one time the production works in the favor of the song, adding muscle instead of diluting its impact. These songs, matched with the ambition of the rest of the record, makes Big Bam Boom an interesting, worthwhile listen, but coming after a trio of records that had very few flaws, it feels like a disappointment, and it was no great surprise that Hall & Oates took a lengthy break a year or so after its release.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 01:09:11
- Main artists: Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: RCA - BMG Heritage
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
This compilation (P) 2004 BMG Music
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.