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It's telling that Do What You Want Be What You Are, Sony/Legacy's comprehensive, career-spanning Daryl Hall and John Oates box set, takes its title from a moderately successful mid-'70s single from the duo, written and recorded just as the group was hitting their creative stride. The slow Philly groove of "Do What You Want Be Who You Are" may have hearkened back to the duo's soul roots, side-stepping some of the outré pop experiments they had done just two years earlier on War Babies, but Hall & Oates took the title's sentiment to heart, blurring boundaries between rock, pop, and soul in a way that wasn't always easy to appreciate at the peak of their popularity in the '80s. During that decade, Hall & Oates were omnipresent, seemingly dominating every radio format and MTV, racking up so many hits that it was easy to overlook how "Private Eyes" wore bright, angular new wave threads, or how "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" pulsated on electronic rhythms, not to mention the duo's earliest folk-rock records. Do What You Want brings all this into perspective, rounding up all the group's big hits and sharply selected album tracks, enhancing the canon with several rarities ranging from early singles (Hall as a member of the Temptones, Oates as one of the Masters) to a host of live cuts from throughout the years. Many of the live tracks are mildly revelatory -- particularly the lengthy stretch of War Babies material at the end of disc one, which diminishes the Todd Rundgren influence and emphasizes Hall & Oates' muscular melodicism -- as the group's forté was within the studio, where they set the sounds of the time, from the lush early '70s to the synthesized '80s. This, too, is where the box shines, when it traces the duo's remarkable, restless progression from Whole Oates to Big Bam Boom, a narrative that takes up the first three discs of the four-disc set. Like many career-spanning boxes, this does lose a little momentum on the last disc, when the hits start to slow down, but by smartly balancing outtakes and unreleased concert cuts, this final disc makes a convincing argument for Hall & Oates' enduring strengths adding a fitting coda to a box that stands as a testament to the duo's considerable musical legacy.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Michael Brauer, Mixing Engineer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Ryan Gilligan, 2nd Engineer - Producer not documented on available sources, Producer - Will Hensley, Engineer - John Oates, Composer - Daryl Hall, Composer
(P) 2009 RCA/JIVE Label Group, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment
Michael Brauer, Mixing Engineer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Producer not documented on available sources, Producer - Ryan Gilligan, 2nd Engineer - Will Hensley, Engineer - Daryl Hall, Composer
(P) 2009 RCA/JIVE Label Group, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment
Michael Brauer, Mixing Engineer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Producer not documented on available sources, Producer - Ryan Gilligan, 2nd Engineer - Will Hensley, Engineer - Daryl Hall, Composer
(P) 2009 RCA/JIVE Label Group, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment
Michael Brauer, Mixing Engineer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Ryan Gilligan, 2nd Engineer - Producer not documented on available sources, Producer - Will Hensley, Engineer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 2009 RCA/JIVE Label Group, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment
Michael Brauer, Mixing Engineer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Ryan Gilligan, 2nd Engineer - Producer not documented on available sources, Producer - Will Hensley, Engineer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 2009 RCA/JIVE Label Group, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment
DISC 2
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Producer - John Oates, Composer - John Oates, Lyricist - Christopher Bond, Producer - Christopher Bond, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Producer
(P) 1975 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Composer - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Producer - John Oates, Arranger - Christopher Bond, Producer - Christopher Bond, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1975 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Composer - John Oates, Producer - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Arranger - Christopher Bond, Producer - Christopher Bond, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Producer
(P) 1975 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Peter Moshay, Re-Mixer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Jimmy Bralower, Programmer - Mike Hickey, Guitar - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Producer - Christopher Bond, Producer - Christopher Bond, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Programmer - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 2009 RCA/JIVE Label Group, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Producer - John Oates, Arranger - Christopher Bond, Producer - Christopher Bond, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist - Daryl Hall, Arranger
(P) 1975 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Producer - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Arranger - Christopher Bond, Producer - Christopher Bond, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1975 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Composer - John Oates, Arranger - John Oates, Lyricist - Christopher Bond, Producer - Christopher Bond, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Arranger
(P) 1976 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oats, Arranger - Christopher Bond, Vocal Arranger - Christopher Bond, Producer - Christopher Bond, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1976 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Johnny Bond, Arranger - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Composer - John Oates, Arranger - Christopher Bond, Producer - Daryl Hall, Arranger
(P) 1976 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - David Foster, Arranger - David Foster, Producer - John Oates, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Lyricist - Pat Martin, Mastering Engineer
(P) 1978 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Sandy Allen, Composer - Sandy Allen, Lyricist - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - David Foster, Arranger - David Foster, Producer - John Oates, Arranger - Pat Martin, Mastering Engineer - Daryl Hall, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1978 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - David Foster, Producer - David Foster, Arranger - John Oates, Arranger - Pat Martin, Mastering Engineer - Daryl Hall, Arranger - Daryl Hall, Composer
(P) 1978 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
David Foster, Producer - David Foster, Arranger - John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Arranger - John Oates, Composer - David Page, Strings - Pat Martin, Mastering Engineer - Daryl Hall, Performer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Arranger
(P) 1978 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Vocal - David Foster, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1979 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - David Foster, Composer - Daryl Hall, Composer
(P) 2000 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - David Foster, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1979 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Composer - John Oates, Producer - Daryl Hall, Producer
(P) 1980 BMG Music
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Barry Mann, Composer - Barry Mann, Lyricist - Cynthia Weil, Composer - Cynthia Weil, Lyricist - John Oates, Producer - Philip Spector, Composer - Philip Spector, Lyricist - Daryl Hall, Producer
(P) 1980 Sony Music Entertainment
Janna Allen, Composer - Janna Allen, Lyricist - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1980 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
T-Bone Wolk, Producer - Peter Moshay, Producer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist - Daryl Hall, Composer
(P) 2009 U-Watch Records
DISC 3
Sara Allen, Composer - Sara Allen, Lyricist - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Composer - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Producer - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1980 Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - John Oates, Producer - Janna Allen, Composer - Janna Allen, Lyricist - Warren Pash, Composer - Warren Pash, Lyricist - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist - Daryl Hall, Producer - Neil Kernon, Co-Producer - Sara Allen, Composer - Sara Allen, Lyricist - Bill Lacey, Re-Mastering Engineer - Mike Hartry, Re-Mastering Engineer
(P) 1981 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Sara Allen, Lyricist - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Neil Kernon, Co-Producer - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Producer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Producer
(P) 1981 BMG Music
Janna Allen, Lyricist - Janna Allen, Composer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Sara Hall, Composer - Sara Hall, Lyricist - Neil Kernon, Co-Producer - John Oates, Producer - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1981 BMG Music
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Neil Kernon, Co-Producer - John Oates, Producer - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist - Daryl Hall, Composer
(P) 1981 BMG Music
Sara Allen, Lyricist - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Neil Kernon, Co-Producer - John Oates, Producer - John Oates, Lyricist - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1981 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Producer - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Neil Kernon, Co-Producer - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Composer
(P) 2009 RCA/JIVE Label Group, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment
Sara Allen, Lyricist - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Hugh Padgham, Mixing Engineer - Neil Kernon, Co-Producer - John Oates, Composer - John Oates, Lyricist - John Oates, Producer - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1982 Sony Music Entertainment
Morris Pert, Composer - Morris Pert, Lyricist - Daryl Hall & John Oates, Vocal - Maggie Reilley, Composer - Maggie Reilley, Lyricist - John Oates, Producer - Hugh Padgham, Mixing Engineer - Mike Oldfield, Composer - Mike Oldfield, Lyricist - Neil Kernon, Co-Producer - Daryl Hall, Producer - Cross, Composer - Cross, Lyricist - Mike Frye, Composer - Mike Frye, Lyricist - Rick Fenn, Composer - Rick Fenn, Lyricist
(P) 1982 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Daryl Hall & John Oates, Performer - Hugh Padgham, Mixing Engineer - Neil Kernon, Co-Producer - John Oates, Producer - Daryl Hall, Producer - Daryl Hall, Composer - Daryl Hall, Lyricist
(P) 1982 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
It's telling that Do What You Want Be What You Are, Sony/Legacy's comprehensive, career-spanning Daryl Hall and John Oates box set, takes its title from a moderately successful mid-'70s single from the duo, written and recorded just as the group was hitting their creative stride. The slow Philly groove of "Do What You Want Be Who You Are" may have hearkened back to the duo's soul roots, side-stepping some of the outré pop experiments they had done just two years earlier on War Babies, but Hall & Oates took the title's sentiment to heart, blurring boundaries between rock, pop, and soul in a way that wasn't always easy to appreciate at the peak of their popularity in the '80s. During that decade, Hall & Oates were omnipresent, seemingly dominating every radio format and MTV, racking up so many hits that it was easy to overlook how "Private Eyes" wore bright, angular new wave threads, or how "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" pulsated on electronic rhythms, not to mention the duo's earliest folk-rock records. Do What You Want brings all this into perspective, rounding up all the group's big hits and sharply selected album tracks, enhancing the canon with several rarities ranging from early singles (Hall as a member of the Temptones, Oates as one of the Masters) to a host of live cuts from throughout the years. Many of the live tracks are mildly revelatory -- particularly the lengthy stretch of War Babies material at the end of disc one, which diminishes the Todd Rundgren influence and emphasizes Hall & Oates' muscular melodicism -- as the group's forté was within the studio, where they set the sounds of the time, from the lush early '70s to the synthesized '80s. This, too, is where the box shines, when it traces the duo's remarkable, restless progression from Whole Oates to Big Bam Boom, a narrative that takes up the first three discs of the four-disc set. Like many career-spanning boxes, this does lose a little momentum on the last disc, when the hits start to slow down, but by smartly balancing outtakes and unreleased concert cuts, this final disc makes a convincing argument for Hall & Oates' enduring strengths adding a fitting coda to a box that stands as a testament to the duo's considerable musical legacy.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 4 disc(s) - 74 track(s)
- Total length: 05:12:47
- Main artists: Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: RCA - Legacy
- Genre: Pop/Rock
This compilation (P) 2009. All rights reserved by Sony Music Entertianment.
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