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Ok, I seldom write anything about artists or make movie reviews but today, I'm going to make an exception. I suppose not many of you know or have heard of Hall & Oates.
They are an American musical duo famous in the late 70's and 80's. Their music is unique and distinct to them, no one could sound like them better than them. Their music is a fusion of rock & roll and rhythm & blues many said. I'm no music expert and know next to nothing about genre or lables but I love their music.
The band is made up of Daryl Hall who sings most of their songs and John Oates, who co-wrote most of their songs and played the guitar. The latter is a singer too but he lets Daryl sing most of the time.
Some said that they were childhood friends and then some said that they went to the same university and met later, don't know who's right but heck, who cares. These guys are the longest surviving musical partners I know.
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How did I get to know about them(not know them personally lah)? I think it was in the mid 80's. I was still a kid then. One fine afternoon, having nothing better to do, I started rummaging through the collection of cassettes we had. I bet most of you had not even operated a cassette player in your life LOL. Your uncle here even operated that vinyl record player before. Our house was a wooden house with wooden flooring, so whenever my late uncle John played his record, we have to walk lightly lest the record player's needle "jump" and replay the last few seconds of song over again. That's where the saying "sound like a broken record" came from.
Ehh.. Off topic pulak. Oh yes, I was rummaging and saw this white coloured cassette. I'm not sure why that particular nondescript cassette got my attention, there were no pretty and colourful design on it but I chose it. Perhaps the universe and the stars all came together on that day and plotted for me to encounter Hall & Oates. But there was no stopping it, I played the cassette and Hall & Oates became one of the many experience in my life that molded and influenced my character and the way I think. You know how they say that music feeds the soul? Ok, I just came up with that line a second ago but I think someone could have said that before me hehehe..
The song that got me hooked on Hall & Oates was Kiss On My List. Here's a copy of the original version.
Here's another intepretation of the song by Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas at Daryl's house,
Over the years, Hall & Oates have many hit singles and albums. Kiss on List is definitely not the only song by them that I like. There are many like Sara Smile, Rich Girl, I Can't Go for that, One on One....... On any lazy sunday afternoon or when I'm cruising in my car, I always like to play Hall & Oates. Their songs are always upbeat eventhough the subject of the songs are not.
Hall & Oates is still together and active although these days, each of them do their own stuff. I think they are just enjoying their semi-retire(I don't know whether they have retired, this is just my assumption) life. These are really down to earth and likeable people.
I recently found out that Daryl has a show called Live From Daryl's House and I've been hanging out at his place quite often these days. Daryl invites other musicians, including John, to jam at his home. It's fun just watching them jam, no frill and no ego, just jamming each other's songs.
Daryl doesn't look like the pictures I posted here of course, people do get old you know but he is still as young as before where music is concerned. So please do go and check out his house, bring Hall & Oates into your lives. You won't regret it. Signing off, I leave a video clip of a funny moment between Pat Monahan of Train and Daryl.
