Live In Dublin (2 CD / DVD)

Daryl Hall & John Oates

Concord Music Group, 2015

http://www.hallandoates.com

REVIEW BY: David Bowling

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 05/12/2015

Fresh from their induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Daryl Hall and John Oates performed in Ireland for the first time in their 40-plus year career. Accompanied by their touring band, they performed a 97 minute set at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin on July 15, 2014. That concert has been released as a two-CD and DVD box set.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

The concert is basically the duo revisiting many of their hits from the 1970s and 1980s. The CDs and DVD contain the same track list. Some of the hits are changed a bit, especially in the vocals and in allowing the different band members to solo. Daryl Hall’s voice has become more soulful as he has aged, which gives many of the songs a different patina. John Oates is the lead vocalist on “Back Together Again” and “Las Vegas Turnaround,” but otherwise provides the tight harmonies that the duo is known for.

For better or worse, their place in rock and roll history is that of a pop/rock band who dominated singles radio in the 1970s and 1980s with a series of catchy hits. Songs such as “Maneater,” “Rich Girl,” “I Can’t Go For That (No One Do),” “You Make My Dreams,” “Kiss On My List,” “Private Eyes,” and more may not have been appreciated by hard rock fans but sold millions of records and are considered pop classics today.

The Olympia Theatre is an intimate 1,600-seater, so the sound and energy bounces off the walls, which is very apparent on the DVD. Saxophonist Charlie DeChant shines with solos on “She’s Gone” and “I Can’t Go For That,” while guitarist Shane Theriot propels the music along.

Daryl Hall and John Oates have carved out a pop niche for themselves during the past four decades. Live In Dublin updates their career and brings it into the present, proving that they and their music still matter.

Rating: B+

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