Marigold Sky

Daryl Hall & John Oates

Push Records, 1997

http://www.hallandoates.com

REVIEW BY: Eric E5S16

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 07/15/1998

It had been seven years since Daryl Hall & John Oates released a new album. In 1990, Change Of Season was released, and when it was announced in 1997 that H&O were due with a new album, it was just a matter of waiting for the new release to hit the stores. Marigold Sky is that album, and since I am a huge fan of this duo, without hearing any media reviews concerning the album, it was quite obvious for me to pick up this new release. (I don't know what the reviews were; I can say that I was not disappointed with this album.)

Hall & Oates' music in the past had a 1970s soul feel. But on Marigold Sky, the first six songs have a standard pop-rock sound, and some songs (from the first six) meets the standards of today's rock and alternative. (That's a surprise!) The remaining six songs are your standard Hall and Oates' soul-inspired regulars.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

The first six songs - An Update: Hall and Oates meet the 1990s...

"Romeo Is Bleeding" starts out the album, yet it doesn't have the soul of their past hit, "Say It Isn't So", it is a bouncy pop song. The title track, "Marigold Sky"'s main verses has a sound similar to John Mellencamp's most recent material, as in "Just Another Day", from his album called Mr. Happy Go Lucky.

"The Sky Is Falling" is another pop-rock song, and it has a gentle feeling to it. "Out Of The Blue" has a more grittier rock sound. Likewise, "Want To" and "Love Out Loud" are songs with grit, and both have an alternative/rock style that could become regular playlist items on any alternative rock station. (YIKES!! That's different for Hall and Oates, but I'm not complaining...)

The remaining six songs - Back to Basics

These remaining tunes captures the sweet soul sound Hall & Oates are famous for. "Throw The Roses Away", is a ballad. Having a 1990s sound to it, this is a song that Boyz II Men could of easily recorded. "I Don't Think So" has a 1970s soul feel to it. The solo-Lionel Richie sounding tune, "Promise Ain't Enough", is another soft ballad that is enjoyable and has a smooth new-age jazz style.

"Time Won't Pass Me By"'s guitar works is compared to those heard in Barry White's songs. "Hold On To Yourself" is a funky number, mixing both styles of the 1970s and 1990s. "War Of Words" closes out the album, and is another soft ballad done well, only Hall and Oates can do.

Marigold Sky's beginning tracks are different than the common sound normally heard by Daryl Hall and John Oates. It's pop rock, and songs with a harder rock edge. This is considered Side One. Side Two returns the duo back to what they were famous for: Recording tunes with a sound compared to soul, mixing this style to the 1990s style of today (in some cases).

For the die-hard H&O fan, Marigold Sky is not a disappointment. This album returns the duo back to their common ground popularity, meaning that Hall and Oates can still write and record songs in their usual style, even if the sound of today's popular music is different to theirs. Hall and Oates didn't change their style of music completely, they just took their normal sound and updated it. Hall and Oates are just one of many few white artists that can truly capture the sound of sweet soul music, and stamp their names as part of that musical style.

Rating: A

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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© 1998 Eric E5S16 and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Push Records, and is used for informational purposes only.