Hall and Oates: Comprehensive

Daryl Hall just bought a house in my biographer Matty's hometown of Kittery, and to celebrate we listened to the best Hall and Oates greatest hits CD ever, Hall and Oates: Comprehensive.

The track list has in chronological order all twelve top ten singles the band had from the early 1980s, starting with "Kiss On My List" all the way to "Method of Modern Love"; then has "Everytime You Go Away", which Paul Young covered and made the most played song of 1985; after is their cover of "You Lost That Loving Feeling"; then you got three great 70s classics in "Rich Girl", "Sara Smile", and "She's Gone". Last but not least, the CD includes Change of Season's "So Close". The disc is a pure gem.

Whenever I mention the CD, the people I talk about it to are always incredulous that Hall and Oates had 12 top ten singles in the 80s. Most recently, Mads, my Norwegian companion, tried to name them all.

"Okay, 'Kiss On My List', um, 'Maneater'... 'Private Eyes', right?"

"That's three, keep going."

"'Method of Modern Love'... 'Say it Isn't so'... geez... um... 'Family Man'?"

"You're half way there."

"I know, and like Tommy and Gina, I'm livin' on a prayer... um... um... 'Adult Education'? Was that one?"

"Keep going."

"Man... 'Out of Touch', right?... okay, okay... I can do this... 'I Can't Go For That'!"

"Easy, killer, you still got three more."

"Three more? I thought I had two."

"You're at nine."

"Ah Christ... um... okay... 'You Make My Dreams Come True'!"

"Okay, two more."

"What?" He thought for a second. "Oh, 'Say It Isn't So', I can't believe I didn't already say that one."

"That's because you did."

It took another ten minutes before he finally gave up. The two he missed were "Did It in a Minute" and "One on One". He was pissed.

"Those were not top ten singles. I don't even remember them."

"Hey, big buddy, I don't make the rules, I just follow them."