View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 4.0 (36 ratings)
- Date Released: July 27, 2004
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Pop
- Label: RCA/BMG Heritage
- Copyright: (P) 2004 BMG Music
The album that established Hall & Oates as the biggest pop-rock duo of the rock era
-
We Say...
Just how different was artist development back in the ’70s? Keep in mind that this was Daryl Hall and John Oates’s ninth album — and that they hadn’t been the most consistent of hit-makers during the ’70s, jumping around stylistically almost willy-nilly. But Voices — the first album on which Hall and Oates began producing themselves exclusively, using their road band in the studio and recording near their New York homes — changed that, beginning a hit streak that lasted through the middle of the ’80s and established them as the biggest pop-rock duo of the rock era.
Voices is sonically very new wave: trebly guitars, Hall’s brightly recorded and multi-tracked voice, the jerky stomp of songs like “Big Kids” and “Gotta Lotta Nerve” and “Hard to Be in Love with You.” Though the cover of the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” hits its marks OK, it’s a bit too stuffy to comfortably fit among the more louche company here.
“Lovin’ Feeling” went to No. 1, and so did “Kiss on My List,” one of the most emblematic records of the 1980s. A peerless advertisement of Hall as pop music’s ultimate bad boyfriend, “Kiss on My List” was gleaming and piano-driven, with the easy, breezy feel of the period’s West Coast radio pop. It’s a song you couldn’t help singing along to — and what you were singing was a deliberate slight. “I only smile when I lie,” Hall sings before capitulating that “your kiss is on my list of the best things in life” — hedging the whole time. There’s none of that on Voices’ third hit, though: “You Make My Dreams” (“come true”) has a very simple arrangement, centering on a dirty, strummed electric guitar, and a simple message that, after “Kiss on My List,” is a balm. -
They Say...
At the close of the '70s, Hall & Oates began inching toward a sleek, modern sound, partially inspired by the thriving punk and new wave scene and partially inspired by Daryl Hall's solo debut, Sacred Songs, a surprising and successful collaboration with art rock legend Robert Fripp. While 1979's X-Static found the duo sketching out this pop/soul/new wave fusion, it didn't come into fruition until 1980's Voices, which was their creative and commercial breakthrough. Essentially, Voices unveils the version of Hall & Oates that made them the most successful duo in pop history, the version that ruled the charts for the first half of the '80s. During the '70s, Hall & Oates drifted from folky singer/songwriters to blue-eyed soulmen, with the emphasis shifting on each record. On Voices, they place their pop craftsmanship front and center, and their production (assisted by engineer/mixer Neil Kernon) is clean, spacious, sleek, and stylish, clearly inspired by new wave yet melodic and polished enough for the mainstream. Thanks to the singles "Kiss on My List" and "You Make My Dreams" (and, to a lesser extent, their remake of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and the original version of the heartbreaking ballad "Everytime You Go Away," later popularized by Paul Young), the mainstream enthusiastically embraced Hall & Oates, and the ubiquitousness of these hits obscures the odder, edgier elements of Voices, whether it's the rushed, paranoid "United State," tense "Gotta Lotta Nerve (Perfect Perfect)," the superb Elvis Costello-styled "Big Kids," the postmodern doo wop tribute "Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear the Voices)," or even John Oates' goofy "Africa." Apart from the latter, these are the foundation of the album, the proof that the duo wasn't merely a stellar singles act, but expert craftsmen as writers and record-makers. The next few albums were bigger hits, but they topped the charts on the momentum created by Voices, and it still stands as one of their great records. [In 2004, RCA/BMG Heritage reissued Voices in a sorely needed remastered edition, containing good new liner notes from Ken Sharp but no bonus tracks.]
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 11 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 11 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
How Does It Feel To Be Back |
4:35 |
|
| 02. | |
Big Kids |
3:39 |
|
| 03. | |
United State |
3:10 |
|
| 04. | |
Hard To Be In Love With You |
3:38 |
|
| 05. | |
Kiss On My List |
4:24 |
|
| 06. | |
Gotta Lotta Nerve (Perfect Perfect) |
3:35 |
|
| 07. | |
You've Lost That Loving Feeling |
4:36 |
|
| 08. | |
You Make My Dreams |
3:10 |
|
| 09. | |
Everytime You Go Away |
5:21 |
|
| 10. | |
Africa |
3:39 |
|
| 11. | |
Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear The Voices) |
3:43 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 43:30 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like Daryl Hall And John Oates, check out these member playlists
Explore music recommended by Daryl Hall And John Oates fans
Credits
- Hall & Oates - Main Performer // Hall & Oates - Main Performer // Daryl Hall - Synthesizer // Daryl Hall - Percussion // Daryl Hall - Producer // Daryl Hall - Vocoder // Daryl Hall - Group Member // Chuck Burgi - Percussion // Chuck Burgi - Drums // Charles DeChant - Saxophone // Neil Kernon - Engineer // Neil Kernon - Mixing // Mike Klvana - Synthesizer // Mike Klvana - Equipment Technician // Jerry Marotta - Drums // Tommy Mottola - Direction // John Oates - Guitar // John Oates - Percussion // John Oates - Guitar (12 String) // John Oates - Producer // John Oates - Group Member // John Palermo - Assistant Engineer // Ralph Schuckett - Organ // John Siegler - Bass // G.E. Smith - Guitar // Jeff Southworth - Guitar // Jeff Southworth - Soloist // Bruce Tergesen - Engineer // Ken Sharp - Liner Notes // J.J. Stelmach - Art Direction // Ebet Roberts - Photography // Darcy Proper - Mastering // Chris Eselgroth - Design // Chris Eselgroth - Reissue Art Director // Rob Santos - Reissue Producer // Masashi Kuwamoto - Photography // Sara Allen - Cover Design // Jeremy Holiday - Reissue Producer // Jo Smith - Assistant Engineer
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC