John Oates - 1000 Miles Of Life (2008)

John Oates, one half of Hall and Oates, the biggest selling duo in pop music history, issued a very interesting solo CD in 2008 called 1000 Miles Of Life. It's not overloaded with the catchy hooks that are a trademark of his famous band but it's still a good enough outing to make you wonder why their long and stellar career was so dominated by Daryl Hall.

Many fans of the superstar, 80s version of Hall and Oates may not realize that they began life as a folk-pop duo. The music they made in the early 70s was more singer-songwriter oriented even though blue-eyed soul was still a component of their work. Their best album from this period, Abandoned Luncheonette, (1972) was the perfect synthesis of folk and R & B. The highlight of the record was the single "She's Gone." It would take several more years for both the song and the album to become a hit after the success of "Sara Smile" but today they are considered classics.

1000 Miles of Life is Oates second solo CD (the first was Phunk Shui in 2002) and it has far more in common with Abandoned Luncheonette than anything he and Hall recorded during their glory years. There are lots of acoustic guitars, strings, some dobro courtesy of Jerry Douglas, and banjo from Bela Fleck. Bonnie and Bekka Bramlett sing back up and The Blind Boys of Alabama harmonize superbly on "Sending Me Angels." John Popper and Steve Cropper also help out and the late T Bone Wolk plays bass.

There is some funkiness for sure. The title cut, "Ghost Town," and "Carved In Stone" all have a soul inflected groove. There is a folky remake of the title track from Change Of Season, Hall & Oates' last album before their 1990 hiatus. The songs are deeply personal and reflect the rocker's personal life at the time. Oates is philosophical but never depressing. His singing proves he should take the lead vocals for H & O far more often and his songwriting is the equal of Hall's. All in all, it's a rewarding release from the underrated half of the much underrated duo.

Here is an interview Oates did for the CD in March 2008 before he even recorded it in Nashville.

Comments

  1. music obsessive10:17 AM, April 18, 2010

    Interesting. I never realised that John Oates had released any solo stuff - so now I know!

    That's what I love about blogs, you learn something new every day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Perplexio10:10 AM, April 19, 2010

    I might just have to check this one out. I dig me some Bela Fleck! Solid stuff! The thought of Fleck collaborating with John Oates intrigues me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sean Coleman10:07 PM, April 20, 2010

    Very interested to hear what his solo work sounds like. Just watched the interview. Pretty stellar cast that he worked with.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

WHAT'S HOT TODAY!

Slower Than Slow: 16 RPM Records

Image
Have you ever heard of a long forgotten vinyl format, the 16 2/3 RPM record? They were half the speed of the 33 1/3 RPM albums that were the traditional standard for recorded music. Most record players in the 1950s and 1960s came with a speed setting to play these long forgotten discs that were considered novelties even during the years they were available. Because most, but not all, 16s had big holes and were 7" in diameter many of them were mistaken for 45 RPMs and at that size the speed allowed for up to 20 minutes of playing time per side. However, there was no true standard size and they were also manufactured to be 9, 10, or 12 inches in diameter, and these larger records played even longer. Just like the other speeds and formats 16s could be played one record at a time or stacked on a changer for continuous play. Radio stations often used the discs for pre-recorded radio shows containing interviews, dramas, and documentaries. More frequen...
Read more

The Band - Christmas Must Be Tonight (1977)

Image
In 2006 Hall and Oates released Home For Christmas , their one and only holiday album, an extremely good set of music that immediately became one of my favorite seasonal listens. I wrote then that I was stunned at how many overtly religious songs the famous duo put on the the disc considering the very politically correct climate of the new millennium. One of them was a cover version of a song that alluded me for almost thirty years, "Christmas Must Be Tonight." I liked the new, upbeat track sung by Daryl Hall and it made me go out and search for Robbie Robertson's never-to-be classic. Sung by Rick Danko, it appears on the great American band's last album, Islands (1977). It's a surprise that a group whose members were not known to have any specific or powerfully strong religious beliefs would release a song that tackled the subject of Jesus's birth as blatantly as our most loved Christmas carols. It's not about a reckless reinde...
Read more

The Chieftains With Jackson Browne - The Rebel Jesus (1991)

Image
"The Rebel Jesus" is a Christmas song composed by Jackson Browne and performed with The Chieftains, the eclectic, veteran Irish folk band on  The Bells of Dublin,  their 1991 holiday album. Browne wrote the song specifically for his guest appearance on this record. The singer-songwriter, who is deservedly in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, can be a bit preachy when he wants to be, and he is again here, but no one can dispute what the man is saying.  The last two verses are the key to the song. Browne points out that people often feel more generous at Christmas so they'll give to those who were less fortunate than themselves during the holidays. But, if anyone tries to dig deeper and root out the poverty that envelops the downtrodden they are often scorned like Jesus was. This message is coming from a man who is admittedly a "heathen and a pagan," but on this occasion he is "on the side of the rebel Jesus." At the same time Browne doesn't want to sp...
Read more

The Beatles - Christmas Messages (1963 - 1969)

Image
For seven straight years beginning in 1963 - even before they were famous in America - The Beatles recorded annual Christmas messages exclusively for their fan club members as a holiday thank you. They were issued on seven-inch, vinyl records that were very thin, very bendable, and easily damaged. These flexi-discs, as they were called, could not be stacked on record changers. Over the years the tracks have been bootlegged in countless ways, and until a few years ago the only legal release was sent to fan club members in 1970 on 33 RPM vinyl records after the boys from Liverpool went their separate ways. The LP cover shown here is from that album. Finally, in 2017, a limited edition box set  on colored vinyl was released and is now an expensive collector's item. Many Beatles fans managed to hear these records over the years, and with the Internet being what it is, there are several websites where anyone can easily listen to all of them.  Archive.org ...
Read more

Chicago: An Album By Album Analysis Of The Terry Kath Era (1969 - 1977)

Image
The original lineup of Chicago has always been one of my all time favorite bands. My affection for this great horn band is such that I want to discuss all of the albums they recorded before Terry Kath's unfortunate and accidental passing. Their debut album is now forty years old, and it's followup is not far behind, yet their music endures to this day. * * * * * Everyone Must Own * * * * Excellent * * * Good * * Fair * Poor * * * * * Chicago Transit Authority (1969) - Whether they were playing screaming psychedelic hard rock, jazz, blues, or love songs, everyone in the band proved they were worthy of the huge mass success that followed CTA 's release. The band's ability to play anything and play it well is the hallmark of their debut album. The stars are Robert Lamm, Terry Kath, and the horns, and even Peter Cetera demonstrates he can be a rock and roll animal when he wants to be. The standout tracks are Lamm's "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It...
Read more