Daryl Hall and John Oates, two young white Philadelphians, have recycled the essence of that city's good R&B music while retaining a white sound.
Their arrangement of "When the Morning Comes" has turned this basically three-chord song into AM chart material. The rhythm guitar pervades the chords of all the verses, playing in a constant open-G tuning (instead of letting
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the acoustic guitar dominate the track, as so many soft-rock groups do). The bass and drum syncopation lies at the center of the track, an arranging technique common to many soul records. And the melody is more adventurous than the typical handiwork of contemporary singer-songwriters.
Two other songs are potential hits: "She's Gone" (a song with a super-hook), and "Las Vegas Turnaround" (about a man who doesn't want everyone to "come on and fly" his stewardess girlfriend). On the former, Hall and Oates show off the wide range of their vocal technique, and their arranging skill, which creates an intriguing crescendo that (surprisingly) leads back to the verse instead of the hook.
Through overdubbing, the vocal sound has been rendered prudently lush. Daryl Hall's voice, in particular, is a winner. And not since the Rascals' Atlantic days has a white group made such good soul-influenced radio music. In fact, the group has been aided immeasurably by the presence of the Rascals' producer, Arif Mardin, who also contributes string and horn arrangements. Along with fine sessionmen, including drummer Bernard Purdie, they've made a genuine sleeper (it's been out a few months now). Everyone I know who hears it, falls for it instantly. (RS 160)
ROBERT AGUALLO
