EDITORS’ NOTES

Voices heralded a new era for Daryl Hall & John Oates. Their transition from ‘70s AM soul men to the ‘80s’ most successful pop-rock architects occurred on this album. Voices pairs the best of Hall & Oates’ ‘70s work with the best of their ‘80s work. “How Does It Feel To Be Back” and “Everytime You Go Away” resound with the rapturous moans and groans of their ‘70s rock ’n’ soul, while “United State” and “Gotta Lotta Nerve” show just how easily the duo adapted to the snappy sounds of new wave. As with most Hall & Oates albums, there was at least one song that couldn’t be summed up with a simple list of references. Here, that song is “Africa,” which sports a throbbing proto-club rhythm that updates Motown for the Tron era. Of course, it was “Kiss On My List” that provided a singular bridge between the two eras, and served as the cataclysmic single that would push Hall & Oates into platinum territory and introduce them to the MTV generation.