This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Hall and Oates may be best known as purveyors of ’80s radio pop like Private Eyes, I Can’t Go For That and Meaneater. But anyone old enough to recall ’70s hits like Sara Smile, She’s Gone and Rich Girl — along with rockier albums like Along The Red Ledge — knows this Philadelphia duo deserve more respect.
Daryl (now sporting a middle-aged goatee) and John (now boldly moustache-free) do their best to remind us of that with their second reunion CD Do It For Love. Aside from the mandatory hook-filled leadoff track Man On A Mission, most of these 14 cuts find the boys reconnecting with their Philly soul and rock roots. The grooves are slightly darker and lightly funky, the vocals are earthy and deeper, and songs like Getaway Car, Miss DJ and Make You Stay have plenty of songwriting substance to go with the stylish production. One quibble about that: The silly techno squiggles that skip along the surface of these tracks may be there to make the boys sound more up to date — but really, they just make them seem like oldsters desperately trying to seem hip. Don’t bother, guys. We liked you fine just the way you were.
