Daryl Hall
and
John Oates
came back to
the Troubadour
to record and film the material for this combination CD/DVD 35 years after they played their first Los Angeles show at the club. Taken from performances on May 22 and May 23 of 2008, the 19 songs occupy two CDs, the accompanying DVD presenting a filmed document of the same versions of the tunes. Most of their biggest hits are executed, along with a few of their more warmly regarded lesser-known titles, like
"When the Morning Comes,"
which was on their
Abandoned Luncheonette
album the year they first played
.
Hall & Oates
had already issued some live recordings prior to this release, but for what it's worth, six of these songs were never before available on a concert release, including
"Everything Your Heart Desires."
The duo sing well and professionally as expected, and while the arrangements might be a little less fancy than those heard on the studio prototypes (it's a little odd to hear their guitars take such prominence on
"Maneater,"
for instance), the backing of horns and rhythm section from their band creates a pretty full sound. With better and more definitive versions of the famous songs here having been long available elsewhere, it's hard to recommend this as a necessary purchase, though devoted
fans should be pleased. The well-filmed DVD differs from the CD, incidentally, in the inclusion of separate interviews with
Hall
Oates
about various aspects of their career, each lasting about five minutes each. ~ Richie Unterberger