RCA
1982
H2O
About This Album
Private Eyes solidified Hall & Oates' status as one of the most popular acts in America in the early '80s, and with 1982's H2O, they capitalized on its success, delivering an album that turned out to bigger than its predecessor, as it climbed higher on the charts and launched three Top Ten singles with "Maneater," "One on One," and "Family Man." Bigger isn't necessarily better, though, and in comparison to the glistening pop of Private Eyes, H2O pales somewhat, coming across as a little too serious, with its ambitions just being a little too evident. Take the claustrophobic, paranoid "Family Man" -- covering an art rocker like Mike Oldfield suggests a far different agenda than crafting a tribute to the Temptations, and while "Family Man" isn't as key to the album as "Looking for a Good Sign" was to Private Eyes, it does indicate the relatively somber tone of H2O. Not that the album is a tortured dark night of the soul -- how could it be, when John Oates kicks off the second side with the proudly silly "Italian Girls"? -- but the production and performances are precise and deliberate, effectively muting the pop thrills that spilled over on its predecessor.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8)

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