Our Kind of Soul

1	Let Love Take Control
2	Standing in the Shadows of Love
3	I'll Be Around
4	Used Ta Be My Girl
5	Soul Violins
6	I Can Dream About You
7	Don't Turn Your Back on Me
8	Fading Away
9	Neither One of Us (Wants to be the First to Say Goodbye)
10	After the Dance
11	Rock Steady
12	Love TKO
13	Watcha See Is Watcha Get
14	Can't Get Enough of Your Love
15	You Are Everything
16	I'm Still in Love with You
17	O-O-H Child

Barnes & Noble

As their blue-eyed soul peer Michael McDonald did with his Motown collections, Daryl Hall and John Oates revisit the soul music of their youth on this album of covers. Recorded at Hall's home studio in the Bahamas, Our Kind of Soul, recasts a bushel of classics with organic interpretations. Since Hall & Oates hail from the City of Brotherly Love, it's no surprise that some of the songs come from the Philly International vaults of composers/producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. Among the notable examples of their revamped Philly soul classics is the O'Jays' "Used to Be My Girl," updated with a funky drum-loop, an acoustic reading of the Spinners' "I'll Be Around," and a romantic, more adult contemporary take on Teddy Pendergrass's "Love TKO." Elsewhere, the dynamic duo lend their timeless harmonies to a stripped-down arrangement of Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" and a thumping version of Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady." Most impressive are the original compositions sprinkled throughout, including the yearning "Soul Violins," distinguished by Hall's ever-soulful falsetto, and the string-laden, electric guitar-accented "Let Love Take Control." With Our Kind of Soul, Hall & Oates continue to honor the R&B legacy that's become such an inextricable part of their rock-'n'-soul sound. Dave Gil de Rubio

All Music Guide

Considering that soul has been at the foundation of Hall & Oates' sound throughout their career -- even their early folk-rock records had soulful underpinnings -- it only made sense for the duo to eventually cut their own soul tribute album. As the title suggests, that's exactly what 2004's Our Kind of Soul is: Hall & Oates' spin on their favorite soul sounds. This includes, of course, heavy doses of Philly soul and Motown, along with other smooth soul of the '70s. Most of the album is devoted to covers -- usually familiar tunes like "Standing in the Shadows of Love," "I'll Be Around," and "Used to Be My Girl," yet there are a couple of more obscure entries and a heavily rewritten "I Can Dream About You" (in his excellent track-by-track liner notes Daryl Hall reveals that Dan Hartman wrote the song with the duo in mind) -- but there is a handful of originals that fit into the vibe quite well, such as the lush "Soul Violins" and "Let Love Take Control." All the songs, whether they're covers or originals, are given a clean yet warm production similar to the pair's successful 2003 comeback effort, Do It for Love, but this is a little more laid-back and unassuming. Consequently, it doesn't make as big of an impression, but it's a friendly, mellow affair that finds Hall & Oates in good form. It's not quite as strong as Do It for Love, and its tasteful relaxed vibe may strike some fans of their '80s hits as being a little sleepy, but for longtime fans who like the folky Atlantic material as much as their blue-eyed soul, this is a nice, enjoyable listen. Stephen Thomas Erlewine