Rock N' Soul [CD]

Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's hybrid SACD reissue presents nine Top 10 Hall and Oates singles with awe-inspiring detail and palpable realism. Lifelike tones grace the array of guitars, pianos, basses, and voices placed against synthesized backdrops. Each member's singing claims enhanced intimacy and balance. The collective harmonies sound sharper, the dynamics richer, and the soundstages wider and deeper. While the tandem's peers often relied on robotic mechanisms and now-dated keyboard devices, Hall and Oates wisely merge the period's savvy styles with tried-and-true soulful instrumentation.