Album Review – “Arkansas” by John Oates. Yes, That John Oates
One of the primary knocks on Americana music has always been that it acts as a retirement home for old rock and country artists. And let’s be honest, that is probably not an unfair assessment of the situation, at least in certain circumstances. So when you started seeing John Oates—known mostly heretofore for his musical efforts with Daryl Hall—begin to show up at functions such as the Americana Music Awards, you knew what lay in store even before the press releases were officially handed out.
When it comes to artists who at one point enjoyed massive mainstream success, it’s easy to overlook the finer details of their career and instead focus on the bigger moments you most easily remember. But that doesn’t mean that any artist’s body of work isn’t filled with much more substance, and their influences and taste aren’t much more aligned with your own than you might expect.
When you think Hall & Oates, you think of albums like Private Eyes, which nearly defined schlocky 80s studio pop rock that wasn’t ballsy enough for hair metal, or refined enough for Yacht Rock. But like most all artists, early influences and overall acumen are rarely represented by what makes it onto the Billboard Hot 100.
So John Oates wanted to make a bluesy and rootsy Americana record. As a fan of rootsy Americana, it’s hard to blame him. This sounds like a much better idea than a Private Eyes reenactment. Arkansas is a passion project. John Oates is nearing 70. He’s not trying to revitalize his career necessarily, or ride some big Americana wave to twilight superstardom (or if he is, then the joke is on him). Instead the impetus here is for John Oates to make a record that he’s wanted to make for many years. It’s a bucket list thing. But like all artists, he wants to share as well, and hopefully have as many people hear it as possible.
It may be a stretch to call this record great, but John Oates did a great job executing what he set out to accomplish, which is to capture his passion for old blues music, with some mandolin and twangy textures involved too. And the title track “Arkansas” is a pretty good song, at least from someone like John Oates. “Surprising” feels like the right word when you see the name “John Oates,” and then hear what’s going on here. For some people, the drawback to this record will be the participation of John Oates because of preconceived notions, while to others this will be the point of interest. But for both, his level of passion for old roots music music will impress you.
That said, Arkansas is still definitely hewn in that typical old white guy Americana way of incorporating blues modes in an attempt to infuse music with soul, even if little soul resides in the actual artist or performance. But this is a bit more forgivable coming from John Oates, who is trying to make a period piece here, as opposed to some 20-something roots hipster in East Nashville looking to launch a career by appropriating some throwback accent. Still, John Oates is a guy who was born in New York and raised in Philadelphia trying to sing old blues music from the south, and this looms over your head while listening.
Also, there are a lot of songs on here that it’s fair to question if we need another version of, like “Pallet Soft and Low, and “Stack O Lee.” The singing voice of John Oates is not what it once was, but perhaps this was one of the other inspirations for this record, since a little rasp fits this material pretty well. John Oates also procured some great players to help flesh out this project, including Sam Bush on mandolin, Russ Pahl on pedal steel, Guthrie Trapp on electric guitar, and Steve Mackey on bass, giving it great textures and a bit more audio authenticity.
Arkansas is what it is, which is sort of a boutique roots record done well by a guy you may not expect to do so. It won’t become the big talk of music or anything, beyond possibly the title track making an impression in Americana. But hey, it’s better than “Kiss On My List,” and shows that a passion for roots music resides in a much wider swath of musicians than you may expect, as does the skill to play it. And who knows, perhaps John Oates name will turn on some new folks to some older and important music.
Arkansas may not be a great record, but it’s great that John Oates made it, and it’s surprisingly better than what you may expect.
1 1/2 Guns Up (7/10)
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February 15, 2018 @ 9:22 am
Trig, come on. You’d never write “that typical old black guy jazzy way of incorporating the whole-tone scale in an attempt to infuse blues music with harmonic intelligence.” So why the condescension toward Oates and others who obviously love and respect the blues enough to make it part of their own musical selves? Sorry to be sharp about this, but our mediasphere is full of unhelpful and unAmerican divisions. You’re one of the good guys. Don’t slip, steady on, etc.
February 15, 2018 @ 9:34 am
I’ve been very consistent over the years in pointing out when people like Buddy Miller, Steve Earle, and others try to sound like out black guys when they’re old white guys playing blues music. That doesn’t mean they can’t do it well, and I thought I went out of my way not to condescend John Oates here, but to give him credit for making this record and doing it with skill and passion. I’m not joining some political wave. I just feel like this is something fair to both John Oates and the old blues signers to point out.
February 15, 2018 @ 10:48 am
Fair enough, and I sure don’t mean to be a prick about it. Oates isn’t alone in emulating old blues singers. (Tom Waits, anyone?) There’s a loooong line of singers who feel Howlin’ Wolf and want to sing a similar way. It’s a powerful thing, and there’s no shame in it unless you’re trying to mock those old guys. In which case, you deserve to be mocked in return.
Cheers Trig, keep up the good work. I followed the Ameripolitan live blog thing up until rockabilly. Kinda disappointed OHora didn’t win, but the Reeves win made me look into them more.
February 15, 2018 @ 12:12 pm
If you stay dedicated to a genre of music for more than 20 years, you are past the point of emulating.
February 16, 2018 @ 8:14 am
It has been going on for 60 years now. It probably started around the time of Elvis Presley and Pat Boone. I just finished the Dave Von Ronk autobiography (good read) and he talked about it with the folk revival of the 60’s. He was a New York guy trying to sound like country blues singers. He liked that style though so hard to knock him. As you said, as long as they don’t mock them.
February 19, 2018 @ 2:53 pm
Hey, if you’re singing blues, you’re gonna sound like the guys who invented the form. That’s the sound. A young black guy singing the blues will follow the form, too. You can call that ’emulating” the originators, or you can call it signing the blues. It’s the feeling that matters.
February 19, 2018 @ 3:09 pm
That said, I’m not sure about the cotton fields imagery.
February 15, 2018 @ 9:52 am
Intersting. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
The one thing I’ll add is Oates didn’t need to make this project for $. Hall & Oats has been experiencing a popularity resurgence – a “Hipster Revival” as the PPG put it last year. They sold out the arena here last summer with 20-something millennials. It’s a strange phenomenon.
February 15, 2018 @ 10:00 am
Even better that instead of trying to make some silly retro Hall & Oates project, he decided to make a cool old roots record. Hopefully some of those Millenials will listen and get turned on to it.
February 16, 2018 @ 8:28 am
Agree. I will never fault an older musician for making new music and trying new things. They are musicians after all and enjoy making music. If they don’ want to do the greatest hits tours for 30-40 years, good for them.
I saw Neil Young with Lukas Nelson a year or so ago. It was one of the best concerts I’ve seen in a few years. All his new music may not be great but at 70+ he is still putting out new music. He’s not going around playing “Heart of Gold” for the rest of his life. In fact, some people at the show complained that he didn’t do enough of the older well known songs such as “Heart of Gold” which he did not play.
February 15, 2018 @ 10:14 am
“One of the primary knocks on Americana music has always been that it acts as a retirement home for old rock and country artists. And let’s be honest, that is probably not an unfair assessment of the situation, at least in certain circumstances.”
I have been trying for years to find a definition for “Americana”. The above quote is not sufficient, but it is a start.
February 15, 2018 @ 10:55 am
But they have been making strong efforts in the last few years to incorporate more younger artists. But then they get knocked for being the farm system for the mainstream.
February 15, 2018 @ 11:23 am
It may be that Oates had wanted to do this kind of project for a while, but certainly his exploration of some of the ethnic music that led to the birth of rock and roll in the first place is well-earned, given that he and Daryl Hall worked their way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
As for the age-old question of “What Is ‘Americana’?”, my ballpark definition, for what it’s worth, is that it has its roots in the 1960s folk music movement, where young up-and-coming musicians of the time who were probably raised on the country music of the early 1950s and the earliest rock and roll records got into exploring much older forms of folk music and ultra-traditional country music (including bluegrass), most of which had been forgotten by the Nashville mainstream of that time (save for one Johnny Cash), and then integrated it with the rock and roll of the 1960s. Such a long-winded definition, I know, and I may have only touched the surface of it, but there it is…again, for what it’s worth.
February 16, 2018 @ 2:38 pm
Americana has enough variety in it that it requires a rather long-winded definition.
I think yours is pretty good.
February 15, 2018 @ 11:24 am
Agree on that. Just adds to the “melting pot” of Americana. Oh well, if we never have a definition for it, at least we can still enjoy the music!
February 15, 2018 @ 11:40 am
Americana is what used to be called rock and roll. Mellencamp, Springsteen, Chris Whitley, The Band, even Steve Earle was an FM rock radio staple when Guitar Town came out. Americana, Ameripolitan, alt-country, etc just confuse, confound, and muddy already dark waters. Isbell, though great, ain’t country. Sturgill can do country, but 25 years ago he’d be viewed as a roots rocker. Stapleton would be labelled a rocker as well back when things made a little more sense. Roots rock, heartland rock, etc helped delineate the earthier guys from Talking Heads, U2, REM, etc. This is why old rockers go Americana. Cause it’s what most of them were doing to some extent all along.
February 15, 2018 @ 11:56 am
Yes
February 16, 2018 @ 8:43 am
This discussion could last weeks. You are right, Americana does incorporate the rootsier side of rock. Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson are perfect current examples as neither are country. That is only part though as it also incorporates folkier, more traditional music. Looking at the current chart, someone like First Aid Kit aren’t really rock but more folk. Americana also includes country artists that aren’t really accepted by country such as LeeAnn Womack.
Current chart also has Mavis Staples and Sharon Jones as well so in some ways, Americana is the “American” music (yes, I know First Aid Kit isn’t American) that doesn’t fit anywhere else.
February 16, 2018 @ 9:20 am
I see your point, but Crosby, Still, & Nash, Jim Croce, Dylan, etc all are/were folk artists, but we’re accepted under the umbrella of rock and roll or popular music. Pop didn’t used to be a dirty word. Look at who performed at Woodstock: Richie Havens, Hendrix, Country Joe, the Who, Sly Stone, Grateful Dead, and on and on. All sorts of sub genres represented, but all played on FM rock stations. As for non-mainstream country artists, they’re just that: country artists. The fact that they’re not played on the main radio format doesn’t change what they are. Twenty years ago, Haggard, Jones, and a slew of other country acts had been bounced out of their radio format. But they were still country. They didn’t become Americana. At best, Americana is a radio format/award show category. A confounding, confusing one. It isn’t a genre or type of music.
February 15, 2018 @ 11:50 am
I’ll have to give this some attention. The subject brings to my mind a bluegrass project done by Tommy Shaw of Styx a few years back. I remember the folks over at the old Engine 145 thought pretty highly of it, and bluegrass was one of their things. Never did get around to checking it out.
February 15, 2018 @ 2:53 pm
judging by the sample here the music is pretty good. I’d buy it. if I had a job and money. stupid politically biased people took my job.
February 15, 2018 @ 3:42 pm
u shuda nown u cud not run that still for ever fuzz n so the law cawt up to u so now wut do ya do what duz the new project sound like n win is ablum comin out n win is the toer?
February 15, 2018 @ 7:59 pm
Sorry to hear you lost your gig. Mine has been touch and for a while now.
February 15, 2018 @ 8:00 pm
edit: “touch and go”
February 15, 2018 @ 3:14 pm
I’m loving the song Arkansas. Cool video, too.
February 15, 2018 @ 4:33 pm
Opinions on albums sometimes appear to be more based on who the artist is, than what the music is.
February 15, 2018 @ 4:57 pm
Nothing ” schlocky ” about anything Daryl Hall & John Oates ever recorded.
Until this.
February 15, 2018 @ 6:03 pm
I’m with you here Willie.
Those guys were masters of the craft and incorporated ALL elements INCLUDING healthy doses of soulful vocal . Their titles/hooks and lyrics were among the best and most unforgettable …. their grasp of melody, intervals , and harmonies was far more than just about anyone working then or today ….( especially in “country ” music ) , the musical grooves were varied , distinctive and DANCEABLE without being straight up disco , which , of course , was and still is the easy way out for lesser acts, and the music was ( and still is ) played by more than competent players who played THE SONG not just gratuitous parts and solos ( again …CRAFT 101 ) .
A lot of thought and work went into making the Hall and Oates stuff SOUND almost effortless….and to incorporate and use slickness of production and recording right alongside all of the aforementioned elements . No ” hands-off-Cobb” going on there ….GREAT inspiring , stimulating and , obviously , timeless productions which realized beautifully the visions of two gifted POP artists who seemingly cranked out the best pop music around in their sleep .
February 16, 2018 @ 9:40 am
Agree completely with albert, and would also like to say that some of the best work from H&O was created beginning with the Marigold Sky cd, released in 1997.
February 15, 2018 @ 5:17 pm
He sounds (and looks) a bit like Kix Brooks.
February 19, 2018 @ 2:59 pm
Interesting, because Brooks and Oates both made their fortunes as partners with two of the best singers anywhere.
February 15, 2018 @ 6:07 pm
there are far worse songs around…..Oates finds the vocal conviction and character required to deliver stuff like this with authenticity .
I wish someone had tuned that mandolin
February 16, 2018 @ 4:48 am
Since that is the great Sam Bush on the mandolin I would imagine he has the tuning exactly the way he wants it Albert. I agree with your assessment of this tune though. His voice has aged enough over the years to give him that conviction and character you mention. Hall and Oates were good at what they did back in the ’80s, I suppose, though I never cared for them, but I will buy this if the rest of the album is as good as this song.
February 17, 2018 @ 11:26 am
well …..Sam is undeniably out of tune …to the track , at least ……, and I’d suggest that this huge distraction off the top of the song is one that somehow just slipped by .
February 15, 2018 @ 6:51 pm
I think you are too hard on Hall & Oates. Actually I think you are wrong. I think they did good pop songs with hooks and I will stand on Burt Bacharach’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.
February 16, 2018 @ 8:47 am
Get off my table. Hall and Oates weren’t my favorite but Burt Bacharach especially when done by Dionne Warwick is great.
February 17, 2018 @ 9:12 am
I agree with Ron. Warwick’s interpretations of Bacharach-David are some of the finest pop records we have.
February 15, 2018 @ 8:26 pm
There is nothing real about this. That damn mando tunning is killing me. This sounds like a commercial for the Arkansas Department of Tourism. I love Hall & Oates but I can’t pretend this is very good. I’m surprised at your rating Trigger. The way I feel about John Oates is the same way I feel about Marty Stuart… I like him and his spirit but the music is just okay.
February 15, 2018 @ 8:57 pm
Only a dimwit would call Private Eyes or any of their R&B hits “schlocky”. Hall and Oates made some great songs back in the day, taking the new synthesizer to heights of glory and helping define the sound of the 80s. Trigger you are entitled to your opinion but how about forming an informed one?
February 16, 2018 @ 12:00 am
Sorry, but I “grew up” in the 80’s and we spent our time trying to find music that didn’t sound like that Hall and Oates synthesizer pop crap. Didn’t define anything for me or anyone I knew seriously listening to and playing music back then. The synthesizer has its place in music, maybe with The Who or something. But Hall and Oates? Give me a break…
February 16, 2018 @ 9:03 am
Amen!
Grew up in the 80s and can’t stand all that electronicized BS. Synthesizers and keyboards is what spurred me to start listening to country music more seriously. Hall & Oates is a bad joke, like most 80s pop.
This song was ok, IMO.
February 16, 2018 @ 10:25 am
I grew up in the ’70s and liked them OK then. She’s Gone is a classic, I think. Sarah Smile and Rich Girl were pretty good. I don’t remember getting into any of their other hits much. I did buy a live album of theirs in the ’80s after a local rock station had their cover of Sam and Dave’s When Something’s Wrong With My Baby, which was my introduction to the song. They did a good job on it.
February 17, 2018 @ 9:06 am
I’m from that era too so there are some good memories there with this music. But I always thought that Daryl did most of the singing, at least the hits. I do enjoy his Daryl’s House videos on YouTube, fun and some good colaborations.
February 17, 2018 @ 9:53 am
But I always thought that Daryl did most of the singing, at least the hits.
Yeah, I think you’re right there. I believe you can pick out Oates’s lower voice on She’s Gone. And they basically did a duet on their cover of Something’s Wrong With My Baby. Here’s a link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtQHnLX3–Q
December 20, 2024 @ 3:47 pm
If you don’t like Daryl Hall & John Oates, then you don’t like music.
February 16, 2018 @ 6:11 am
speaking of pop music someone made a song writeing copyright claim against Taylor Swift, ( who has been often mentioned/praised at SCM),
claim dismissed…. according to one report I read the judge stated
“The allegedly infringed lyrics are short phrases that lack the modicum of originality and creativity required for copyright protection,” Fitzgerald added.
In Fitzgerald’s opinion, the lyrics can’t be protected under the Copyright Act because they’re “too brief, unoriginal, and uncreative.”
Best Taylor Swift review I’ve seen.
February 16, 2018 @ 8:51 am
Not trying to defend Taylor Swift but that’s not really how I read that. The copyright suit probably pointed at small portions in the lyrics of the song and said that they were copied from another. That really doesn’t reflect on the entire song.
February 16, 2018 @ 11:57 am
You are probably right;
But this still means….. portions of her song are unoriginal and uncreative.
February 16, 2018 @ 6:11 am
writing
February 16, 2018 @ 1:18 pm
Oates co-wrote and performed on a couple tracks from the Yarn album “Shine Your Light On” a few years back, so it’s not completely appropo of nothing that he’d record an Americana album.
February 16, 2018 @ 7:50 pm
This reminds me…a William Shatner country record is on the way…smh
February 18, 2018 @ 12:14 pm
You mention “throwback accent” regarding some of the Americana acts. This has always been one of my beefs with radio country more than Americana. I mean name me a country artist that actually has a rural background these days. Maybe there are a few, but clearly they are mostly suburban and urban kids that didn’t grow up speaking with anything approaching the sounds that come out of their mouths on record. It is almost like a minstrel show when you combine it with the go to cliches that have replaced lyrics. Besides being bad, it is pretty insulting.
February 18, 2018 @ 8:56 pm
John has been singing soul music since way back before he partnered with Daryl and was featured singing lead more often on their earlier albums before they had big 80s hits. There’s probably 8 or so albums before She’s Gone and the Private Eyes/H2o era. He moved to Nashville several years ago and fell in with the local music community. One of the best songs on Jim Lauderdale’s last album was a co-write with John.
February 19, 2018 @ 11:13 am
Not going to lie, H&O are fun to sing along to whenever you are feeling some 80s nostalgia. They were fun pop songs and nothing more. And that’s what’s great about it, Hall knows where those songs belong and respects genres as you can clearly see with this album. He is not trying to make a cash cow by blurring lines between genres.