Abandoned Luncheonette Music

Average Rating:

All Hall and Oates albums have a lost gem or two hiding around, and ABANDONED LUNCHEONETTE's opening track seems to be one. "When the Morning Comes" is one of the best folk songs Hall and Oates wrote, and even the synthesized oboe it featured made it all the more strong. "Had I Known You Better Then" acts mainly as a flashback to one of John Oates's love affairs, and his lyrics, though mundane, tells the story well. "Las Vegas Turnaround" is a nod to the pop music of the time with a giggly subject about his girlfriend Sara (of "Sara Smile" fame) as an airline stewardess. "She's Gone," though, is a seamless songwriting collaboration between Hall and Oates. Poignant and with memorable lyrics and a greaceful melody, it is the best song on ABANDONED LUNCHEONETTE, and perhaps this is the only place to find it in its original five-minute length (with an exception of THE ATLANTIC COLLECTION).

This album is also great because "She's Gone" is not its only strong track. The title song has some of Hall's best lyrics, while the mandolin-driven "Lady Rain" has a somewhat sad and serious melody. The only weak song on ABANDONED LUNCHEONETTE is "Everytime I Look At You," a failed effort to fuse rock 'n roll with country music.

Hall and Oates have had a remarkable career, and they are known chiefly in rock history for the chart-topping peak period in the early and mid-1980s. While those period albums could be very good, only BIG BAM BOOM could match the strength of their 70s work. MARIGOLD SKY, Hall and Oates's 1997 comeback effort, was remarkable, and it actually captures the true Hall and Oates spirit more than any other of their records. While starters for Hall and Oates would do best with the double disc set STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN, ABANDONED LUNCHEONETTE would make a close follow-up in terms of overall quality.