This morning, my Ipod was shuffling away, and hit on some Hall and Oates. That made me think of the Hall and Oates playlist that I had made for the Ipod, and I quickly navigated towards it.
Within that playlist is one of my all-time favorite musical segues that happens in the opening moments of the 1984 Hall and Oates release Big Bam Boom.
Big Bam Boom opens with an opening sequence that pays a bit of musical homage to Grandmaster Flash’s “White Lines.” Appropriately titled “Dance On Your Knees,” the track slips seamlessly into “Out of Touch,” and before you even realize that you’re into the second track, you’re off and rolling through one of the more musically adventurous Hall and Oates releases of the 80s.
Dance On Your Knees/Out of Touch
And how can you not dig this video?
Hall and Oates – Out of Touch
With the above video, Hall and Oates made an impression with me that was further intensified by the band’s concert performance at Liberty Park in Jersey City, NJ on July 4th, 1985, several days before their performance at Live Aid. As I recall, the full show was broadcast live by HBO, subsequently released on VHS(long out of print,) and unfortunately is not available on DVD.
On my wish list of things that I wish would come out on DVD, The Liberty Concert is smack at the top of the list.
I can summarize Hall and Oates in 22 tracks. Grab the Looking Back import compilation, add the live version of “Wait for Me” and “Say it Isn’t So” from Rock and Soul, and throw in “Dance On Your Knees/Out of Touch,” “Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid,” and “Possession Obsession,” from Big Bam Boom, and you’re done!
And while you’re at it, grab the audio from The Liberty Concert below – as Hall and Oates live shows go, this one is one of the better ones.
Speaking of good live stuff from Hall and Oates, “Acoustic Power” – remember those words.
We’ll get to that.
Hall and Oates
The Liberty Concert
Liberty Park
Jersey City, New Jersey
7/4/85
Track List:
Dance On Your Knees / Out of Touch
Family Man
Rich Girl
Say It Isn’t So
You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
Method of Modern Love
Maneater
Adult Education
You Make My Dreams Come True
Hot Fun in the Summertime
Kiss On My List
I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)
Private Eyes
Complete Zipped Download
Relevant Links:
Hall and Oates official website
Purchase – Daryl Hall and John Oates – Looking Back from Amazon – CD
Purchase – Hall and Oates – Big Bam Boom (with bonus tracks) from Amazon – CD or MP3
Purchase – Hall and Oates – Rock and Soul Part One (with bonus tracks) from Amazon – CD or MP3
Matt shoots he scores! I was in my mid-20’s when H2O were big, and loved, loved, loved their stuff. When I hear stuff like this, I’m 20 again, if only for a few minutes.
Thanks, Matt. I needed to be 25 tonight.
I was at that Liberty Concert show. It was hot as a motherfucker. I went with a girlfriend, who I treated like crap (at the concert and generally), and now have regretted it for over 20 years.
Ann – we all have those moments where we need to go back a little bit….that’s why I started this blog – to have a place to do just that….and of course put down thoughts about the present as well!
The H2O album was one of my early album purchases, on cassette – listened to it from side one to side two, back to side one, over and over again!
Dan – I always LOVE reading comments like this, and stories from people that were at a famous show. I can remember watching the broadcast, and it looked like a scorcher for sure, even on television!
As for the girlfriend – sorry to hear that. I think we have times (not necessarily girlfriend related) in general that we wish we could rewind and redo. It makes us human, for sure.
Thanks for stopping by!
As I understand it, the HBO special was just a one hour excerpt from this show… they broadcast the entire concert (3+ hours) on radio that day. Would love to hear all the OTHER stuff they played that night! 🙂
Dave – wow…..well, my next Hall and Oates post might interest you and others that want more more more…I’m planning to put it online in the next day or so.
I might have to hunt around for that full 3 hour broadcast….I would love to hear everything else, as well!
This is the only thing I’ve ever seen….but I do definitely remember the live nationwide broadcast you are talking about….I think it even might have been sent out to some radio stations on vinyl for later broadcast…
Thank you for posting the Liberty concert! I taped it off the radio, I was 13 in ’85 and didnt have the best equipment or blank tapes, so you can imagine how it sounds! But I played the hell out of that tape because its a great concert.
Jeff,
Enjoy!
…..any chance yet on getting hands on a DVD version? I am surfing on the net every 6 months hoping that somebody has the terrific idea to do something useful in this world….however, no succes yet.
I downloaded the MP3s of the concert….great stuff! Thanx….it rocks!
This sounds GREAT and I was thinking of trying to download this concert to my mp3 player………….great audio and I was wondering if you had somewhere “Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid” the instrumental version?? Thanks
This sounds GREAT and I was thinking of trying to download this concert to my mp3 player………….great audio and I was wondering if you had somewhere “Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid” the instrumental version?? Thanks
I've been a H&O fan for a long time. Back in the 80's they did a bang up live version of “Your Imagination”. The track was ok on the “private eyes” album, but live it really kicked butt! They added gritty guitars and heavy bass to it. But unfortunately there's never been a live video release that had that song included, it was always edited out. There's a low quality vid of them doing it from some concert on youtube, but other than that I've never seen a live version of it anywhere.
If you ever run accross a good soundboard recording of that one live, please do post it!
I just made a DVD from a video tape of the HBO presentation of The Liberty Concert. Watching it right now. Good video quality and audio sounds great on my PC with surround speakers and subwoofer.
I WORKED THAT SHOW
I `M THE SOUNDMAN FOR GARY US BONDS WHO OPEN THE SHOW
AND HBO USED ME AS THE FOCUS DUMMY HAD TO SIT ON THE DRUM THROWN
FOR 45 MIN SO THEY COULD MATCH UP THE CRANE CAM
WAS A GREAT TIME
someone have the video of the concert?
Does anyone know where I can purchase the entire 1985 Liberty Concert? This is the HBO special which excluded a few songs.
Hope I could complete all of their albums for my collection.
I’ve looked everywhere trying to find the Liberty video, any idea’s on how to get a copy?
usageoff@yahoo.com
I was 14 during this scorching summer day. I went to the Beach Boys concert on the Philly Parkway that day, then came home and listened to this show’s live broadcast. I taped it, but have sonce lost the masterful items. IS THERE ANYWHERE I CAN OBTAIN THE REST OF THE SHOW? There’s a trade site that has it, but I have nothing to trade for. sigh. Thanks for this post though : )
I was at the Liberty Concert. It was one of the BEST concerts I ever attended. I don’t remember Gary U S Bonds, but the show was already underway. Til Tuesday was just taking the stage when we got there. See, I was on the USS Ponce LPD 15 at the time. theres a credit at the end of the HBO concert for our ship and crew. I didn’t get to buy the special liberty concert tee shirt, and had to settle for the “big Bam Boom” shirt. I still own it.  Great show!!
There seems to be a few dead links here. Is there anyway of finding these? I’m looking for i can’t go for that, say it isn’t so, and you’ve lost that loving feeling.