Track Listing

1. Sacred Songs
2. Something in 4-4 Time
3. Babs and Babs
4. Urban Landscape
5. NYCNY
6. Farther Away I Am
7. Why Was It So Easy
8. Don't Leave Me Alone With Her
9. Survive
10. Without Tears
11. You Burn Me up I'm a Cigarette [*]
12. North Star [*]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46157 in Music
• Released on: 1999-05-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Extra tracks

Customer Reviews

I love it when a plan comes together
Reading the various reviews of "Sacred Songs," it is easy to spot the "Hall" fans and the "Fripp" fans. Hall's fans are surprised by the experimental nature of the album, while Fripp's are surprised at Hall's experimentation. Personally, I have a dichotomous investment in "Sacred Songs." As a kid with a single-speaker record player in 6th grade, the first record I ever owned was H2O, and the subsequent tour was the first concert I ever went to. However, my musical tastes grew through the years, and by the time I graduated from High School I was a dedicated King Crimson fan. In short, I am an honest fan of both Fripp and Hall, and the potential of their collaboration both confounded and fascinated me.

The difficulties associated with the release of "Sacred Songs" is well-documented elsewhere, but let it be said that the world is a better place because this album is available. Hall's incredible musicianship and vocal prowess shines though on this album in ways that was absolutely impossible in the confines of his collaboration with Oates. However, Hall's ability to collaborate reveals unexplored common ground with Fripp. The result is an album with the "blue-eyed soul" that Hall's vocals epitomize driven by Fripp's chunky, riff-driven musical conception.

In some ways, this is a "missing link" album between "Red" and "Discipline." It always seemed that the steps that it took to get from Greg Lake to John Wetton were relatively small. However, the steps from Wetton to Belew seemed to be large. Hall's vocal approach on "Sacred Songs" sits beautifully between the two. For reference, check out "Something in 4/4 Time," "Why Was It So Easy?" and "Without Tears." These tunes cause the mind to reel at the potential of a `78 Crimson with Hall on vocals. His song-driven approach and soulful singing undoubtedly influenced Fripp's lineup choices in the early 80s, resulting in the fortuitous inclusion of Belew.

The Lowdown: This is a great album for fans of both Hall and Fripp. While it does not have the same degree of experimentalism that is usually associated with Fripp, it also does not have the same polished pop sensibilities that define Hall's work. Instead, it lies right in the middle of these two, like some long-lost David Bowie album. For me personally, it's a match made in heaven.

Wonderful early vision
Well, you really can't listen to this album without understanding the background of it: they had the big #1 hit, "Rich Girl," the record company wanted more, Daryl and John hated the 1977 follow-up (which I actually like a lot; so much for taste), and Daryl decided to record this one for himself alone, which caused the record company to shelve it until Hall & Oates had hits again. (Funny how I bought this AND Sophie B. Hawkins "Timbre" in the same trip to the store....)

Robert Fripp is such an interesting partner for him in this; we don't ordinarily think of Hall & Oates and prog-rock in the same breath. That a prog-rock supergroup featuring Fripp, Tony Levin, Brian Eno, and Jerry Marotta, with Daryl at the helm, was considered, blows my mind, and tells you all you need to know about the respect they had for him. All the details are in the CD....

It's interesting the way that Daryl really opened up on this one, lyrically and in his singing. He wanted something deeper here, and I think he got it. "Sacred Songs" is a killer romp, and a reminder that he actually used to play a pretty mean piano. My favorite is "Why Was It So Easy?" which I've been walking around and singing for a week, since I bought this again. You can't get it out of your head. "Survive" is a lot more cruel than it seems at first.

I had "Sacred Songs" on vinyl, but I haven't hooked up a record player in years, so I probably hadn't heard this in almost a decade, I guess. One wonderful thing is that I owned this album as a teenager, and really didn't appreciate it then. Now, at 29, going back to this album is absolutely wonderful. If you're ready to see a more eclectic side of Mr. Hall, you won't be disappointed.

Hall's most heartfelt effort and unrecognized masterwork
Recorded in 1977, 'Sacred Songs' came relatively early in the career of Hall and Oates and, as produced by Robert Fripp, presented an entirely different Daryl Hall that, had the album been properly handled, could have launched him into a very different area other than the recycled 'soul music' of his work with the duo. 'Sacred Songs' presented a Hall with Balls, barking out the lyrics to edgy songs, way removed from any kind of mock soul, tetering delicately on the fringes of punk, and pushed right over the edge in the Fripp controlled songs like 'You Burn Me Up,' 'Babs and Babs,' and 'NYCNY,' especially - All balanced by the beefy rock ballads scattered throughout, like 'Why Was it So Easy,' 'Survive,' and 'Without Tears'.

Intended as part of a Fripp produced trilogy (along with Fripp's 'Exposure' and Peter Gabriel II), 'Sacred Songs' was held up for release until 1980 by image conscious record monsters, severely lessening its impact, and consequential publicity, both as part of the Fripp triology, and as a solo break from the by then outrageously successful Hall and Oates.

If you are a really big fan of Hall and Oates, this is probably not for you. If you like Hall's voice and style, but not the H & O material, try this out for a HUGE surprise of what could have been.