The New Oldies: #10 Album of the Year 2024: Daryl Hall – D

Something seems to be missing these days. It seems that record companies, radio stations, and streaming services are pushing some the great established musicians to the background. As a result these veteran artists are not getting the attention they deserve. Enter the Top 10 Album Countdown: The New Oldies. The main point is simple – to make this list you must have at least 20 years of producing established music. The album by the artist must have been released between November 1st, 2023 and October 31st, 2024

#10 Daryl Hall D

We all know Daryl Hall as one half of the iconic duo, Daryl Hall & John Oates. In 2023, the longstanding partnership between Hall and Oates came crashing down hard – resulting in not only a dissolution of the partnership, but legal battles over music catalog. Both Hall and Oates would go on to deliver solo projects, and in 2023 Daryl Hall released “D”. This album lands at Number 10 on the 2024 New Oldies Countdown.

D is actually Hall’s sixth solo album. It is a longtime nickname he has had. While it’s a solo album, there is a key collaborator he works with who has duo experience. That collaborator is the legendary Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics fame. Stewart is not only the co-producer, but he co-wrote seven tracks with Hall, and contributes several instrumentals.

Bringing in Stewart was a key element. The result is a well-produced album with a nice selection of melodies. The opening track, The Whole World’s Better sets a very positive vibe for the album. Tracks such like Too Much Information, Walking in Between the Raindrops, and Can’t Say No to You still shows Hall can capture that Philadelphia sound. Rather Be a Fool reminds us that Hall can deliver a power ball.

We may not see any more of Hall and Oates, but Daryl Hall delivers an excellent performance that reminds us of his glory days, and at the same time, the sound doesn’t sound dated. Plus any project with Dave Stewart has been gold and this is no exception.