Loved THREE HEARTS & THE HAPPY ENDING MACHINE to have fallen in love with Daryl Hall's voice and talents. His solo work was always more intimate to me and as an adult to have seen him at Carnigie Hall and two other NJ shows post pandemic, I am more and more feeling his authenticity, vulnerability and dedication to his craft as an artist. His artistry to vamp and create meaningful and SOUL searching music has lead him further down the path of achievements and it feels like his first solo album's title, SACRED SONGS was foreshadowing of this new path of creativity. Bravo to "D" to open up his world to allow his creativity to clarify what he wants to say as an artist. We are so lucky to have legend acts still creating and sharing their gifts and continued journeys/wisdom with their art/storytelling. Also special about this album, "D", is the ordering of songs to unfold and just fall into place to share JOY, connections to our humanity with the back to back ballads, the psychodelic musicianship and basically the breezy love of making music so evidenced with LIVE AT DARYL'S HOUSE. I am so grateful to think the best is yet to come with Daryl Hall the solo artist. My only wish was like BEFORE & AFTER, I wish some extra live tracks added to this release. The FRIPP session song THE FARTHER AWAY I AM was so sublime and heady that I so wish it could stream to add to my playlists. Here's hoping as an artist DH feels the LOVE of his work to nurture a more prolific phase forward post nostalgia act gigs. I'm attending a show next week with his 2024 tour to support his efforts and can't wait to hear him sing/play. Favorite "D" tracks RATHER BE A FOOL, RAINBOW OVER THE GRAVEYARD, and WHY YOU WANNA DO THAT (TO MY HEAD) (p.s. Book DIANA ROSS on LDH!)

I'm really enjoying this album. I'm amazed at Daryl's 77 year old voice and what it can still do. There's much to like on this album. Yes it's short at 35 minutes, but it's almost all killer/no filler (track #8 doesn't work so much for me). Your mileage may vary. I think if you like the Daryl solo or H&O bodies of work, you'll enjoy this.

This album reminds me a lot of Can't Stop Dreaming. Which is Daryl at his absolute best. In comparison it pales but even average Daryl is better than anything else out there. Three hearts in the happy ending machine, Soul Alone and Can't Stop Dreaming are to me the Daryl at the his Apex. This album I already know I will play over and over because it's still pretty damn good, even if he did mail it in. Little over 30 minutes is a joke too. My be too preoccupied with all the John Oates drama.

Daryl Hall has one of the best soul voices ever. This CD “D” continues to display his vast talents. I have been a fan for many years, and believe his solo performances are remarkable. His voice and musical range are outstanding. I look forward to his next solo release.

I have a lot to say about Daryl Hall's latest album as this very well may be the last time I write anything about him, or John Oates, seeing as they are currently splitsville and Daryl is currently age 78 and his last solo album prior to this one was 13 years previous. It's unlikely (but not impossible) that he will release another album before he dies. So, if that's the case, and this is the last new music we get from him, I found it funny that "D" finds him lazily rocking on his porch chair instead of going out with an ambitious bang. From the songs to the production and engineering, everything feels DIY. There are no big production flourishes, no real memorable hooks, no lyrical barbs, not even great production values from Dave Stewart who is normally reliable for that type of thing (I mean he did a fantastic job on Daryl's "Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine" and "Ruthless People" with Mick Jagger and Daryl). Here, we find Daryl in so-so vocal condition. I can hear the compressors and other audio tricks trying to improve upon his hoarseness and lack of range (likely due to all that smoking he did throughout his life). I mean, this album was likely recorded when he was age 77, so for someone that age, with the touring history of being on the road year after year after year, his vocals are pretty good compare to others his age. Yet, the songs sound very amateurish here compared to his previous efforts. The opening track, "The Whole World's Better", which I actually like, sounds like some hippie slogan a la "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" by The New Seekers circa 1971. What that what I wanted to hear? No. This is followed by "Too Much Information", another song I liked, that does have the catchy "ah-ah-ah-ah-ah", but it's another lukewarm song. The first single, "Can't Say No to You" is so-so. "Rather Be a Fool" is decent and reminded me of the better "Someone Like You". I think "Rainbow Over the Graveyard" is his best lyrically as it is dealing with mortality, something personal to Daryl at his age, and this song shows it. "Not the Way I Thought It Was" has some groove and move to it, but isn't very memorable. To me, "Walking in Between Raindrops" sounded the most like a Hall and Oates song on here, but not a particularly great one. "Why You Want to Do That (To My Head)" and "Break It Down to the Real Thing" close out the album in good style and are two of the betters songs on here. Overall, "D", is average. I didn't feel there were any bad songs here, but there also weren't any great ones, either. The whole proceeding just left me thinking, "why?" Why did Daryl even need to put this out into the universe after 13 years of silence? It should have been so much better, especially working with Dave Stewart. Instead, this is like a Subway sandwich, fine, nothing special. Three stars. In fact, truth be told, I haven't truly enjoyed either a Daryl Hall solo or a Hall and Oates album since 1990's "Change of Season". Everything after has been kind of 'meh' for me. There have been songs I've liked but no whole albums. Yeah, I grew up on Hall and Oates in their heyday 1975-1990. They were one of my all-time favorite artists at that time. Before I reviewed "D" here I went back and listened to all Hall and Oates and Daryl Hall solo albums in sequential order so I could get a feel for their growth and change over the years leading up to this latest release. My favorite years are 1980-1990. During that time period I liked every single album released and all the songs on them. For me, my favorite Daryl Hall solo album will remain "Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine" (1986) which contains his only solo top 10 hit, "Dreamtime", but I was 13 at the time of its release and spent hours listening to that album. It holds a special place for me. Additionally, I like 1980's production values, with multiple tracks and layers and complexities. I wish BMG would consider remastering that album and making a two-disc deluxe version for us fans. I see that that cd is out of print and going for an outrageous $500. I have the original compact disc from RCA from the 1980s in my collection as well as "Soul Alone", too, which I see is also out of print at this time. So, "D", is okay. Three stars. Perhaps a C or C+ overall. Not my favorite. Not what I was hoping to hear after all these years. I liked Hall and Oates with Train on "Philly Forget Me Not" (2018) way, way better than anything on this album. Here's how "D" compares to Daryl Hall's previous works: 1972 Whole Oates: Two and a Half Stars 1973 Abandoned Luncheonette: Three Stars 1974 War Babies: Three and a Half Stars 1975 Daryl Hall John Oates: Four Stars 1976 Bigger Than Both of Us: Three and a Half Stars 1977 Beauty on a Back Street: Three and a Half Stars 1977 Sacred Songs (Daryl solo, recorded August 1977, released March 1980): Three and a Half Stars 1978 Along the Red Ledge: Three and a Half Stars 1979 X-Static: Three and a Half Stars 1980 Voices: Five Stars 1981 Private Eyes: Five Stars 1982 H2O: Five Stars 1984 Big Bam Boom: Five Stars 1986 Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine (Daryl solo): Five Stars 1988 Ooh Yeah!: Four Stars 1990 Change of Season: Four Stars 1993 Soul Alone (Daryl solo): Two and a Half Stars 1996 Can't Stop Dreaming (Daryl solo, released in Japan 1996, released in America 2003): Two Stars 1997 Marigold Sky: Three Stars 2003 Do It For Love: Three and a Half Stars 2004 Our Kind of Soul: Two and a Half Stars 2006 Home for Christmas: Two and a Half Stars 2011 Laughing Down Crying (Daryl solo): Three Stars 2024 D: Three Stars

A light and airy studio album, Daryl never disappoints. Dave Stewart is co-producer but lent a hand with the background vocals. Some of the songs will become stuck in your head for sure !

The cd arrived and something must have spilled on the case. Some discoloration on the inserts but cd not affected.

I love Daryl Hall's new album. He sounds as good as ever. He is such a gifted artist.

Il nuovo album di Daryl Hall è bellissimo!

A great album from a great singer/songwriter

Sehr gute Zusammenstellung von Songs, die man einfach in allen Lebenslagen hören kann.

Good music andstill as always great voice, but too short for a CD, perhaps specifically targeting vinyl. Although I miss John Oates too.

プロダクションはあくまでシンプルに、 聴かせる事に軸を置いた作品。 デイブスチュアートも良いこなれ感 をだすのに一役買っている。 でもフックの効かせ方はダリルならでは。 昔も今も、リスナーへの訴求力は強いまま。 聴き終わると彼自身の集大成感を感じるが、 エンドロールはジョンオーツと共に 飾って欲しい。