Daryl Hall & John Oates

Switching to RCA, Hall & Oates recorded a self-titled album that fulfilled their early promise as pop-savvy blue-eyed soul craftsmen. A few of the tracks fall flat — including the reggae-tinged "Soldering" and the pompous "Ennui on the Mountain" — but much of the album is lush and catchy, featuring ballads and mid-tempo numbers that are nearly as engaging as the duo's breakthrough single, "Sara Smile." — Stephen Thomas Erlewine.