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What makes this an exceptional Hall & Oates record is that Marigold Sky is a return to the "blue-eyed soul" reminiscent of the style of Motown artists such as Smokey Robinson. Indeed, in listening to "Out Of The Blue" and "The Sky Is Falling" it is easy to believe these songs were directly lifted from Smokey's late sixties catalogue.

"The Sky Is Falling" is the best song on the CD. A close second is the eponymous "Marigold Sky" itself. "Marigold Sky" meshes easily with the rest of the "soul" material but it is isn't a "soul" song itself. Driven at first by deftly picked acoustic guitar the chorus shifts into a breezy twelve string electric guitar strumming that rides like the wind all while Daryl Hall sings of a love long gone but still alive.

With Marigold Sky Hall & Oates keep to eternal "soul" themes of love discovered, love troubled and love lost. This is a deeply satisfying CD and it is sad that while Hall & Oates had fallen off the popular hits radar they did not make more albums like it. Indeed, since their intensely hot career of the seventies and eighties Hall & Oates have issued only two other albums since 1990's Season Of Change. Of those one was a VH-1 "Behind The Music" collection. I don't fault those who stick mainly to the well-beaten path of popular music because a good deal of enjoyment of music is its communal aspect. There is something heartwarming about sharing music a whole lot of other people love and enjoy. You don't get that if you choose music that only a few thousand in the whole country know about. But maybe there should be a place in your collection for an eccentric but well made record you just like to listen to. I count Marigold Sky as one of my guilty pleasures.

This is a great album.......2003-07-23

Every now and then something surprises you and this was it for me. This is a great album. Its a mature adult album for the music lovers out there who love great tunes, stories and musicianship. Well worth the purchase.

Sara Smiles Again.......2003-04-12

The dynamic non-stop pop machine from the late 70's (Wait For Me) to the 80's (Out Of Touch) takes a well deserved break after playing with their (now, sadly deceased) boyhood heroes, David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks. After some other sad deaths (their close friend Sara of Sara Smiles, Daryl Hall's marriage to Sara's sister and John's racecar collection), the guys regrouped to record the best piece of work since the aforementioned achingly beautiful early 70's ballad. All the "Private Eyes" had grown up, and this album was quickly dismissed as more of the same 80's pop that same group of boomers had grown up with. How unfortunate because "Marigold Sky" was a trip to future and past. It wasn't commercial drivel, not that the band ever REALLY delivered pablum, they just kept making silly love songs and, after all: "what's wrong with that?" Marigold Sky was too easily dismissed as we all can look back with 20/20 vision. The band had changed back into a serious contender for generating mature albums which were as good from start as they were to finish. "Promise Ain't Enough" received minimal airplay and the album quickly sank into oblivion. Albeit, some wise listeners did partake of this new Marigold laden sauce and discovered the secret known today. This is a freaking great record! Arguably, Marigold Sky, is the best thing ever done by the musical brothers who brought the new sound to Philadelpia (TNSOP?) Today, Marigold Sky is getting posthumous props to the point of it being a seriously hard to find recording. It sounds as fresh today as it did a decade ago. Sara approves fellas. She's smiling in Heaven right now. By the way, I'm back at the gig you did in Baton Rouge to support "Voices" and I have my lighter making a big flame. I want some more of this Marigold stuff! Get G.E. and T-Bone and "get back to where you once belonged."
(Quotes courtesy of Paul McCartney)