H2O

I'm just gonna say it. Private Eyes is a stone cold classic, end to end. I know it's easy to get caught up in giggles about Oates's mustache, but the hits are hits for a reason. And great pop craftsmen should be revered for tapping the pleasure center of the body politic. Seriously, you go write a song as slinky and minimal as "I Can't Go For That." But the album tracks are just as strong. The whole record captures the best parts of the early-'80s pop zeitgeist (and any Songblague listener knows that's much appreciated around here). There's the big beat, a gee-whiz approach to drum machines and synths, and a band and producer who understand how to balance flesh-and-blood playing with tasteful studio embellishments.

Songblague has explored Daryl Hall's arty tendencies. Private Eyes has some unexpected moments of Frippery, and they're nicely woven into the pop fabric. Here's a great deep cut that could've easily shot to #1 if they'd dropped it as a single. OK, fine, now let's make jokes about the Oates-stache.

Hall & Oates - Head Above Water