John's vocal on the silly upbeat "Italian Girls" (he's right, where ARE they?) and two of Daryl's classic relationships gone bad songs, the happy "Guessing Games" and the New Wavey rocking "Delayed Reaction" are just as good as the hits. The closer "Go Solo" is a slower and softer sounding version of those previous 2 songs. John's other song, the somber army theme "At Tension" and the almost electronic sounding "Crime Pays" and "Art of Heartbreak" are a little flat, but not awful.

As with MANY '80s artists of all genres, what I like here is that though it can be serious or accusatory at times (many songs are about prostitution), it's still fun sounding. In the last few years, it's either boy bands who are too squeaky clean, or grunge-like angry rock and noisy awful Rap/Metal. There's still a few good bands like Foo Fighters and Offspring and on the softer side stuff like Faith Hill, but I still hope this kind of music is cool again.

Hot Hits
Released at the height of H&O's chart-topping era, "H20" is definitely a hit and miss affair. It continues in the synthesized vein of "Private Eyes," with keyboard squiggles and studio wizardry embellishing the songs. Though some of the production sounds a bit dated (and bass-lite) today, the album has held up fairly well. But just like other Pop/Rock artists who churn out a new album as soon as the singles from the previous album have run their course, H&O put together a spotty collection.

"Crime Pays," "Art of Hearbreak," "Delayed Reaction," "At Tension" and "Go Solo" are all throwaways, and the synth gimmickry can't hide such poorly conceived material. On the other hand, "Maneater," "One On One" and "Family Man" are all terrific singles, alternately dancey, soulful and Rock-solid. Album tracks like "Guessing Games," "Italian Girls" and "Open All Night" provide even more listening enjoyment, with great vocals, dynamic arrangements and memorable instrumentation.

Some critics have slapped a "sexist" label on this recording, and given the lyrical point of view in several cuts ("Maneater," "Open All Night" and "Family Man") I can understand the accusation. However, I don't agree with it. "Maneaters," Ho's and prostitutes exist in real life, and not all of them are good intentioned. If H&O chose to examine such characters with a measure of disdain, they're hardly in a league with your average "gangsta" rapper when it comes to sexism.

I enjoy this album quite a bit, and I'm sure all the H&O diehards out there do too. If you're a casual fan or newbie, you might want to start your H&O collection with a sure bet, like one of their hit compilations. If you want more than that, check out "Private Eyes" and "Along The Red Ledge" before picking up "H2O".

-Stoned Soul
"H20" is basically divided into a soul and a rock side.Side
A contains all the hits plus the lean,stripped-down "Crime Pays"
and the rolicking doo-wop of "Open All Night".Side Two contains the rockier "Family Man","Italian Girls" and the catchy "Guessing Games" making this a worthy addition to the
H&O's early 80's showcase.

Soggy Filler
I was a little disappointed in this CD. After the Album Private Eyes I expected a little more rockish tunes to be found on this CD. Maneater, Guessing Games, and Family Man are the best off a rather disappointing CD.

Two Headed Monster
The title "H2O" does the record justice: it is indeed formulaic. The much-maligned "Maneater" opens the proceedings and serves to remind us how bad 80's pop could get. "Family Man" and "One on One" were the other 2 singles from this disc (both barely listenable), while the remaining tracks take up digital bits, not much more. The duo's previous albums, "Private Eyes" and "Voices", were decent pop confections with some new wave overtones, but "H20" did much to damage the Hall and Oates legacy.