Jukebox Heroes

 I grew up in the seventies. I listened to a lot of music. Some of it was very good. Some of it was not. 

Today I read an article about Daryl Hall filing a restraining order against John Oates. If neither of these two names rings a bell for you, that's okay. There was a lot of music made by these two gentlemen back in "my day," and if you were not subjected to it, it's possible that you dodged a cultural bullet. Or you're missing out. 

If you are familiar with songs like Maneater and Kiss Is On My List, you're probably aware that Daryl Hall is the tall blond guy and John Oates is the one with the mustache. You may also have had the sneaking suspicion over the years that the bulk of the talent was in the tall blond half. Now, after fifty years since forming their partnership, Mister Hall is letting the world know how he feels about things. “You think John Oates is my partner? … He’s my business partner. He’s not my creative partner.”

That's something to which the rest of the planet was already pretty much convinced prior to this announcement, but there it is: A dirty little secret we already knew. Or at least those of us who were paying attention at the time. But it was a lot like watching Simon put up with Garfunkel for all those years. There was all that room on the marqee, after all. 

Of course, maybe you're one of those John Oates apologists, who will point to the eight solo albums he has recorded since 1999, and how he even has his own page on the Hall and Oates website. This is just a misunderstanding and it will all be straightened out in time. 

Or maybe that restraining order will just make things more interesting, like putting Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth back together on stage for a Van Halen Tribute tour. 

I am so very old...