H2O | 
| Artist: Hall & Oates
Label: RCA
Category: Music
List Price: $11.98
Buy New: $5.50
You Save: $6.48 (54%)
New (16) Used (12) from $3.88
Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 157184
Format: Extra Tracks, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 58616
UPC: 828765861625
EAN: 0828765861625
ASIN: B00021HNM0
Release Date: May 18, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Maneater | | • | Crime Pays | | • | Art of Heartbreak | | • | One on One | | • | Open All Night | | • | Family Man | | • | Italian Girls | | • | Guessing Games | | • | Delayed Reaction | | • | At Tension | | • | Go Solo | | • | Family Man [12" Version][*][Mix] | | • | Maneater [12" Version][*][Mix] | | • | One on One [12" Version][*][Mix] |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Digitally remastered Japanese release featuring 3 bonus tracks: "Family Man (12inch Version/Rock Mix)", "Maneater (12inch Version/Special Extended Club Mix)", & "One On One (12inch Version/Club Mix)".
Album Details
Digitally Remastered Japanese Release featuring Three Bonus Tracks: "Family Man (12inch Version/Rock Mix)", "Maneater (12inch Version/Special Extended Club Mix)", and "One on One (12inch Version/Club Mix)".
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
Pop craftmanship revisited March 6, 2005
Dave Mock (Rockville Centre, New York United States)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
BMG has done a good job in its reissue of one of Hall and Oates's best albums -- the collection that yielded the classics "Maneater" and "One On One."
The remaster enhances the already-high quality of the 1982 RCA set's production, which had seen the duo taking a step up in terms of technology while still focusing on songcraft.
Listen for the remixes too, including the explosive "Family Man" 12-incher and the potent reworking of "One On One," both from 1982.
The additional liner notes by Ken Sharp nicely weave in quotes from mostly new interviews with Hall, Oates and co-producer Neil Kernon. It also nicely reproduces much of the liner art of the original 1982 album.
 Been wondering about the U.S. remasters vs. the expensive Japanese K2 RM's? August 6, 2005
BOB (LOS ANGELES, CA)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Well, here's your answer: The Japanese win. Hands down. Big time.
To start off, I compared the album tracks of the 2004 U.S. remastered versions of VOICES, H20 & BIG BAM BOOM against the limited edition, Japanese, K2 remastered, album mini-LP-sleeve replication versions of the same titles. Then I compared the bonus track remixes on each U.S. remaster to their counterparts on the Japanese-only 12-INCH COLLECTION, VOLUMES 1 & 2.
The comparisons were performed using two Sony XA7 decks run via identical Acoustic Zen coax cables to a Camelot Uther DAC. Those of you who know your gear know that this is about as good as it gets under $25,000.
I cannot attest if the difference between the two remastering results are a result of:
1.) The K2 process being more robust than whatever mastering equipment was used (at Sony Studios in NYC) for the U.S. versions
2.) Whether the Japanese utilized source material closer to the original masters than the U.S. versions, or
3.) If the Japanese engineering was just better, or they took more time & care, than their U.S. counterparts.
Whatever the case may be, the K2 albums, and the two Japanese remix Collections, blow the U.S. versions out of the building. There is more of everything: More gain, bigger soundstage, more definition and, oh yeah, baby, more bottom end. The remixes on the U.S. versions are adequate; on the Japanese COLLECTION CD's, they THUNDER.
The three U.S. titles have nine additional remix tracks. All of these tracks appear on the two Japanese COLLECTION titles. All of the sonic accolades I attributed to the individual K2 album remasters apply to these two CDs also.
The bottom line? If you're a fan of the band, you have the cash and some above-average gear, the K2's and the dual-remix CD's are the ticket. While the entire RCA H&O catalog is available on the limited edition K2's (with the nice mini-LP sleeves), there would be some serious moolah required to acquire the full set. I consider the 3 titles mentioned here to be their best overall work from that period, so I opted for just those.
I'm currently piling thru all of the "Hits" packages from recent years to determine which has the best audio. It will be interesting to run the 2004 "Ultimate" set against the new "Essential" package.
WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?
Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.
Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.
Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.
Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.
All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.
One of the most toppest albums January 13, 2008
Namely (Jersey, NJ)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I would buy this album just for the hard to find masterpeices: Guessing Games, Go Solo, and Italian Girls. Those songs should have been famous. The chord changes are amazing.
 Pop History January 11, 2005
Stephen M. Rapp (Asheville, NC)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Agree completely with above review. A milestone in pure pop perfection. Blue eyed soul at it's best.
A little watered down--they're best when they go one on one January 12, 2009
Tom Benton (North Springfield, VT USA)
The kings of blue-eyed caucasian soul were at the height of their popularity when they produced "H2O" in '82. As far as listenability, this is one of their strongest records, but re-listens gradually shave off some of the glam to reveal watered-down, disruptive gloom. "Maneater," which might be too sexist even for a battle-of-the-sexes piece, is mighty good, as is their ridiculously fresh cover of Mike Oldfield's "Family Man." The structure of "Open All Night" is superb, and it makes an uninteresting concept that's lost its appeal after being used two thousand times seem pretty catchy again. But whereas most of their older songs seemed to be intended for a specific person, this collection seems too broadly-directed to work as well as it should. The crown jewel is "One on One," which is flawlessly produced, straight to the point, and delicious.
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