Title - ‘Phunk Shui’ (Beyond)
Artist - John Oates

As soon as the funky bass line from the opening track forces itself upon you in the most harmonious of manners, you quickly realize that this may well be the album your CD collection has been missing for the past ten years ! ’Color of Love’ is a great way to introduce John Oates into anyone’s living room or headphones and once the other cuts get unleashed you’ll be hard pressed to take Phunk Shui out of your CD player. Being half of the successful duo Hall & Oates has obviously left it’s indelible mark on Oates though as songs such as both ’It Girl’ and ’All Good People’ carry enough saccharin to stun a bull at ten paces. But the funk gets back on track in songs like the reworking of an old Hall & Oates cut ’Love In A Dangerous Time,’ ‘Go Deep’ and the gentle blues/rock out ’Soul Slide’. Jimi Hendrix’s classic ’Electric Ladyland’ brings the album to a wonderful close and just goes to show that even after being musically one-half of a powerhaus outfit over the past twenty-five years, a solo album from John Oates can still be as meaningful and poignant as anything that’s gone before.