It’s always a bit weird for me to hear a Hall & Oates cover not recorded live in Daryl Hall’s living room. But Lonely Benson, a Nashville-based one-man “bandless band” powered by Daniel Young, decided to give it a try, cranking out an electronic cover of “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do).” He released the song in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a full-length album on vinyl. “These days, even the news is enough to give you a nervous breakdown,” Benson writes on his site. “That’s why I’ve set out to create music that helps people CHILL.”
Hall & Oates recorded “I Can’t Go For That” at the height of their mustache-and-mullet powers for the 1981 album Private Eyes. The pounding bass, the synth slow-jam and the sweet harmonies are enough to make anyone nostalgic for those wonderful, bygone days (at least for the music, not the hair.)
For his take on the classic, Lonely Benson pulls the song in opposing directions, blending the past with the present. With his vocals, he sends the tune back into the ‘70s, channelling the Bee Gees’ falsetto. For the music itself, he gives the song a modern electronic slow groove. The original keyboard riff remains largely unchanged, but he adds in flutes as well as other sound effects. If Lonely Benson’s goal was to create a “chill” vibe then he succeeds. As for finding a cure for the modern age, well that’s a problem beyond anyone, even Hall & Oates.
Click here to learn more about Lonely Benson and his Kickstarter campaign.
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