DARYL HALL and John Oates are a curious combination. They possess a wealth of musical talents, both having shown over the course of their careers that they can write exceptional music. Neither one displays exceptional virtuousity with instruments--Hall plays an adequate keyboard and Oates strums a less-than-spectacular guitar. However, vocally the two complement each other nicely. Hall's wide-ranging, piercing voice contrasts well with Oates' smooth, sensual tenor.

Yet the prolific pair have never enjoyed the market success of many major artists. Aside from a few hit singles like "Sara Smile," "Rich Girl" or "She's Gone," most of their songs have never made it to Top Ten status. And even a hit like "She's Gone," which rocketed up the charts two years ago, was on the market for more than two years before it gained mass recognition.

To many listeners, Daryl Hall's voice sounds harsh, and the Hall and Oates combination comes across as grating. Perhaps an appreciation of their music is an aquired taste. Unfortunately, pop music radio and listeners, en masse, have never seemed to have a great affinity for the Hall and Oates sound; and the music on their latest release, Along the Red Ledge, shows just why a Hall-and-Oates-mania will never sweep the country.

The album's lead song, "It's a Laugh," provides the newest offering for their "at-large" following. With a strong saxaphone line from the latest of the group's sax players, Charlie DeChant, "It's a Laugh" combines breezy lyrics with a light pop tune that has already appealed to "top pop" listeners.

But such a cut contrasts dramatically with a tune like "Have I Been Away Too Long." The song is a showcase for Daryl Hall's free-wheeling, bluesy vocal style. He scales to ear-shattering highs and teams with John Oates for swirling harmonies that sharpen the tonal disparity between their voices. It's a fine song reminiscent of many earlier Daryl Hall tunes, but it probably will be disliked by many listeners because of its loose sound.

John Oates, who often writes slow and soft tunes, turns out a nice cut on Along the Red Ledge, with "Melody for a Memory." The pair make good use of string orchestration to provide a backdrop for Oates' mellow voice, echoed by a Hall falsetto. But this is typical Hall and Oates stuff, basically no different from the music on albums like Bigger than Both of Us or the less-successful Beauty on a Back Street. What distinguishes Along the Red Ledge as a worthwhile contribution to current pop music is the work that comes alive on the second side.

WITH A STRONG one-two combination, Hall and Oates team-up for a pair of punk-rock-influenced cuts. The first one, "Alley Katz," mocks the violent, socially rebellious lyrics of punk, reducing everything to a feline existence:

Felix is a puss in boots

He really likes to scratch and bite

Sylvester is a natural

The Kitty is a catamite

He will dirty up your pedigree

He will guarantee a good time

He's got some catnip that'll

Set you free