Isaac Hayes
Reviewed on this page:
Presenting - Hot Buttered Soul - The Isaac Hayes
Movement - To Be Continued - Shaft - Black Moses -
Live At The Sahara Tahoe - Joy -
Tough Guys - Truck
Turner - Hotbed - Wonderful - Chocolate Chip - Disco Connection - Juicy
Fruit (Disco Freak) - Groove-A-Thon - New Horizon - A Man & A
Woman - For The Sake Of Love - Don't Let Go - Royal Rappin's - And Once Again - Lifetime
Thing - U-Turn - Love Attack - Branded - Raw & Refined
Isaac Hayes died in his home on August 10th, 2008. He was 65 years old.
Isaac Hayes started as an anonymous session keyboardist at
Stax/Volt, then grew into a hit songwriter (with David Porter) for
Sam & Dave, and finally came into his own as a top-selling
soul/funk innovator. His calling card is his extended, orchestrated approach to both ballads and uptempo funk,
crossed with a gritty Southern sensibility - he had a big influence on contemporaries
like Norman Whitfield, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and the Ohio Players. His low-key vocal style,
without any pop softness or gospel inflections, made no effort to
accomodate white sensibilities - his shaved head and beard pushed
the envelope even further - but his records soared onto the pop
charts anyway. For a moment, he was the intelligent, soft-spoken
but strong older brother of a generation. Then, as disco's
saccharine sentiments and simplistic rhythms rose, Hayes declined.
He spent more than a decade on the sidelines, appearing in a number of
films but rarely recording, became a Scientologist, and came back with
two new CD's in 1995. To younger audiences he's best known
as the voice of Chef on the cartoon series South Park, but do
yourself a favor and listen to his records.
I caught a live appearance in 1999, and have reviewed it on
our highly regarded concert reviews page. (DBW)
The Isaac Hayes Movement (1971 to 1978 or so):
Isaac Hayes, organ, piano, vibes, alto sax, etc.; Michael
Toles and Charles Pitts, guitar; Lester Snell, keys;
James Alexander, bass; Willie Hall, drums; Gary
Jones, percussion.
 Presenting (1968)
A piano trio album, with MGs Duck Dunn on bass and Al Jackson on drums,
featuring lengthy renditions of blues tunes (Willie Dixon's "I Just Want
To Make Love To You") and jazz standards ("Misty"), with a couple of
originals ("Precious, Precious"). Though the largely improvised performance
has its charm, peaking with B.B. King's "Rock
Me Baby," Hayes's rambling delivery is only intermittently gripping:
the lowkey offhandedness is ultimately the record's undoing. Dunn and
Jackson provide sympathetic backing but not much drive or excitement -
they're featured most on the closing, nearly instrumental "You Don't
Know Like I Know." Completely different from his later work, this is
for nightclub blues afficionados or curiosity seekers. (DBW)
 Hot Buttered Soul (1969)
Hayes found immediate success with this release, shockingly
different from the 2:30 soul numbers he'd created for Sam & Dave.
Although Sly Stone and the Temptations had already released longform
psychedelic numbers, Hayes was the first to reinterpret the concept
in soul terms: his lengthy pieces aren't tacky experimental
collages, they're hypnotic mood music, based on organ and horn
lines. It's also probably the first concept album in black popular
music. The problem is, he goes way overboard with the slow, mellow
groove: he opens Jimmy Webb's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" with
an 8-minute spoken intro, by which point you've probably
fallen asleep. Hayes and producer Al Bell mostly stay away from
production gimmicks, though the late 60s overdistorted guitar
turns up on Bacharach & David's
"Walk On By," a radical, soulful reinterpretation which nevertheless
gets dull by the end of its 12 minutes. There's only one original here,
the unbelievably funky "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquidalimystic." The rhythm
section is the Bar-Kays. (DBW)
The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970)
No originals this time, but you probably won't care. The version of Jerry Butler's "I Stand Accused" is a tour de force
from spoken intro through plaintive verses by means of a funky rhythm section, and it became another hit single. There's another
Bacharach-David cover ("I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself") and a moving, straightforward R&B tune ("One Big
Unhappy Family," by Chalmers and Rhoads). But the piece de resistance is the 12-minute take on "Something" - with jazzy piano improvisation, sluggish tempo, monotonal female
backing vocals, and persistent, screeching electric violin soloing (by John Ellington Blair), it's definitely not your father's Oldsmobile.
The arrangements (by Hayes and Dale Warren) aren't as fluid as his later work, and more rooted in Stax/Volt soul
conventions, but that shouldn't keep you away. Another gold record. (DBW)
 To Be Continued (1970)
Again, Hayes doesn't write much, relying mostly on radical
reinterpretations of pop hits. The big success in that department is
Spector, Mann & Weill's "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" - even though
it's the most-performed song of all time, Hayes manages to come up with
a whole new take on it, adding hard-hitting soul riffs and dramatic
shifts in dynamics to create a nine-minute mini-symphony. Melded with
his own lovely "Ike's Mood" (later sampled by LL
Cool J), it's magnificent - the high point of the record, and one of his best recordings ever. On the other hand, the
eleven-minute psychedelic treatment given to Bacharach & David's "The
Look Of Love" is excessive rather than illuminating. The other two
covers, "Runnin' Out Of Fools" and "Our Day Will Come" (a #1 hit for
Ruby and the Romantics in 1963), are enjoyable enough; I can't really
comment more because I'm not familiar with in the originals. Hayes
starts everything off with "Ike's Rap I" (I guess he already knew there
would be more to come), wherein he gives a four-minute bedroom rap that
turns into a lecture on the state of the world - top that, Barry White.
Hayes plays keyboards and vibes throughout the record; the rhythm
section is the Bar-Kays, and the Memphis Horns and even the
Memphis Symphony Orchestra are also involved. (DBW)
 Shaft (1971)
Soundtrack to the blaxploitation movie of the same title; this was
Hayes' highwater mark, both critically and commercially.
Incredibly, he managed to send this mostly instrumental double
album to the top of the charts - it even won an Oscar. The soundtrack
format apparently gave him license to delve into a wide variety of
styles, all of which he does well: big beat jazz ("Walk From Regio's"
arranged with J.J. Johnson), bluesy funk ("No Name Bar"), mellow
orchestrations (the memorable "Ellie's Love Theme," with the melody
played on vibes), hard-hitting Stax soul ("Shaft's Cab Ride").
"Theme From Shaft" (a #1 single) puts many of these elements together,
while "Soulsville" uses devastating social consciousness lyrics over a
lilting Sunday morning groove. Many of the tunes are very short, which
keeps things moving, and the longer tracks justify their running times
with clever arrangements and enjoyable solos. The big exception is the
19-minute "Do Your Thing," a powerful funk jam that simply doesn't know
when to quit: unlike most of Hayes' extended opuses the arrangement
doesn't really develop, and it even ends with a long sloppy denoument
that's straight out of psychedelic rock excess. But there's so much good
music here that seems like a quibble; this is a hugely influential
record you won't regret picking up. J.J. Johnson recruited the backing musicians, and apparently that's Carol Kaye
holding down bass on "Theme From Shaft" and maybe others. (DBW)
Black Moses (1971)
How much is too much? Just four months after Shaft hit the charts, Hayes was back
with another double LP - for a total of seven LP's released over
2 1/2 years. It's almost all covers again (except for the
down-and-dirty "Good Love 6-9969," about the only true funk cut here,
and three more "Ike's Raps"), and at this length, it all starts to sound
the same. The cover of "Never Can Say Goodbye" (a hit single) is
pleasant, but just about every song here is in the same slowed-down,
female vocal-backed, love-talk format: two more Bacharach/David numbers ("Close To You," "I'll
Never Fall In Love Again"), two Curtis
Mayfield covers ("Need To Belong To Someone," "Man's Temptation"),
Gamble & Huff's dull "Never Gonna Give
You Up" and so many more ("Part-Time Love" is the most energetic of
the bunch). Despite his charismatic presence, there's just not enough
originality or creativity to keep the listener satisfied. This also hit the Top
Ten, but was his most recent effort to do so. (DBW)
 Live At The Sahara Tahoe (1973)
A double live album, split between tunes from the preceding
albums ("Ellie's Love Theme") and contemporary hits by other artists
("Light My Fire"). Hayes makes good
use of the live format, interacting well with the crowd and stretching
out on numbers like "Ike's Rap VI/Ain't No Sunshine," which becomes an
intoxicating groove anchoring an extended alto solo. There's plenty of
funk ("Do Your Thing," "Type Thang," "Theme From The Men," Bill Withers'
"Use Me"), but the ballads may be even better: his treatments of "It's Too Late" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" are
moving interpretations, substantially different from the originals. But
there's also a fair amount of so-so filler in this well over ninety
minute set, including the closing take on "Feelin' Alright" and a lengthy version of
Bacharach and David's "The Windows Of The World." Not the nonstop
mindblower it could've been, it's still a good introduction to the
breadth of the man's talent. (DBW)
Joy (1973)
Hayes moved away from covers at this point, writing his own lush romantic funk
epics with minimal lyrics and spoken voiceovers. It's not far from
what Norman Whitfield was doing with the Temptations during this period, and despite
not having the Tempts' vocal talent, Hayes actually does a better
job: the 16-minute title track has a serious groove, and when it
finally gets to the chorus, it's worth the wait.
There's not much variety, and all of the songs are long ("I'm Gonna
Make It Without You" with a syrupy female chorus), but if you like
Hayes' better-known work, or want to hear the roots of later
romantic soul ballads, this is a good listen. Most amusing moment:
he apologizes for straying and promises to never do it again, just
before heading into the macho chorus of "A Man Will Be A Man." (DBW)
Tough Guys (1974)
The soundtrack from the movie "Three Tough Guys" is an enjoyable
tossoff - all original compositions including funk juggernauts
("The Red Rooster"), strutting Stax soul ("Buns O'Plenty," "Joe Bell"
with a fabulous horn arrangement), and a tender guitar-led ballad ("Hung
Up On My Baby"). The minor tracks aren't memorable but they're solid
("Kidnapped," "Title Theme"), and even though there are no vocals to
speak of, Hayes' unpredictable approach to orchestration makes sure
the interest level never flags. Now available on a 2-CD set with
Truck Turner; neither record cracked the Top Forty on original
release. (DBW)
Truck Turner (1974)
Hayes starred in this blaxploitation movie, and the double-album
soundtrack is the closest thing he ever recorded to a Shaft II:
the main theme is almost a rewrite of "Shaft," and there are plenty of
atmospheric love themes ("Now We're One," "A House Full Of Girls"),
jazzy riff tunes ("Breakthrough") and overlong jams ("The Insurance
Company," "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile" which lives up to its title with
hilarious stop-and-start antics). There are a few vocal numbers
("Give It To Me") and lovely pieces that don't quite develop ("Blue's
Crib"). The album's certainly not as deep or carefully rendered as
Shaft, and the high points aren't as high, but it sure is a fun
listen. (DBW)
Hotbed (rec. ?, rel. 1978)
A bunch of early 70s outtakes unearthed when Stax was sold to scavenger conglomerate Fantasy Records. It's hard to
believe anyone thought there wasn't enough Isaac Hayes product already on the market, but anyway, it's a pretty
good collection. It's all covers except for one lengthy instrumental ("Hobosac And Me," featuring aimless synth soloing),
and the arrangement of Bill Withers' "Use Me" had previously appeared on Sahara Tahoe, but the tracks are well
worked out and solidly enjoyable. Roberta Flack's "Feel Like Makin' Love" gets a deliciously
overblown treatment with funky licks, an insistent bass line, smooth female backups - for a fan, this cut alone makes
the record worth buying. "I'm Gonna Have To Tell Her" is a fine ballad, and Hayes sings "The Ten Commandments Of Love"
so straight he almost overcomes the tune's sappiness. (DBW)
Wonderful (rec. 1970-1974, rel. 1994)
Another Stax/Fantasy compilation, including two live cuts and seven single sides previously unreleased on LP.
The 1970 Christmas single "Mistletoe And Me"/"Winter Snow" is enjoyable in his lush orchestrated style with seductive
lyrics; the title track (a 1974 single) is a bit funkier. Two 1972 covers reuniting Hayes with old writing partner David Porter are
sluggish and ordinary, with no-frills soul arrangements (the silly Bread hit "Baby I'm-A Want You" and "Ain't That Loving
You (For More Reasons Than One)," originally a minor hit for Luther Ingram). The 17-minute live recording of "Ain't No Sunshine" is so similar to the
rendition on Sahara Tahoe that it's redundant, though he does hit some astonishingly high falsetto notes and
hold them astonishingly long. Though the disc is a good value for fans, it's so scattershot it doesn't give the novice any
sense of Hayes's importance or value. (DBW)
Chocolate Chip (1975)
Though Hayes had stopped doing movie soundtracks by this point, the
title track (a single) has blaxploitation written all over it, from the
boasting lyrics to the incredible funk groove. "I Can't Turn Around"
is also uptempo, but most of the disc is turned over to carefully
produced slow jams: "That Loving Feeling" has an affecting vocal
performance, and "I Want To Make Love To You So Bad" is based on a
wonderful syncopated percussion part. On the downside, he's recycling
old ideas - the bass line on "Loving Feeling" is lifted from "Ike's Mood
I" - and "Body Language" lacks any kind of subtlety. Not at the
level of his best work, but it's more than good enough. Released on his
vanity label Hot Buttered Soul, this was his last Top 40 album for
several years. (DBW)
 Disco Connection (1975)
On this prefab instrumental record, Hayes shifted from
innovator to imitator: outside of a couple of good riffs ("Disco
Shuffle"), this sounds like a Barry White production. Fluttery strings
and keyboard washes are all over the place, replacing the gritty guitars
and free-ranging horns of his other records. Worse still, he apparently
isn't even trying to create distinctive moods or atmospheres - some
of the tunes are decent ("The First Day Of Forever") but don't make any
impression: once the record's over it's forgotten. (DBW)
Juicy Fruit (Disco Freak) (1976)
Back to his usual Memphis funk/ballad blend and invigorating
arrangements: the title track (a single) is an irresistable, seductive
groove once you get past the annoying fake conversation intro; "Music
To Make Love By" lives up to its name; "Love Me Or Lose Me" is pleasant
if a bit obvious. However, the ballads are rather dull ("Let's Don't
Ever Blow Our Thing"; "Lady Of The Night" proves Bernie Taupin doesn't have a monopoly on
sentimental songs about prostitutes). The album cover is not one of
Hayes' more tasteful. Self-produced as usual, arrangements are by Hayes
and Lester Snell. The musicians still include most of the original
Movement with Errol Thomas replacing Alexander on bass, plus Anthony
Shinault and Kim Palumu (guitar), Derek Galbreith (bass) and Sidney
Kirk. (DBW)
Groove-A-Thon (1976)
More of the usual here, with some solid tunes (title track), but overall
it's disappointing: "Rock Me Easy Baby" repeats its simple, "Right On"-like riff endlessly; all
the lyrics are trivial; and the two slow ballads ("Your Loving Is Much
Too Strong" and "Wish You Were Here") are lacking in the melody
department. The backing is unsurprising - his standard R & B plus string
flurries - and the arrangements don't develop much: he almost ruins the
pop song "We've Got A Whole Lot Of Love" by running the wonderfully
catchy hook into the ground. Hayes hauls out his full-blown layered funk
approach on exactly one song, the deliberate, gentle "Make A Little Love
To Me," where the effect is magical. Same basic band as the previous
record; once again, everything was written and produced by Hayes.
(DBW)
New Horizon (1977)
Hayes returned to cover tunes, with a ten-minute disco version of
"Stranger In Paradise" that's not quite as bad as you'd think. But most
of the tunes are still originals, either driving funk ("Moonlight Lovin'
(Mènage á Trois)") or ballads ("Don't Take Your Love
Away," a pleasant number later recorded by Dionne
Warwick). Only five tracks, and they're all too long ("Out Of The
Ghetto" is obvious to boot), but his sense of mood and commanding voice
("It's Heaven To Me) are still in evidence. Pitts, Toles and Hall are
still around; Bill Purse and Cedric Lawson help Hayes on keyboards, Willie Weeks is on bass, and Daniel Zebulon plays percussion.
(DBW)
 A Man And A Woman (Isaac Hayes & Dionne Warwick: 1977)
A live double album recorded with Dionne
Warwick, and it's an embarrassing blot on both artists' careers.
Almost everything is slowed-down and schmaltzed to the max, including
past Warwick hits (including of course "Walk On By") and several of the
worst pop tunes of all time: "Feelings," "Love Will Keep Us Together,"
"My Eyes Adored You" (by the same Crewe/Nolan team that wrote "Lady Marmalade").
If all this sounds like a camp masterpiece, it isn't: if you have any
sense of history, you'll be saddened and embarrassed to hear such
significant artists churning out such pap.
Most of the tunes are sung as duets, but the two good tunes
are solo features: Warwick's take on Earth Wind & Fire's
"Can't Hide Love," and Hayes's frantic rendition of "Chocolate Chip." (DBW)
For The Sake Of Love (1978)
When a disco remake ("Shaft II") and a Billy Joel cover ("Just The Way
You Are," with a fine Hayes sax solo) are the high points, look out. The
disc is overloaded with treacly ballads ("Believe In Me," James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely
Tonight"), and Hayes's message tune "If We Ever Needed Peace" is less
convincing than usual. To be fair, "Zeke The Freak" is a fine funk
workout, and this is certainly better than the better-selling followup
Don't Let Go. The same band as New Horizon, with
Jesse Butler and Travis Biggs adding still more keyboards. (DBW)
Don't Let Go (1979)
A short-lived return to the Top 40 and gold record status, thanks to the
title track - soulless formula disco written by Jesse Stone. The cover
of "Fever" (recently recorded by India)
is similar, and even longer. That leaves three Hayes originals: the
mildly funk "What Does It Take" and two ballads, "A Few More Kisses To
Go," and "Someone Who Will Take The Place Of You." All three are slow
and atmospheric, but lack any sharpness in the arranging details -
they're pleasant for fans, but add nothing new to his legacy. This
is a rare record nowadays, but don't shell out big bucks for it.
The disco-era band, with Galbrieth holding down bass and Otis
Williams adding guitar. Produced and arranged by Hayes (Purse
co-arranged horns and strings). (DBW)
Royal Rappin's (Millie Jackson & Isaac Hayes: 1979)
Don't be fooled: this is not an Isaac Hayes record, it's a Millie
Jackson record with duet vocals from Hayes. And it's not even a good
Millie Jackson record. The songs are all by hired guns, except for one
cowritten by Jackson ("If I Had My Way"), and they're either disco-y pop
("Sweet Music, Soft Lights, And You") or limp ballads ("You Needed
Me"), nothing memorable (in a good way, that is). The vocalists are
unforgivably low-key; the only time they do try to generate some heat
it's just silly ("Do You Wanna Make Love"). The low point is probably
the cover of Foreigner's "Feels Like The First Time" - whoever thought
of reusing the bass line from Peaches & Herb's disco hit "Shake Your
Groove Thing" should be sent to a reeducation camp. The
musicians aren't listed, though the Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section
(assuredly not the folks from the classic Aretha
Franklin records) is specially thanked. Produced by Jackson and Brad
Shapiro. (DBW)
And Once Again (1980)
Almost all ballads this time, and on his 13-minute medley of "Ike's Rap
VII" and Gwen Guthrie's "This Time I'll Be
Sweeter" (originally recorded by Roberta
Flack), he shows you how wonderful that can be: his voice is
spellbinding, whether he's talking or singing, and the changes in the
arrangement are subtle - just enough to keep things interesting.
The only other non-Hayes track is Charles Dawes and Carl Sigman's "It's
All In The Game," on which he plays a fine alto sax solo. Side two is
dismal, though, with the sluggish "Wherever You Are" and two more
mindless disco tunes, "I Ain't Never" and "Love Has Been
Good To Us." Basically the same band Hayes had used since New
Horizon, though Towles is gone. (DBW)
Lifetime Thing (1981)
If disco died in 1980, someone forgot to invite Isaac Hayes to the funeral. How else to explain the colossally tacky
nine-minute remake of the Temptations/Supremes hit
"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" that appears here? He doesn't have much luck with ballads either, turning over eight
minutes to a routine reading of Lionel Richie's silly "Once, Twice, Three Times
A Lady," though Hayes' own title track is fine. Full review coming soon.
(DBW)
U-Turn (1986)
Gerald Jackson and David Conley
contributed drum machines and synth programming in an attempt to
bring Hayes into the 80s. It's a mixed bag, but not a disaster:
Conley's ballad "You Turn Me On" uses synth to light, clever effect
(like his associate Gwen Guthrie), though his other two tracks are
dreadful, with Hayes's bass vocals jarring badly against the slick
mechanical backing ("Flash Backs"). The single "Ike's Rap VIII/Hey Girl" starts with a splendid
love-rap-plus-social-comment, and the treatment of the "Can't Take My
Eyes Off Of You" is amazing: Hayes jettisons the campy instrumental
break and crafts a tender love song. However, he struggles to find a
groove on his three compositions (even allowing Jackson to play a
noodling synth solo on "Thing For You") - worst is the vacuous "Thank
God For Love." If you'll buy anything Hayes puts out, you'll be
glad this isn't as bad as you thought, but it's not exactly a triumph
(that didn't come until 1995). (DBW)
Love Attack (1988)
This time Hayes abandoned orchestration in favor of programmed drums and
synths; the result is anonymous though sometimes effective dance-pop
("Showdown," title track). It sounds like he's abandoning his musical
values to chase popular tastes, which makes this a rather depressing
listen, but it is smile-inducing to hear that his extended raps haven't
changed a bit ("Foreplay Rap"). The requisite cover is Billy Joel's
"She's Got A Way," which he does so sincerely it almost makes you
believe in the tune; he also remakes his own "I Stand Accused," which
just exposes the limits of the disc's minimalist production style.
Gerald Jackson adds keyboards and did all the drum programming; the only
other musicians are Ronnie Garrett (bass guitar) on one track, and Bill
Mueller (guitar) on two. (DBW)
Branded (1995)
After years out of the spotlight, Hayes returned with two albums,
the instrumental Raw & Refined, and this more commercial
collection. He makes almost no attempt to update his trademark lush
R&B sound: there are long instrumental stretches ("Life's Mood"),
insidious wah-wah guitar (the thumping title track), plenty of
organ and strings, and lots of spoken voice-overs (the
environmental-political "Ike's Plea"). Besides his original
compositions, he transforms Sting's
"Fragile" (also covered by Willie
Colón) and the Lovin'
Spoonful's "Summer In The City" into Hayes tunes. He also
updates two of his own compositions, "Soulville" and
"Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic," featuring Chuck D. As always, Hayes takes his
time, letting slow tracks like "Thanks To The Fool" outlive their
usefulness, but he's serious about putting the album across, and
there are no throwaway tunes. There's a hilarious moment in the
seductive "I'll Do Anything (To Turn You On)" where he proves just
how far he'll go - it's an apt metaphor for his commitment to
please his audience. (DBW)
Raw & Refined (1995)
A collection of instrumentals, some of which date back almost thirty
years, and sound it, with classic Stax-Volt organ, guitar chings
and supertight rhythm sections. The newer tracks don't sound
particularly modern either, outside of a few jarring touches like
industrial drum machines ("Tahoe Spring"). Hayes' main talent is as
a mood-builder, not as a composer or instrumentalist, but most of
these tracks are tossoffs, too slight to really grab your
attention. There are several decent grooves ("Birth Of Shaft," "The
405") but overall it sounds like a collection of B-sides - of real
interest only to his dedicated admirers. (DBW)
In 1998, Hayes made major (though tongue-in-cheek) contributions to Chef Aid: The
South Park Album, and the next year he contributed a remake of "Good Love 6-9969" to the South Park: Bigger,
Longer & Uncut soundtrack.
Don't let go.
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