The Needed 8 Albums Of Isaac Hayes
Brian J. Flax | Oakland Ca | 02/03/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Isaac Hayes's career has been filled with setting the bar higher and bringing about change ever since his 1st days as Booker T. Jones's replacement as Stax Records staff keyboard player.
Then change was brought about again when Ike and David Porter formed one of the most sucessful songwriting/producing teams ever combined that was and in my opinion probably still is the equivilant or perhaps even superior to other well known songwriting/production teams such as Burt Bacharach/Hal David - Kenny Gamble/Leon Huff - Norman Whitfield/Barret Strong and even modern day songwriting teams like Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis and Babyface/Daryl Simmons.
While i have the upmost respect for all the songwriting teams that i previously mentioned none of them and none of the artist that they produced brought about the change and had the impact on Soul music and really music in general as Isaac Hayes did.
If you are a die hard Hayes fan you should seek out all of his albums and cd's i know i have :D.. however in my opinion if you are going to spot pick then there are 8 albums that you must have in your collection.
1.Presenting Isaac Hayes - this is the album that helped Ike get his footing and was the set up for the ultimate impact he would have on the world of music.
2.Hot Buttered Soul - The album that made him a star and woke people up and forced the extension of the single song format because everyone who heard Ike wanted to hear the long versions of the songs he recorded just as much or if not even more then the abridged single versions.
3. SHAFT - The album that showed the world that Black Enteratiners could not only star in lead roles in movies but that they could score them as well(The success of the film and the musical score paved the way for other artist like Donny Hathaway - Marvin Gaye - Curtis Mayfield - James Brown and Bobby Womack to score movies). This album also jump started the Disco format... a style that would serve Ike well in his later years.
this album also introduced the world to Ike as a Instrumental artist.
4. Live At The Sahara Tahoe - if you want to hear Ike at his best in a live performance then this is the album for you.
5. Black Moses - The 1st album of Ike blatantly presenting himself as his alter ego "Black Moses"
6. Chocolate Chip - His first album on his own new label HBS(Hot Buttered Soul) Records... also the album that returned him to the charts.
7.New Horizon - New label - new state - new sound and a new beginning.. this album is reminiscent of Presenting Isaac Hayes because even though it was not a monster seller it once again helped Ike Get his footing.
8.Dont Let Go - After a lenghty absence form the industry this is the album that once again returned him to the charts and reminded the world of who Isaac Hayes is - what he has done - and what he can still do.
This album also contains 2 of my personal favorites - the sexual - sensual - erotic "A Few More Kisses To Go"(if you want to set the mood this song will do it.. trust me i know lol.. and to me it is also one of Ike's finest recorded vocal performances... and the 10 minute "Someone Will Take The Place Of You"
New Horizon is a brilliant album and shows Ike in a deep ballad bag with "Dont Take Your Love Away" and the song for serious lovers"Its Heaven To Me"(My #1 favorite love song in the whole world) to me "Heaven" should have been a #1 R&B/Pop hit but i believe that the fact that it didnt get the recognition that it deserved will make people appreciate it more for the jewel that it is.
Ike's career is filled with landmark albums...New Horizon is one of those albums and a necessity for anyone who calls themselves a serious Isaac Hayes Fan."
MOONLIGHT LOVIN' in the full SIXTEEN minutes cut!!!!!! YEAH!
Paulo Leite | Lisbon, Portugal | 09/05/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow!
What a record!
This is one of those albums that sums up what soul/disco music was all about in the late seventies: hot metaphorical sexual descriptions wrapped in lush orchestral arrangements with a rhythm section that would make one's jaw drop. -laughs!
MOONLIGHT LOVIN' is a perfect example: it goes on and on through 16+ minutes and it never gets boring. These songs were more than songs. They were statements! It sends us instantly to other similar great works like Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby, MacArthur Park, Summer Fever (and others) and Santa Esmeralda's Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.
DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE AWAY is another great song. Very slow and sexy. Also very long: 7:30 minutes long - no wonder those great vinyl LPs would have no more than 5 or 6 songs.
IT'S HEAVEN TO ME is another slow, slow, slow gem... I wonder if anybody ever measured the birth rate nine months after this album came up. - laughs!
STRANGER IN PARADISE is a less interesting song. It is a pure disco rendition of the great 1953 Wright/Forrest song originally from the Kismet musical. Many 70's albums would open with renditions like this. Grace Jones' legendary album Portfolio comes to mind.
OUT OF THE GHETTO is pure dance. Great song!
This album is a great piece of work. I shows a top artist in top form and produced by Isaac Hayes himself with the distinctive Tom Moulton mix at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, PA."
