Reviews (page 2 of 13)
This is what soul should sound like
Excellent album with an amazingly chill vibe.
Walk On By is great.
Love the grooves, defs listen to this again
El puro blues.
mt foda
I bought the album while listening to it
Excellent r&b
Hello children!! I loved this. What an artist, to take other people's work and reinvent them in such extraordinary ways, stamping his character all over them while being faithful to the feeling and respectful to the original. Then the other tracks are full of play, lyrically and musically. "Now I want your imagination. I want you to travel with me" - I'm there every time.
I really enjoyed this. I wish there were some shorter songs, and I wish the album cover wasn't so zoomed in on this guy's head. Otherwise, no complaints
Not much more to say about this album, groovy, delicious, buttery soul. Always been a favourite and always will be
AK: nice album
9
Monday, 15 June, 2026 Saw Dave Chappelle at LCA tonight. Killer set. This album was a huge surprise. Psychedelic soul!
By The Time I Got To Phoenix is almost hypnotic. What a cool listen. I enjoyed it a lot on headphones and feel like there's more here than I got in my listen. The instrumentals seemed fun every time I gave them extra focus.
Oh hell yeah. The title of the album could not be more correct. Scale wise it is epic and intimate. I needed this today. ‘You know when they said love makes the world go round…that’s the truth.’ He is right and he should say it. Really enjoyed the long spoken word build up to the last track. A teeny bit misogynistic right at the last moment - a shame - but mostly sweet. My instinct is that this man loves women too much - but I’m going to look that up. Aye - four wives and eleven kids. Oh and he did the Shaft music! Shame about the Scientology but that was well after he recorded this smooth slice of hot buttered soul.
Walk on by baby
the basslines… the horn arranging… the vocals… the fucking closing track…. OH.
Overall Rating: 8/1 Favorite Song: Walk On By
Slightly sinister and soulful start! Love it - so much butter, so much soul! I probably don’t need the ‘…Phoenix’ intro again but it was cool to hear this time. The rest of the song though is amazing. Now I get the Isaac Hayes love! The musicians are full of magic here
Isaac Hayes rules.
Hot Buttered Soul I’m kind of familiar with the album mainly through the version of Walk on By - a classic on the cusp of Soul going from the 60s Motown style pop to the more serious and gritty 70s style. It’s also been sampled a lot, you hear it cropping up a lot. It really is a fantastic track, the guitar and various riffs and melodies picked out on the strings, horns and keyboards are fantastic, creating a sense of drama against the at turns languid and pleading vocal. 12 excellent minutes. By The Time I Get to Phoenix isn’t as successful, despite being excellent from around 8.50, when he starts singing and the strings swell. The horn motif is excellent, the keys and organ are superb and it all just sounds fantastic. It’s just a shame that the extended spoken word intro is so superfluous - it is a bit of a slog to get through to get to the good bit, and unlike Walk on By that makes it feels like its full 18 minutes. In between those Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic is excellent, a wah wah driven bit of funky late 60s soul with an fantastic groove and some lovely piano along side the superb bass. But then I find One Woman, despite some nice moments, a little bit overwrought with a slightly histrionic string arrangement, and as a result it doesn’t land quite as well as the other tracks. His keyboard and Marvell Thomas plus The Bar-Kays playing is fantastic throughout though, and it sounds superb, the bass and drums are excellent and it has the perfect amount of lushness, not too cloying or over the top but with a nice depth to it. Walk on By and the 2nd half of Phoenix are as good as this type of late 60s/early 70s soul gets, but when there are only 4 tracks any weaknesses do get amplified, and the first half of By The Time I Get to Phoenix and the slightly underwhelming One Woman are definitely weak compared to the rest of it. I think that makes it a solid to high 4. 🧈🧈🧈🧈 Playlist submission: Walk on By
Still chef, but less distracting than the last album
Three out of four songs are covers in the sense that “Ulysses” covers Homer: the originals provided scaffolding to large, intricate structures that take you to places distant from the base song. There’s improvisation here, but this isn’t a jam album. It’s too orchestrated; I listened to this twice over a flight and the premeditation became clear. “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” simulates a singer’s preamble to a live audience that morphs into a story, bass, drums and organ in a soft loop until the song breaks out eight and a half minutes in. This built mild atmosphere when I wasn’t listening closely, impatience when I was; oddly, I thought of Suicide’s “Frankie Teardrop”, which has a different vibe, different intentions, but makes you listen due to its repetition, not despite it - tense, going places - Phoenix is not far enough; and Vega’s voice, not comparable to Hayes, carries more conviction than Hayes’ here, as magisterial and rich as Hayes is. However, the last five minutes os “…Phoenix” redeems the song, rising into ecstatic abandon as the narrator loses himself.
So good, long grooves that never get boring. Perfect for an extended workout [EDIT: The 9 minute intro to "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" is, by consensus, the worst thing my kids have ever heard. I first broadcast this album from the list about 2 years ago, and within 30 seconds today they knew exactly what it was and screamed for their lives. I quite like it though; ironically, I can be in Phoenix long before the intro is finished]
I struggled to connect with some of the earlier soul albums that I reviewed - but psychedelic soul? Sign me up!
I went into this album expecting a soulful masterpiece based on what I've read. What I didn't expect is how much innovation and genre diversity there would be in 4 songs. Truly captivating listen, although I do feel like the longer songs contain too much filler and are better enjoyed in their single-release lengths
Smooth. Good, confident storytelling on the longer tracks. Iconic voice. Slow orchestral builds are incredibly effective and beautiful on the longer songs. The song "One Woman" hit the happy balance between the gradual crescendos + shorter length. By The Time I Get to Phoenix has an AMAZING climax, but the spoken words parts take over 10 minutes. Hyperbolicsyllabic(...) is nice and groovy, but a bit repetitive. Walk On By
The horns on this album could run for President
Not my flavor of music, but this was ok to listen to. ★★★
Swanky and smooth and full of sweet lovin'. Hello there children, come listen to this album.
i need to look up the hip hop artists who have all sampled this album
It’s rare for an album that’s only 4 songs to be all filler, but this album accomplished it.
I can’t say I hated it. But I didn’t really enjoy it either.
There was a bit too much beating around the bush on this album. Some sections of some songs were good but there was too much filler. I prefer my Isaac Hayes on South Park.
Unusual and ahead of it's time. Not an album for repeated listening. Some cool arrangements, though.
it reminds me of contemporary rnb, which is the genre that i hate the most in this world, with all those "baby"s and "oh yeah"s. i can fall asleep to this 2/5
Not my jam, chef.
When the strings came in on the first track I started ascending. The horn lines the vocals its perfect holy shit. Probably my favourite soul album ever and top 20 albums of all time. I was so close to pushing this to 100. I got up out of chair started dancing cleaning my room gAD damn. Worth 3 listens its so damn good. Me and @bishopbnm were spamming damn on discord for the entire runtime. Im showing this to my bands guitarist and she might give this a 100. LORD ITS SO PEAK UGH
Not my usial go-to style but I loved every track, beautiful stuff.
This was quite a journey: cinematic, epic, emotional, soulful. It's hard to come out of this album and have to sit down to work rather than hit replay and spend the rest of the day in Hayes's world.
absolutely iconic. i never realized i knew these songs until i listened to the whole album, which made enjoying them even better. i then went on a tangent with all the other songs i know who'd sampled him. life changing album
This record absolutely floored me. I knew it but it had been decades since I actually sat down and really listened to it. Let's start with the structure because it's insane. Four songs. 3 of them over 9 minutes. One is a lengthy spoken word monologue. 3 are covers, one of which was originally a country song. His debut had flopped and this was the follow-up, where he demanded complete creative control. None of that makes sense on paper and yet it is a complete and total masterpiece. Symphonic soul is the term I've seen and it's perfect. He took By the Time I Get to Phoenix and turned it into a twelve minute epic. Strings and dirty funky guitar. His backing band was a reformed Bar-Kays, four of the previous members having died in the plane crash that also killed Otis Redding. It went gold. Half a million copies. Nobody saw that coming.
Classic
Scientology classic
Growing up knowing Isaac as the voice of Chef in South Park, I hadn't quite realised how big a star Isaac Hayes had become in the late 60s and early 70s until I watched the documentary Stax: Soulsville U.S.A., Hot Buttered Soul was released as part of a slew of albums released on the label after their split with Atlantic Records and subsequent loss of their entire roster artists. It was meant to just make up the numbers but ended up doing numbers and helped to briefly revive the label at the time. A complete alternative to the 3 minute pop soul of Motown, and to be fair most of Stax at the time; consisting of just 4 tracks, three of them over 10 mins, this redefined what soul music could be. It's luscious string arrangements and grandiose production are sublime and echoes into today with artists like Michael Kiwanuka, not to mention the countless hip-hop samples that were taken from this. It's really close between Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic and the version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's Walk on By, (first made famous by Dionne Warwick) for my fave but the latter just pips it.
It's an incredibly good album. It is a pinnacle of soul music and is really good! It definitely is one of the greatest soul albums to ever exist! I really have no idea what to say about it, it's just so good!
Hace mucho no escuchaba un album tan bueno de alguien completamente desconocido. No se quien sos Isaac pero te amo, por estas cosas amo la música
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The number of pregnancies which have undoubtedly resulted after listening to this album must be off the charts. Man's a lyrical wizard and the groove is just so sultry and delicious from start to finish. Album has such a timeless quality - I was shocked when I realized it came out the same year as freaking Apollo 11, when the production quality comes off as something much more modern. Truly a timeless feeling record. Also I disagree with the reviewers who feel the extended story intro on "Phoenix" is too long.. the man is telling a story, and you best sit down and listen. The payoff is worth it. (side note -- the church of Scientology can go fuck itself. So glad I discovered the man was a cultist AFTER listening to it myself...)
Genuinely surprising, great working and background music
Wow. Masterpiece.
Amazing meandering soul album. Much better than Shaft. Yeah, the tracks are long. Let him cook. It's wonderful. That voice is velvety and sweet. My Rating: 5/5
one of my favorite albums ever, walk on by may be the greatest soul track oat
A bit different
Pretty sure I'm pregnant now and I'm a dude. This should eb the national anthem for countries with low birth rates! I thought this was so good, the production and performances are outrageously good and the mastering has so much headroom that you can really feel it when the volume ramp[s in and out at then end of walk on by. Really glad I listened to this, now I'm gonna go take a cold shower
I should hate this. Slow jam soul, and two songs over 12 minutes long?? But, it's Isaac Hayes...and he just knows how to keep your attention. I absolutely loved this. "One Woman" brought me to a new level of existence. Hot Buttered Soul is the most accurate album title of all time.
incredible. each song is its own world. walk on by might be the greatest soul song of all time
- OOOOuuuuh this one give me the alligator jiggling fever - me and sweetie fox thinking about our life issues while doing blunt rotation - reminds of movie ending music hits
Like Marvin Gaye but deeper and on herion instead of Coke
holy... first impression is I have never heard anything like this before. The distorted funk of the guitar blessing my eardrums so hard. Reminds me of the gay hotel where me and Sean kissed for the first time. Its so sensual, funky, soul. Idek but this first track is making my brain just buss everywhere. 5:14 on Walk on by tingled my brain so hard my eyes rolled to the back of my head. My brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain bro my brain... so funky hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedelymistic HITSSSSS SO HARD. its tingling in all the right ways, the funky bass. I think im too excited over this album. Switching the drum tempos is sick too. Piano solo can never go wrong bro this is a perfect song. ONE WOMAN IM CUMING IM CUMING IM CUMING ITS ACTUALLY SO GOOD. SEAN HOLD MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. That was actually the most beautiful song ive ever heard in my whole life bro that was amazing. Last song is full of sadness and heartbreak, with amazing delivery coming down from the love surge of one girl. It shows himself evolving in this relationship, and slowly getting better and recovery from heartbreak. BEAUTIFUL AHH ALBUM IM IN LOVE. MY FIRST 5 STAR.
Sexy, oily, sweaty, druggy and chocolate-covered soul music drenched in psychedelia. Beautiful.
mtttttt boa experiência pqp.
First Isaac Hayes album I've ever listened to, and it blew me away. An absolute masterpiece.
This album is the definition of smooth. Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic is the standout track with the extended keyboard jam. The album as a whole works really well. I need to dive deeper into his catalog. This is a vibe.
That’s a clear 5.
crazy good opening track. sort of a combo between ennio morricone and justice. this is exactly the kind of thing i was hoping for when starting this. the latter parts trailed off a little bit but the general vibe is so magnificent i can't fault it for that really. immediately went back to listen to the start of it after finishing it. i think my appreciation for this kind of thing comes from hearing so much motown growing up. had never heard the name isaac hayes before this but i sure hope i remember it
Apologies Mister Hayes, for I only knew you as Chef from South Park and thus was not remotely familiar with how excellent your game is.
Brilliant stuff.
I’m gonna moan now. mmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMM.
Never listened to this guy consciously before. Totally blew me away from the start of the first track. Great vocal command, loads of great musical ideas to keep the long tracks interesting, even a flute at the big jam at the end.
muito forte
1969 hot and buttered, Memphis soul legend drops this 4-track 45-minute record, changing the game for R&B and Soul with long spoken words as sermons accompanied by smooth string and brass arrangements which slowly unveil the stretched groove and funk of Hayes, like melted butter
I find it hard to put this into words. THoughtful, funky, soulful and sexy; I am so glad to hear this before I die. I added this to my library about two minutes into the first track.
++*: Walk On By ++: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic, One Woman, By the Time I Get to Phoenix 9,7/10
Coolness factor: 100 With all the coolness associated with Isaac Hayes — the voice behind the Blaxploitation classic Shaft — it’s easy to forget that he was also a musical innovator. At a time when progressive rock bands in Britain were primarily embracing the long song format, he released Hot Buttered Soul, an album featuring only four tracks, two of which are well over 10 minutes long (the opener 'Walk on by' and the closer 'By the Time I Get to Phoenix'), one just under that length ('Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic', 9:10 minutes) and one at 'just' 5:10 minutes ('One Woman'). It should have been commercial suicide, even in the world of soul music. Instead of flopping, however, Hayes's first masterpiece expanded the genre and opened up new avenues for it in the coming decade. Ironically, it was this unusual album that made him a star of black music, and skilfully edited singles then ensured commercial success in the charts. A milestone from a giant of soul music.
🔥🧈👣
I spent this album thinking about the secret garden on ASU's Tempe campus and drafting up a romantic poem. While the Shaft soundtrack was certainly deserving of its spot on this list, I'm also glad that we got to experience an actual original Isaac Hayes album, separate of some other bigger project. Hut Buttered Soul is an incredible album, taking Hayes' usual soul sound and cranking up the orchestral and cinematic sound. These sprawling instrumental journeys constantly find new movements and steps forward while staying funky and soulful, all complimented by a voice like sweet honey. I'm also a sucker for a spoken word interlude section, so the entire near-ten-minute buildup on By The Time I Get To Phoenix kept me completely captivated; it's connection to Injury Reserve's final album only makes it more of a standout in my mind. Highlights: Walk On By, Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic, One Woman, By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Exceptional
It‘ an album that has ben with me since my adolescence
- Although, as many others have noted, the monologue for "By the Time I Get To Phoenix" is too long and does not really go anywhere, this album still gets 5 stars just for Mr. Hayes' gold chain vest .... look it up. -
THIS WAS MADE IN 1969???? This would also be as impressive and amazing if it was made this year, but damn that album is so ahead of its time.
Chill
Amazing! One of my fav voices and a cool blend of blues and soul
This is a four-track album. FOUR. It does not feel like a four-track album at all. This is partially due to the run-time of 45 minutes, but it's also a credit to Hayes' songwriting abilities. The tracks are varied and dynamic, and I never once found myself bored while listening. This all culminated in the last track, By The Time I Get To Phoenix, which has an eight-minute introduction but still goes on to deliver a beautiful soul track after.
Jam soul. It was so jammy. Did not expect Chef to have that much goin on
Incredible. Cinematic. Whole-Hearted. Isaac Hayes bares his very existence on Hot Buttered Soul. He *IS* the Hot Buttered Soul "Walk On By" is an odyssey. It left me in awe. The orchestral score and guitar gave me the distinct impression that, if it were a movie, it would be shot in sepia tone, like a western. Hayes uses the long lengths of the songs to explore some tasty grooves, much to his advantage and my enjoyment. There is DRAMA on this record. And Isaac's gonna tell you all about it. "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" is an experience. An organ hums while Hayes narrates a tale of love and heartbreak. Hayes creative ambitions are palpable throughout this record. I put off rating and reviewing this record for a long time, and I'm so glad I did. I already liked it a lot, but I've grown to love it. Though it's a shame he was a Scientologist, it is undeniable that Isaac Hayes was a powerful voice and incredible talent.
de fondo para cocinar
oh yeahhhhh
Perfection.
Una bofetada a la falta de creatividad contemporánea. Mientras la industria actual se conforma con fragmentos de 2 minutos, Hayes se atreve a expandir el alma en piezas largas y complejas. "Walk on By" es una catedral sonora: el órgano marca un ritmo casi ritual, mientras que los vientos y cuerdas elevan la pieza a un nivel cinematográfico. Su voz grave le da una profundidad que el soul rara vez alcanza, moviéndose con maestría entre el funk más terrenal y una sofisticación orquestal absoluta. Es música para detenerse y escuchar, no para consumir de paso.
His ass was NOT lying, that was a hot buttered soul!
Sublime
Класний альбом, сам не очікував) Соул, фанково-блюзовий)
Kendrick got nothing on the smooth buttery soul of Isaac Who else is banging out 19 minute soul classics Who knew chef from south park was this good!
This is a great album with a timeless sound. Never heard of Isaac Hayes and now I feel bad that I do.
I had no expectations going into this - I loved this album. Such a strong, powerful voice. Great instrumentals. The energy from this was immaculate.
this was absolutely fucking mint. not a single song that can be put in a playlist due to them being 20 minutes long but all the better for it as this SHOULD be listened to as an album, some journey it takes you on! the intro to walk on by is maybe one of the strongest ways of opening an album of all time - and the outro of by the time i get to phoenix also one of the strongest album closers. woweeeeee
35 years before trip-hop, this is pure soul in the noblest sense — a foundational record that’s been mined to the bone. This is a pillar. Period. And for once, the album really benefits from that raw, visceral 60s sound, far from the disco gloss that would later dilute the genre’s depth. It just sounds right.
I love going thru this list of albums, every other album is a 70's soul/funk album thats has birthed a gazillion hip-hop samples
I might never have discovered this album, and honestly, that would’ve been such a loss. I’m so glad I gave it a chance. The vocals, the lyrics, the seamless blend of percussion and strings – each track felt like its own journey, and by the end, I felt completely transformed. This is what music should do: it should move something deep within you. The album beautifully weaves together themes of love, longing, and the full spectrum of human emotion. Walk On By was the perfect opening – easily my favourite. I could really feel the heartbreak, and the vivid imagery brought those emotions to life in such a powerful way. Then the second track caught me off guard – in the best way. The way love is described almost like a drug, and its physical and emotional intensity… oof. When I first heard One Woman, it was a beautiful composition. But reading more into the lyrics I didn’t realise it was about cheating – oh my god how did he make that sound so soulful and beautiful. And By the Time I Get to Phoenix has a long, almost sermon-like intro, but it ends up adding a lot of weight and intention. It might feel a bit drawn out at first, but it ultimately works in setting the tone.
Incredible album, I'm glad I listened to it once in my life, will probably listen to again
Consistent style and groove. The baseline and instrumentals are absolutely hot butter. Vocals are pure talent and the toasty contrast needed for an excellent soul album.
This was transcendental, yet rocking. A lot of fun throughout the whole record. My only complaint is that his lyrics in his Chef's character were even better.
I'll take a catfish sandwich, collard greens, some mashed potatoes and, most importantly, a side of Hot Buttered Soul.
5 hot butter out of 5 hot butter
Groovy, cinematic, epic.
When you listening this album feel very rich
A must psychedelic soul
Fantastic listening, so smooth, genuinely perfect album. Walk On By was my fav song and first listen of the album with Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic and One Woman as my other highlights
Great throughout but I want to simmer in those first 2 tracks forever
I have "never heard this before". In quotes because within the first two minutes my ears perked up hearing the sample from Six Inch by Beyoncé. Hayes's perfection is the kind of stuff you hear and immediately can feel the universe that unfolds out from these ideas. Clearly something important and magnificent, sounds phenomenal. Had a great time.
Amei, achei tão contemporânea... Nem parece que é de 68....
Mmmm absolutely scrumptious
Love love love. This album was completely new to me and has been the best one yet. One woman especially is an amazing track.
If you still don't know about this one then I don't know what to tell you. It's exactly what the record is titled.
Damn, that beginning sounds really like hot butter! Fucking excellent, love it, daaamn
Of my. I love this album. I know Hayes from Shaft and shorter cuts of Walk on By and Phoenix but I’ve been missing out. The long cuts are phenomenal! Four songs for an entire album! Crazy but it works. That voice and that band! One of my new favorites
Beautiful and charismatic delivery from Isaac Hayes that I’ve never heard the likes of before. This was fantastic and drew me in immediately. Such a simple groove in each song and for how long the songs are, they don’t feel terribly repetitive or uninteresting. Really fun stuff and sincere delivery all around. Beautiful vocals and orchestration of these wonderful tunes. Truly soulful music and with a lot of amazing passion that’s such a gift to listen to.
Jesus Christ, Chef, save some strings for the rest of us. This could damn-well be one of the most timeless albums ever. I listen to this and think late 70s, not late 60s. This album came out the same year as Abbey Road. Anyways, I don't know what it is with soul singers and making the most creative covers out there, but that man put more than his soul into Walk On By and By the Time I Get to Phoenix. That second one nearly takes up a whole side all by itself and most of it is a pretty neat story he made up. The best part is that he got a whole orchestra's worth of instruments to back him up.
I have a copy of this album and have listened to it a lot down the years. It was one of the first albums that pulled me into Stax/Volt. It's an absolute classic. It sounds so pure, even now, not over-produced or too many layers. Put this album on, sit down, close your eyes and be at peace with everything - you can't fight it.
Intoxicating, and as it’s clearly audible, infinitely influential. Loved every second
Chef was really cooking with this one. Possibly the greatest 4-track LP of all-time.
This is my first time listening to this album. Man, this is smooth. I'll be adding this album to my list of albums to listen to again.
Very nice
Solid gold. Interesting backstory; a testament to giving the artist full creative control. Labels, take heed!
smooth
Fantastic album start to finish. Pure hot buttered soul
Mr. 'Chef' himself in his second release is down right funky as hell.
What a banger
God, what a perfect album. Isaac Hayes combines incredibly soulful delivery with super lush instrumentation, to astonishing effect. One of the GOAT albums. Fun fact: Henry Rollins, frontman of hardcore punk band Black Flag, cites this as his favourite album ever!
GOD these arrangements are perfection, there's no better description for it than 'prog soul'. Standouts: Walk On By • Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic • One Woman • By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Lowkey sumptuous.
It’s completely unbelievable
was always number 1 on my topsters lists... i basically think its the best album of all time. ive loved it my whole life
Walk On By my choice for greatest cover ever. Up there with greatest intros too. Too me far too long to appreciate the genius behind Chef.
Stunning album. A true classic. This is what I needed on a day like yesterday.
Such a beautiful album. Genre defining and ahead of its time. It didn’t need 8 minutes of narration on track 4 … but I’ve decided to waive that to score a low 5 / 5
A low 5 for Isaac Hayes, wow what a record, listened to it twice over and will absolutely be revisiting regularly, just great
Holy shit.
Better than Coldplay
Mijn god, wat een plaat, dat dit in 1969 gemaakt is! Dit raakt echt iets in me, zo zwoel, zo goor, zo glibberig als Isaac z'n kale kop op de album cover. Overigens echt absurd hoeveel dit gesampled is trouwens. En oh ja, fuck scientology
Enjoyable listen
Ik had Black Moses wel eens geluisterd maar dit is nog beter. Wat een grooves, wat een productie. Hoe is dit opgenomen in de jaren 60? Deze man leefde ver in de toekomst.
Tremendo
This is the type of album that reminds me why I started doing this. So good but never would’ve picked out myself.
Such a great album. I remember my dad introducing me to this album as a kid. I remember hearing it but not appreciating it. I eventually hear the single version of Walk On By and I was like "okay, I hear it now" Fast forward to my twenties when I revisit this album and hear the full Walk On By 🤯 It's a feeling that keeps through the record. Are there only 4 songs? Yes. Are they long? Yes. Do they take you (as someone else put it best) a journey? Yes Each one tells a slightly different story musically. Lots of heartbreak in the album but told majestically through the mind of Isaac. I usually try and choose a hit, a miss, and a hidden gem but really each song can be any of those if you are not familiar with long songs, or its not your style. I love the journey it goes on.
Incredible, timeless sounds with soul that cannot be contained. Can't believe I've never listened to this before. MAGIC.
Me frotaría en su calva
Incredible album.
On the first listen I didn’t really get this one. On the second listen, I think I understand the merit of this album. It’s a pretty challenging listen (because the songs are so long), but I think the point is to just sit back and let Isaac Hayes take you on the long-haul soul train. When you accept this, the album plays beautifully and provides a very potent soul experience. It’s a slow burn (one of the slowest I’ve ever encountered), but worth sitting with. In particular, the triumphant horns on the closer (an honestly puzzling 19-minute version of “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”) are a great example of how this album pays off for the patient listener. Edit: this album is a masterpiece in soul, and an incredible experience.
Such easy listening really like this one
So damn good
This is insane considering its from the 1960s
This is a fantastic new discovery for me. Epic and soaring, you can definitely see the early influences on 70’s soul and R&B. When I saw it was only 4 songs, I couldn’t believe it, but they are all unique and great in their own right. The only knock against it in my opinion is the lengthy spoken intro for By the Time I Get to Phoenix, but that was because I wanted to get to the rest of the song already. The groove on the second track is my favorite of the whole album and might be one of the best I have encountered in the project so far. The guitar on “Walk On By” is fantastic, excellent tone and I feel like it has been sampled repeatedly because it was recognizable and yet new at the same time. Really glad I listened to this.
Fantastic. Can’t believe this came out in the 60’s. Way before its time. Only complaint is the long monologue on track 4 but even that is somehow smooth as hell.
4.5 Recién lo empece y los instrumentales de Walk On By están alterando la química de mi cerebro en estos momentos, que JOYA HP ESA GUITARRAAAAA ALO?? Los vocales de él y la voz de fondo de ella se complementan a la perfección. Estoy levitando como ese meme de Bob Esponja, no puedo creer que no he escuchado esto anteeeees!!! Incluso los 3 últimos minutos no me molesta en lo absoluto que repitan las letras una y otra vez (cuando normalmente odio eso) EL RITMO lo complementa tan bien!! PINCHE ROLA ESPECTACULAR, ESTO HA SIDO CINE PARA MIS OIDOS, y como se suben los tonos en el minuto 10:30 mas o menos AAAAAAAA Y ESA BATERIA AL FINAL WAAAA no puedo creer que solo tenga 4 canciones este álbum. Aunque lo que dura cada canción si le hace justicia xd, lo tomo. Top 4 Songs: - Walk On By - One Woman - By the Time I Get to Phoenix - Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic Tengo que decir que la intro de By the Time I get to Phoenix si se me hizo algo larga. De ahí, fue una total experiencia escuchar este álbum, las vibras que me dio fueron indescriptibles, y pues ojalá descubrir más álbums así a lo largo de este trayecto. La plena no sabía que me gustaba tanto este género hasta este álbum. Tengo que escuchar más a este caballero Isaac Hayes definitivamente, estoy tan agradecida de haberlo escuchado, FUE CINE, no tengo más que decir (lo dice después de escribir un testamento xd)
im in love with all the sounds
Late 60s soul. Great title. Landmark soul album. Incredibly smooth, quite epic.
Silence in the studio, please! Isaac is making Music 2.0 When soul music became psychedelic, the genre reached its peak. The guitar riff in Walk On By is one of the most comfortably intoxicating things ever made (great choice of sampling Compton's Most Wanted for Hood Took Me Under). 5 stars
I guess I am simply a fan of Isaac Hayes
Album was amazing! It was extremely easy to listen, some of the songs were long in length but didn’t feel that way. Isaac Hayes’ voice was superb. I’d different listen to the album again and it’s my favorite album from this generator so far
MTOOOOO BOMMMMMMMM
10/10 Favorites: Walk On By By The Time I Get To Phoenix
loveeee puro chisme
Amazing. Storytelling through song, each song holds its own rhythm, sound and vibe.
This album has the longest song I ever heard, but I'm shocked at how quickly that 18 minutes went by. I should be asleep by now so his voice is not helping with staying awake, it's really nice to listen to, I also like the instrumental Fav is one woman
Didn’t know 4 songs could be 45 minutes but feel like 5 minutes but also feel like they contain all the pain and beauty of a lifetime
walk on by is annamazing cover , second sonf was good but not top tier. loved one woman despite it being a tad bit overdone and cliched soul rather than more of the progressive soul i was expecting. BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX so so beautiful oh my god
A 45 minute album with 4 songs? I like soul/funk but this feels like it's going to feel longer than it is. Walk On By is a cover! Today I learned something. Also, his version once he's done singing is awesome. I like this album, it could be the alternate soundtrack to Black Caesar. Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos sample. Teddy Pendergrass owes Isaac Hayes a debt of gratitude. One Woman is a Classic Soul song where the rest of the album feels much more experimental. By The Time I Get to Phoenix is losing me. I'm a sucker for the Hammond B3 though. This was a really good album.
Smooth.
Feeling like in a film while listening to Walk on by.
Just the kind of soul I like. 5 stars
As soon as the album starts, that butter starts sizzlin'. Yes please, thank you ma'am.
What the fuck even is this
Isaac Hayes knows how to stretch it out. In ways that don’t sound contrived or like they’re compensating for a lack of ideas. His music may be decadent at times, but it’s also capable of using sparseness in ways that Philip Glass or La Monte Young could take notes from. “Walk On By” breaks down and pulls out music refrains before layering everything back together for a powerful final crescendo. You’re 9 minutes into “By the Time I Get To Phoenix” by the time you get to a chord change. At a moment when musicians are trying to move past 3-minute made-for-radio cuts, Isaac Hayes finds his own strategy to take the album format to new heights: not as a cheeky concept album or rock opera, but through the undying power of a vamp.
Everything about this album emits excellence. The starkly smooth cover art, the sensual name, the long but not too repetitive or drawn out grooves, and the voice of the man behind the creative control. I believe having just 4 tracks and keeping the overall playtime to 45 minutes adds to this albums greatness. You don’t need an entire evening to pick up what Hayes is putting down. The needle drops, you walk on by, and by the time you get to phoenix the album is done.
ngl I couldn’t take this seriously at times because I just heard chef lol but amazing album
Great stuff. Is this album the fewest tracks (4) we’ve had on a list album? What it lacks in track quantity it more than makes up in groove density.
This is my third 5 star rating in a row. Can we keep the streak going?
Super funky. Highly sampled. 5/5
pleasantly surprised was scared of length but this was a great and nostalgic album
I'd heard of this album, but have never listened to it before. I have known Isaac Hayes from his Theme From Shaft, but really nothing else other than some acting roles and the South Park controversy. As soon as the record began, I understood why all of the praise has been given. This felt like I was in the audience for a live jam session and I was watching Hayes and the band just do their thing. Each song had lots to offer as well. The only song that I was left wanting more was One Woman, which was great but not as fully played as the others. His monologue intro on By The Time I Get To Phoenix was absolutely mind blowing, and the people who feel it's too long just don't love dramatics in music I suppose. I loved this album and every song is going on other playlists.
Amazing. Sounds timeless. The intro to "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" might be a bit long, but it's a great song despite it. Every track is great. Would listen again.
Day 2 of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die with @marmeu. HOLY SHITTTT, MY FIRST TRUE SOUL ALBUM (igor dont count) AND THIS WAS INSANEEEEEEE. This was amazing. Immediately after the first track I was already hooked to this, and while listening to this album reading Rices review which is one of the best reviews I've read in a while. It's so groovy and amazing. I was legit dancing downstairs while listening to this album. Me and @marmeu had the track rating for track rating, exact same score, on everything too. He was going insane in our discord chat about how good it was (we we're in a jam). AMAZING ALBUMMMMM GO LISTEN. 98/100
I think this man single-handedly created the hip-hop fashion. While also making better music than any hip-hop artist ever.
No wonder chef was banging Cartmans mom, he sounds just like Isaac Hayes
hot buttered soul here are some 10+ minute songs. knowing isaac hayes, it's gonna be a lil less repetitive than U2 Jr from yesterday. 10/10 classic. another treasure lost to scientology
Wow. Four songs. Unreal talent. You could get lost into this album
Absolute sure fire classic
Seks het album, elk nummer duurt en duurt maar en is een soort gekke mix van funk en soul. Maar jezus wat klinkt deze man goed en besef dit komt uit 1969!! Dat alleen al vind ik echt bizar, ok ik luister de remastered versie, maar alsnog; dit klinkt echt top. Productie klinkt niet gedateerd, alleen misschien omdat elk nummer bijna of ruim 10 minuten duurt dat niet alles even goed land. Maar het is bizar, je hebt soul en R&B albums die nu uitkomen die minder goed klinken dan dit, of in elk geval meer gedateerd. Blijkt maar weer dat Soul eigenlijk heel makkelijk is, je hebt alleen maar 1 van de best klinkende stemmen ooit nodig en dan kun je prima een goed album maken. IK LEES NET DAT DEZE MAN OOK CHEF SPEELDE IN SOUTH PARK, WAT DE NEUK Dat maakt dit alles nog 10 keer beter zeg, het klinkt al heerlijk, de muziek funkt en sorry maar deze ellenlange solo's zijn eigenlijk precies wat ik nice vind! Eerlijk, wat een stem heeft deze man zeg, tering. En ja het is een beetje overdreven dat het laatste nummer 18(!!!!) minuten duurt, maar goed; Progrock bestaat ook en dat is ook soms zwaar overdreven. Laten we dit voor de goede orde dan maar progsoul noemen. Ok nee, het laatste nummer is niet helemaal mijn vibe, of tenminste de eerste 9 minuten niet... Daar gebeurd toch net ff te weinig om het echt een nummer te noemen. De eerste 3 nummers echter? Ge-wel-dig. Pure botergeile soul. En eigenlijk? Dat laatste nummer is ook gewoon heel erg vet. 13 minuten opbouwen, maar dan krijg je ook wat. Ik denk dat Isaac zich bewust is van het feit dat hij een stem heeft waarmee je mensen kan vermaken door een telefoonboek voor te lezen en dat ie dacht fuck it ik probeer het gewoon. En gelijk heeft ie, want hoewel je 9 minuten naar een soort acapella luistert verveeld het niet. En het feit dat ik eigenlijk meteen hierna verder Isaac zn disografie ben ingedoken zegt mij al genoeg; dit is een fantastische ontdekking voor mij en 5 sterren waard! FAVO: Walk on by, hyperbolic..., One woman
Classic soul
Pour une fois un soul qui me plaît, je vais lui mettre un petit 5 pour l'occasion. Particulièrement aimé la 2e partie. Et Chef dans South Park en plus...
Quelle voix suave, de la soul qui prend sont temps. J’ai ADORÉ By the time I get to Phoenix. Le début lent puis l’explosion de cordes à mi-chemin. Magnifique!
Ah, legendary saviour of Stax records, that was recorded with the "new" The Bar-Kays after their tragedy. This record has been on my "need to have" record list for ages, but so far I've not found it in the wild. Soul took giants steps around the time this record was released and I'm here to witness those steps, how ever many decades later. This emotional tidalwave of an album is filled with groove, rolling beats that fed hiphop for ages and amazing musicianship that keeps reminding me why talent should not be just about showing off you technique and skill.
This album is so interesting, sexy, dynamic. I don’t mind the song length at all because we’re always heading towards something satisfying. I love all the vocals and instrumentation.
This is a fantastic album. What a great discovery. Isaac Hayes, born in '42, made soul music incredibly sexy. His album Black Moses is also worth checking out. From this album, "Walk On By" and "By The Time I Get to Phoenix" are wow.
This is incredible and now you know why it’s called Soul. It’s albums like these that make me keep going with this project. Beautiful. Utterly beautiful.
Wow, I expected to like this, but I never expected to like it as much as this. Of course I knew about Isaac Hayes from his profile in pop culture. So I was just expecting sexy slow jams. Instead I feel like this is reprogramming my priorities in life. The grooves are so great I don't know how to comment on them. The first and last songs (Walk On By, By The Time I Get to Phoenix) were already ones I enjoyed but also wondered if they contained something more... and here it is. No idea how I didn't know these versions existed. Anyway, because I'm just a white boy from Kansas I have no idea where it rates within its genre, but it's definitely a five for me.
Soulful sexy jazz
Remek djelo prog soula
Brilliant album. And just what it says on the tin - hot buttered soul!
A very awesome record. I listened to it twice because it’s so great.
I feel like a biscuit
LOVE this album! This is the first time I've even heard of this album. It's also one of the reasons I chose to make my way through this 1001 Albums challenge: to discover classics like this. This contains a master class in how to make a cover song your own, not once but twice. "Walk on By" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" are epic both in length and in substance. The open, almost luxurious arrangements here will make this a repeat listen for sure. I always knew Isaac had a terrific vocal style. I'm quickly learning of his very satisfying arranging too. Rating 5/5 Favorite song: "Walk on By."
I got pregnant while listening to this album by myself, which is already a miracle, but I'm also a man. The build-up on the last song was just a little too long for me, and I ended up getting a little lost. Major props to the drummer for keeping the beat that entire time, though. I also didn't realize how long the songs were at first, and I thought the first song was just going to be instrumental. A really incredible album. I didn't love his voice, but, for once, that really ended up not really mattering, mostly because the instrumentation is so incredible throughout the album, and almost all of the various instruments get their own time to shine. Favorite Song(s): Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
truly a masterpiece
I listen to this album while working out. It was calm and smooth and allowed me to really focus on my workout and lifting. It wasn't distracting and his cool mellow voice was a perfect compliment to heavy dreaded weights. I'd recommend this album
Great stuff
What a wonderful album. One I'll happily revisit. Just the right blend of intellectually interesting and genuinely enjoyable to listen to.
Oh yes. Oh yes.
Another day another great album. This is a classic for good reason. Really influential but also just great fun to listen to. The 2 covers here are the clear highlight, although the other 2 are nice as well. The covers have been dissected, pulled apart and stretched to make side long epics. Isaac Hayes voice is utterly beautiful and the guitar playing with the swelling strings is epic as well. Great album.
Превосходно, шикарно, великолепно. Такого соула я еще не слышал. "Люксовая", "богатая" музыка
SOO good, not usually my type of thing but this is now saved for anytime I want this vibe. Instrumentals were deep and hit hard and the storytelling is impeccable.
Holy shit this was awesome
nice say i like it
Flawless.
So groovy I had to stop what I was doing so I could dance.
pretty good jazzy would listen to again
Esto sí que es una joya, al nivel de Black Moses. 4 temas para la eternidad, destacan cómo no: Walk on by y By the tiem i get to Phoenix (ojo, yo prefiero la versión de Irma Franklin la hermana de Aretha), que son dos versiones, pero eso no importa nada. Excelente, sedoso, sudoroso, soul sureño y más allá. The Bar-Kays, Stax, Dusty y Elvis fueron a Memphis ese año, pero él era Memphis... Con Rumble te daban ganas de pelearte con cualquiera, con James Brown de moverte como un loco, pero con esto te daban ganas de tener maratones de sexo. Portada mítica disco imprescindible.
three amazing songs, but walk on by? it doesn’t get much better than that.
this shit hot to the touch
this was amazing, this is some insane soul music, insane grooves, awesome vocals, instrumentations being strung together really well, ending is very strong as well, not much else to say this seems quite essential and i’m glad i heard it before i die
Nailed it with the album title, this is easy listening with a silky voice. Listed as 4 total tracks on the album but feels like it’s one continuous song he’s playing to you in a small underground poorly lit bar.
This is a top tier album for me. “Walk on By” is a perfect opener and one of my favorite recordings, also made for a great Biggie sample. What a unique voice Isaac Hayes had….the narration on the closer is so epic. Glad this was today’s choice because it’s something i wanted to listen to anyway. Great interpretations of very stylistically different songs, walking a tight line between intimate arrangements and anlso also letting the backing band (The Bar-Kay’s?) stretch out. Funky, soulful, unique….Love this one
MÚSICA DE NEGRÃO QUE SABE FAZER FILHO BONITO!!!!!!!
Its just good, one of *those* albums in the best way possible
Makes me feel good.
This album was amazing, I especially loved the last track on the album as it was very unique and felt like he was taking me through the story with the music.
This album will make you pregnant.
С первых звуков заинтересовал. Альбом весьма хорош.
the absolute SEXINESS of this soul record is dwarfed only by the fact that this album came out in 1969!!! WHAT?! the story is also insane - Isaac Hayes was granted full creative control to record and release his 2nd album after his record label lost their back catalog and had a sprint to produce more work. Hayes crafted absolutely epic (both in quality and length) masterpieces that had a feel of gospel, rock, epic, and pure epiphany. This is by far one of my favorite albums i've discovered in this journey.
PARA DÍA TRANQUILO, LEER CONTEXTO HISTOIRCO Y CULTURAL DONDE FUE ESCRITO
Fenomenal
When this album came out I was 8. My BFF was black, I am white and we grew up in Brooklyn together. I was often invited to tag along with her and her family to visit friends in BED Stuy (do or die). This album takes me back to those apartments filled with hip black folks with big fros, daishikis, reefer and music like this. It fills my heart to overflow.
So hot. This album is fantastic, start to finish. "Walk On By" is possibly one of the greatest popular songs ever recorded. I've heard this called "Progressive Soul". I think that might be labeling it wrong. This arguably predates Progressive Rock. It's clearly doing it's own thing, too. And I think drawing from vastly divergent influences. It is sweeping and epic.
5/9
Absolute masterpiece
A classic
only 4 songs but incredibly good vibe
I was fully buttered by the end of this album. So smooth and engaging. Just makes you want to move and groove. Can't belive this is my first time listening to this.
Groooovy 🫠🫠🫠
Slowly simmering, this gorgeous production showcases Isaac Hayes in the most tender way to butter the music consumer's soul.
Favourites: All of them!
This is it. This is the coolest album of all time.
Usually before my actual review of the album I list my 3 favorite songs from the album, but considering Hot Buttered Soul is only 4 songs long and all 4 of them are basically perfect, I can't bring myself to do that. This is one of the smoothest albums I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, I damn near cried during Walk On By just because of how beautiful the song was. Each track is lengthy, but not a minute of them is wasted, even the spoken word intro of the album's closer By the Time I Get To Phoenix. I enjoyed every minute of this record, easily one of the best soul albums of all time. 10/10
Masterpiece. Desert Island-skive. Ulovlig sexy & buttery smooth. One woman’s making my home, and another woman’s making me do wrong — mannen var en ustoppelig sex machine. Relasjonsbyggende når man setter det på i en sosial sammenkomst med folk man ikke kjenner så godt enda. Noen av de mest energiske, suggerende, engasjerende, instrumentelle partiene som noensinne er fanget på magnetic tape. Siste halvparten eller whatever av By the Time I Get to Phoenix tok musikk til et nytt plateau. Messingen og strykerne mot hverandre: *Chef’s kiss* (ordspill velkomment).
Et mesterverk. Hot buttered soul er en basisvare jeg alltid har tilgjengelig, og hvis jeg ikke vet hva jeg skal høre på så kan jeg alltid ta fram denne plata
Shit, Chef made an absolute fucking banger. Praise up to L. Ron. I've been giving most of what I've rated so far a 4. 4 means I really liked it, I'm glad I listened to it, I might have sent it to a friend, I might come back to it...I really enjoyed it. This is somewhere between a 4 and 5 for me. 5 is reserved for indispensable....but man, 4 tracks, about 45 minutes...what a risk to take. ...holy shit this was good and unexpected. Gonna give this a 5. "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" is my favorite track. The extended jam to close it out is amazing, as is the extended jam to close out "By The Time I Get To Phoenix."
Dear god I want to have hyperbolic syllabic sesquipedalian sex with you to this album
I’ve never heard this before and fell asleep listening to it on the couch and had the most vivid dreams about relationships and break ups and trying to help a drunk man who had lost his cigar and was worried it was going to start a forest fire. So a real sonic mind trip that I think has made me grow as a person.
The name of this album is so accurate. It was great to hear Southpark’s chef again after many years. The first song is so timeless and I like the buildup in the last spoken word song. 4.5 stars
Estão a dizer que isto é do final dos anos 60? Tão atual! Nos anos 60/70 faziam-se obras de arte na música
Hell yeah!
Great stuff. Anyone who can take a glen Campbell song a stretch it time 18 minutes and make it work is amazing.
This album always has been 4/5 but now I paid attention how passionate lyrics are
You need to sit and actively listen intently to any album you want to enjoy or critically judge, but this is one you Really should be sitting for. It's lavish experience, you're the VIP in your own private lounge. Even if you don't like soul you'll have to admit the feeling captured here is perfect.
A soulful, funky album through and through. Loved the orchestral arrangements on the opener!
Listen to this before you die. Often.
good ass album. first album that truly deserved to be on this list.
First time hearing this artist. Loved this mini album. Cool guitar riffs.
Simmer slow burn soul. Can be gritty or soft. The songs evolve slowly with new horn or string parts that expand the mood. The songs are long but keep your interest, almost more than short songs do in a way
Loved this! Added this one to my collection of favorite discoveries from this generator.
By the time I get to phoenix is an unexpected gem.
Fantastic mixture of funk, soul and at times almost psychedelic. The production and instrumentation is a highlight on all tracks, particularly on the extendes covers of Walk on By and By the Time I Get to Phoenix. The song lengths might seem off-putting but they flow by seamlessly.
Hot Buttered Soul is a full-blown soul explosion, wild, funky, and totally uncompromising. With only four tracks and running times pushing 20 minutes, this album shatters all conventions and throws you headfirst into a sonic world that’s psychedelic, cinematic, and deeply groovy. From the 12-minute epic Walk On By, with its sweeping strings and fuzzy guitar, to the 18-minute soul monolith By the Time I Get to Phoenix, where Hayes talks, preaches, and seduces for nearly nine minutes before even singing a word, it’s bold, raw, and intensely satisfying. The funk in Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic is filthy and unstoppable, and Hayes’ voice walks a perfect line between sex, sorrow, and strength. Everything sounds crafted with confidence, vision, and soul on a massive scale. If this is your first time hearing it, it’s hard not to be blown away. The album still feels ahead of its time, and it doesn’t just sound like music, it feels like an event. 5/5
This is an amazing album. I haven’t listened to much soul music, being a rock guy mainly, but the soaring instrumentation and sick grooves, with Hayes’ smooth vocals, just damn.
Pure genius, pure magic. The arrangements on this album are fantastic, and the vocals are nothing short of amazing. All 4 tracks are incredible pieces of music and the first and last tracks are some of the greatest covers ever performed. I know some don’t like it, but the monologue on By the Time I Get To Phoenix adds so much more emotional impact than you would get from just the song, and it provides an amazing end to an amazing album. 5/5
As soon as I heard that opening track I knew I was in for some absolute fire. This album was as beautiful as you'd expect. Groovy, buttery smooth, and so damn sensual. The passion coming from this man could rival the likes of Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and the many soul brothers that have walked this earth. That opening track was just cinematic. And all the tracks that followed were great as well. I will admit the last track had me worried because of the semi excessive dialogue but when he finally got to singing and those violins came in, I was reeled back in. A gorgeous record through and through. Top 3: Walk On By, Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic, and One Woman no bad songs 4.50-4.75/5
This is not an album. This is an experience. Every song on the album is a grand journey unto themselves, stretching on for miles — and it's a journey you'd never want to end. Whenever a song fades out, I'm almost disappointed that I hafta leave this place that is so wonderful, until the next song starts up and I'm somewhere else equally fantastical. You'd think I was exaggerating here. Like, no way is this record actually **that good**; you've gotta be pullin' some kind of hyperbole out of your ass. Believe me, though — I am absolutely not. There is no way I can overstate just how truly magical this LP is. If you've ever heard this album's take on "Walk On By", then you know. You just know, deep in your very core. And it's like, I'm yammering here, but I'm honestly kind of speechless. I mean, could probably go on for hours, or at least try to, and it would never compare to just putting on a good pair of headphones, closing your eyes and letting your body rock back and forth with the music. That is a better explanation than words could ever give. I guess if I wanna say anything while I'm here, I'll be honest, standing next to these titans, it's funny that "One Woman" ends up feeling a little out of place. Like, come on — only **five minutes**? The next song on the album is **nineteen**, and it spends your running time and **dollars** in change just **setting itself up**. Like, if I can paraphrase another review: "the longer the song is, the closer you get to God." But it's like, length doesn't matter. Song structure, y'know, whatever, that doesn't matter either. It's all about experiencing these musicians, on some fuckin' higher plane of existence shit, pullin' off tracks these incredible. Even "One Woman" — after all, a journey is a journey, no matter how long it is. Seriously, like I said, I could keep on. But screw it, I'm stopping it here and now. This album is an absolute all-timer. An absolute masterpiece of soul. Don't just take my words for it. Hear it for yourself and, jus'... By the time you get to the end of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", you'll get it. And I honestly feel bad for those who don't. You don't know what you're missing out on. I don't even have a snappy joke line to end this off on. Jus'... Damn. Magic. Absolute magic. Insanely good stuff for 1969. In short: I can dig it.
It's a damn shame he got caught up in Scientology later in life, because this is some damn good Soul. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 10. Sometimes, I write that “words fail me” and then somehow manage to write 500+ words complimenting an album to high heaven and back. In this case, they are failing me, fully & totally. I can’t properly think straight after feeling “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” at a visceral level, and therefore I can’t truly write anything further. All I can say is, off of a first listen alone, this is indeed the “landmark recording in soul music” that Wikipedia cites it to be. It feels as tall as the Eiffel Tower & as masterfully crafted as the Great Pyramids – “landmark” is not hyperbole here, and I can only recommend listening to it, with headphones in & with full, undivided attention. A top to bottom hot buttered stunner, simple as that. 10. I need to listen to more Isaac Hayes.
Favorite Song: Walk On By
9/10 Magic. One of the best albums I’ve had so far, lightning in a bottle. I knew this one before - the first 2 tracks are amongst my favourites of all time. That puts a lot of pressure on the second side, which doesn’t live up to it but ends super strong. Amazing production and variation in style. Psychedelic soul, proto rap, pure soul. Fantastic orchestration on the first and last tracks. Best: Walk on By
This album goes hard
Masterpiece. One of the best soul albums ever, easily, and with only 4 tracks. "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" is an absolute epic that takes you on a journey
———————————— A surprise 5 for me. Had to play again with my headphones. The spoken half of Phoenix I could pass on but🐦🔥overall. My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to whole songs. 1 - No.
Flawless.
PERFECT SOUL ALBUM ISAAC HAYES WAS SOOOOO AHEAD OF HIS TIME. Monumental and instrumental piece to understand contemporary r&b and soul music. 10/10 NO NOTES
I made the stank face multiple times. It’s just so cool. The orchestration is fantastic.
lov it
“Hot Buttered Soul” el segundo álbum de Isaac Hayes es una obra de arte del R&B/Soul desde el riff de batería que precede a los primeros acordes de “Walk on By” hasta el órgano que cierra la última pieza del álbum “By the Time I Get To Phoenix”. Cuatro pistas de extensa duración (excepto “One Woman”), un viaje de amor y desamor acompañado de melodías irresistibles y la prodigiosa voz de Isaac Hayes. “Walk On By” (originalmente grabada por Dionne Warwick, y versionada por numerosos artistas) es el tema con el que inicia el álbum; una carta de desamor, un poema de despedida dedicado a la persona que le ha roto el corazón. Lo que hace especial a la versión de Isaac de este tema es la delicadeza, la vulnerabilidad con la que interpreta y canta cada palabra acompañado de las voces corales femeninas y la instrumental tan teatral y natural, crean una atmósfera que deleita al oyente y que enamoró incluso a Beyoncé, quién hizo un sample de esta versión para el tema “6 Inch” junto a The Weeknd para el álbum “Lemonade”. 12 minutos que se sienten como si fueran 3 debido al alma que le puso Hayes y sus músicos a cada palabra e instrumento de este clásico de la música. Sin duda una pieza imprescindible del catálogo del artista, un deleite auditivo. El álbum continúa con La impronunciable pero impecable “Hiperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic” puro ritmo funk y groove. Es el momento bailable del álbum. En esta canción la historia continúa, esa mujer de la que antes huía cuando lloraba para que no le viera, ahora le es necesaria para vivir, la echa de menos aunque sabe que no le hace bien, incluso dicho por su doctor (He said I better slow down before you drive me in the ground). Es una letra amena y divertida para relatar el sentimiento de extrañar a alguien que no es beneficiario para ti. En el tercer acto del álbum “One Woman” el artista sigue sintiéndose necesitado de recuperar el cariño de esta mujer, repite constantemente “One Woman's making me home, while the other woman's making me wrong”. Necesita volver al lugar seguro que tanto anhela. Es curioso porque la instrumental de esta canción, el tempo, los coros, me ha evocado inmediatamente a una canción que sería grabada más de 40 años después; “One and Only” de Adele, incluida en su legendario álbum “21”. Esto demuestra el gran impacto del álbum en generaciones futuras. El cierre del álbum “By the Time I Get To Phoenix” es una pieza ejecutada como un monólogo teatral. Isaac Hayes pone punto y final al disco con un tema de más de 18 minutos de duración en el que narra de forma hablada durante poco menos de la mitad de la canción la historia de amor y de idas y venidas, que nos ha cantado en las otras tres pistas del álbum. Cuenta la historia del chico, desde su infancia, hasta el bucle enfermizo de rupturas y relaciones con esta mujer (hasta en siete ocasiones). Es maravilloso cómo narra la historia, de una manera que hace que el oyente imagine en su cabeza el escenario que el artista quiere que tengamos en mente. El claro ejemplo de esto es el momento en el que describe las distintas ciudades que va pasando con el coche y las relaciona con las actuaciones que estará desempeñando la mujer. Un cierre monumental a la altura de un álbum monumental. “Hot Buttered Soul” ha sido todo un descubrimiento de la música R&B/Soul de finales de los años sesenta. Un trabajo imprescindible de un artista legendario.
Had a lot of life and I liked the bass playing
This is so good. 4 songs of greatness. Recognised Walk on By from the Wu-Tang album The W.
Think I'm missing something.
Beautiful classic soul just wonderful for the ears.
Amazing album. Throw it on and let 45 minutes melt on by. Also realized halfway through this was Chef from South Park and lost it.
His music is still good.
## In-Depth Review: *Hot Buttered Soul* by Isaac Hayes **Isaac Hayes’ 1969 album *Hot Buttered Soul* is a landmark in soul music, challenging genre conventions with its audacious structure, lush production, and emotionally charged performances. This review examines the album’s lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, and provides a balanced assessment of its strengths and weaknesses.** ## **Album Overview** *Hot Buttered Soul* consists of only four tracks, yet runs over 45 minutes—a radical departure from the three-minute single format that dominated soul and R&B in the late 1960s. Hayes, previously acclaimed as a songwriter and session musician at Stax Records, insisted on complete creative control for this project after his debut album flopped. The result is a record that redefined the possibilities of soul music, both structurally and emotionally[1][2][3]. ## **Lyrics** **Narrative Depth and Emotional Honesty** - The album’s lyrics revolve around love, heartbreak, infatuation, and regret, with Hayes’ delivery transforming familiar material into deeply personal statements[4]. - “Walk On By” (Bacharach/David) is stretched into a 12-minute odyssey, with Hayes’ vocals conveying a sense of heartbreak that is both intimate and grand[1][3]. - “One Woman” explores themes of infidelity and longing, with a straightforward narrative of regret and desire[5]. - “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (Jimmy Webb) is radically reimagined: Hayes introduces the song with an eight-minute spoken monologue, detailing the protagonist’s emotional journey with cinematic specificity—including what car he drives and the couple’s shared memories—before finally reaching the song’s melody[2][3]. - “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic,” the only original, is a dramatic, almost surreal depiction of sexual obsession and power, delivered with playful verbosity and swagger[5][4]. **Pros:** - Lyrics are emotionally raw, detailed, and often poetic. - Hayes’ spoken-word passages add narrative depth and anticipation. - The reinterpretation of covers gives new life and meaning to well-known songs. **Cons:** - The extended monologues, while innovative, can test the listener’s patience and may feel excessive to some[6]. - Some critics find the lyrics, especially in “Hyperbolic…,” bordering on self-indulgence or repetitive[6]. ## **Music** **Arrangements, Instrumentation, and Vocal Performance** - The music is characterized by long instrumental passages, lush orchestral arrangements, and hypnotic grooves, with The Bar-Kays providing tight, inventive backing[5][2][3]. - “Walk On By” opens with a dramatic horn fanfare and fuzz guitar, building into a swirling, psychedelic soul epic. Hayes’ Hammond organ dominates the latter half, creating a trance-like atmosphere[2][3]. - “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic” features aggressive, driving rhythms and wah-wah guitar, blending deep soul with elements reminiscent of krautrock and funk[2]. - “One Woman” is more conventional, with a classic R&B arrangement that grounds the album’s experimentalism[2]. - “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” is notable for its slow build: the song’s melody doesn’t appear until nearly ten minutes in, preceded by a richly textured spoken introduction and subtle instrumental interplay[2][3]. **Pros:** - Innovative use of extended song structures and instrumental improvisation. - Rich, cinematic arrangements elevate the emotional impact. - Hayes’ vocal performance is both commanding and vulnerable, blending singing and spoken word seamlessly. **Cons:** - The album’s length and repetitive grooves may not appeal to listeners seeking concise, radio-friendly tracks[6]. - Some may find the musical experimentation—especially the long intros and outros—overindulgent or meandering[6]. ## **Production** **Studio Innovation and Sonic Texture** - Recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, the album’s production was groundbreaking for its time, utilizing pre-delay reverb and multi-layered orchestration to create a hypnotic, immersive sound[5][3]. - Producer Al Bell and Hayes crafted a soundscape that was both lush and intimate, with each instrument given space to breathe. - The album’s use of stereo imaging, dynamic range, and subtle psychedelic effects influenced not only soul but also future genres like hip hop and neo-soul[5][2]. **Pros:** - Production quality is exceptionally high, with a clarity and depth that remains impressive decades later. - Innovative studio techniques contribute to the album’s timeless feel and influence. **Cons:** - The dense production and extended arrangements may overshadow subtler musical moments for some listeners. - The album’s sonic richness can be overwhelming in a single sitting, requiring attentive listening to fully appreciate. ## **Themes** **Love, Loss, Masculinity, and Emotional Vulnerability** - The central theme is the transformative power of love—its joys, pains, and complexities[2][4]. - Hayes explores masculinity through vulnerability, using his deep baritone and spoken-word passages to express emotional pain and romantic longing. - The album also touches on themes of infidelity (“One Woman”), sexual power (“Hyperbolic…”), and existential heartbreak (“Walk On By,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”)[5][4]. - The personal becomes universal: Hayes’ introspective storytelling invites listeners to reflect on their own experiences of love and loss. ## **Influence** **Legacy and Cultural Impact** - *Hot Buttered Soul* is widely regarded as a pioneering album, signaling the transition of soul from a singles-driven genre to an album-oriented art form[7][1]. - Its influence is evident in the works of Marvin Gaye (*What’s Going On*), Barry White, Stevie Wonder, and later hip hop artists who sampled its grooves and monologues[5][2][1]. - Hayes’ blend of spoken word and music prefigured the “love man” persona and the development of rap and contemporary R&B[2][5]. - The album’s success (reaching No. 1 on the R&B charts) established Hayes as a major solo artist and helped revitalize Stax Records during a turbulent period[5][1]. ## **Pros and Cons** | Pros | Cons | |---------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | Groundbreaking structure: four long tracks, album-oriented format | Lengthy tracks may alienate listeners seeking brevity | | Lush, innovative orchestration and production | Extended monologues can feel excessive or indulgent | | Emotional, narrative-rich lyrics and vocal delivery | Repetitive grooves may seem monotonous to some | | Redefines covers with bold reinterpretation | Dense production can overshadow subtle moments | | Major influence on soul, R&B, and hip hop | Demands attentive, patient listening | | Seamless blend of spoken word and singing | Not all tracks equally memorable to all listeners | | Elevated soul to a new level of artistic ambition | Some see “Hyperbolic…” as lyrically overblown | ## **Conclusion** *Hot Buttered Soul* remains a towering achievement in soul music—a record that dared to break every rule, expanding the emotional and musical vocabulary of the genre. Isaac Hayes’ vision, supported by masterful musicianship and innovative production, resulted in an album that is as challenging as it is rewarding. While its extended structures and spoken passages may not suit every taste, its influence on the development of soul, R&B, and hip hop is undeniable. For those willing to immerse themselves in its lush soundscapes and emotional honesty, *Hot Buttered Soul* offers a rich, transformative listening experience that stands the test of time.
Four tracks. Forty-five minutes. Heavy and slow. No fat. No mercy. Velvet voice, strings, sweat and grind. Backed by the Bar-Kays perfectly in the pocket. There’s other R&B album like it and I should listen to this more often.
track 1: Okayy starting of strong track 2: OMG I LOVE THE BEAT AND PIANO SOLO track 3: What a beautiful song, feels like I'm falling in love track 4: the falldown, what is bro yappin about (9/10)
perfect
Good
What a great album. Isaac Hayes is a soul legend and it shows! I love these long drawn out soul jams. The music and production is spot on and Isaac’s lyrical storytelling is phenomenal.
Increíble. Me dio mucha curiosidad ver que el disco dura casi 50 minutos y consta de solo 4 tracks. Pero uf, qué tracks. Oro puro cada uno de ellos. Este es el soul duro y rompecorazones con el que me gusta sufrir.
It be smooth and sexy, in a bald and black kind of way. this is 1969, bloody hell. This sound still lives strong.
Black Moses started his career as a studio session pianist for Stax in the early sixties. Within a few years Hayes began penning songs with David Porter, and the two would go on, along with Stax' legendary house band Booker T. & The M.G.'s, to propel the label to its status as the definitive soul powerhouse during the height of the genre's influence in the 1960s. He stepped out from behind the scenes with his debut record as a solo artist in 1968. While the record demonstrated his musical and compositional chops, the record proved to be a toe-in-the-water moment that gave him the confidence to break the nascent soul genre wide-open a year later with 'Hot Buttered Soul.' The indulgent runtimes, incredible musicianship, opulent orchestral arrangements, overt psychedelic tinge, achingly vulnerable lyrics, extended spoken interludes, and conceptual lean pushed Soul and RnB into new frontiers, paving the way for other groundbreaking artists to propel the genre further into a future sound shortly thereafter — including notably visionaries in their own right: Curtis Mayfield, Sly and The Family Stone, Parliament Funkadelic, and The Isley Brothers. His influence on black music in the wake of 'Hot Buttered Soul' cannot be overstated. The commercial success of this record, and the equally influential string of subsequent hit records '…To Be Continued', 'Shaft', and 'Black Moses' released in the early 70s put a handful of Hayes' most consequential records into countless home record collections in the early 70s. Those records would be discovered by kids looking to express their musicality without traditional instruments in the mid eighties — eventually becoming a cornerstone of hip hop music's early development. Scanning the list of hip hop tracks that sampled Hayes' work, especially those on 'Hot Buttered Soul', is like taking a stroll through hip hop's first few decades. Black Moses was a godfather of rap, and he's been sampled nearly 2,000 times by countless producers.
Definitely in my top 50 albums of all time, on the strength of the two incredible covers.
I have heard this before and I do remember enjoying it, though the length of the tracks made it so that it's not something I've returned to maybe more than a couple of times since. I think the title describes this album perfectly if I'm being honest. Looking forward to getting back into this. It's been quite some time since I last had an old school soul album. Going into this with quite elevated expectations. Walk On By That instrumental really hits the right spots. That psychedelic guitar is such a mood setter. Love how it's already getting a bit experimental with it. Great backing vocals. Buttery smooth main vocals. The horns provide some cinematic energy to the track. Great bass. Love the extended instrumental at the end, such a great vibe with the psychedelic organ and guitar. Fantastic. 5/5 Hyperbollicsyllabicsesquedalymistic Funky. Love the bassline. Smooth delivery on the vocals. The backing singers as a different energy to the song for the few seconds they show up on the chorus, a small detail which makes the song much more memorable. Love the jazzy piano. The instrumental is such a groove even without it, but it adds a certain coolness to the track which really makes it pop. The jam like nature of the extended instrumental makes for a soothing, cool and infectious musical experience which really highlights the band's synergy. Fantastic. 5/5 One Woman Okay so I understand how the overbearing, outright cheesiness of this track could turn someone off of it. I mean it's filled up to the brim with almost every cliche in the book. The lyrics, the terrible themes, the slow tempo and the backing vocals almost make this sound like a parody of the genre. Still, I find these qualities endearing to a point where the absolute cheesefest that's the final chorus has me sitting there with a stupid grin on my face. It's just too much fun, I love it. His voice and delivery carries so much charisma. He has the perfect dramatic qualities to nail this typw of song right on the head. Fantastic. 5/5 By The Time I Get To Phoenix I like the storytelling aspect of the intro. It's an interesting interpretation of the events leading up to a classic song. He's got a great voice for monologueing. Feels like he's almost mythologizing the events in this story with his at times thunderous delivery. It is however quite long. When the track actually starts the immediate highlight is the flute in the background. There's nothing left to be said about his voice or delivery, he's just amazing. There's not a single hint of subtlety in here and I love it. Those horns are just icing on the cake. Stunningly cinematic. A sprawling epic. Fantastic. 5/5 That was some of the most fun I've had with an album in a long time. Hot Buttered Soul really is the perfect title for this, it's just such an accurate description of what this album has to offer. It's smooth and sexy, delivered incredibly, with a voice that should be labeled "for mature audiences only". It's incredibly tight with a band and singer who understand each other perfectly, leaving a lot of space for each element to shine. It's cinematic, romantic and so over the top and it just glistens with personality and charm. The psychedelic elements have you lost in a hypnotic landscape. The heavenly string arrangements elevate you to a level beyond. The jazzy piano jams have you mesmerized and wanting more. On top of all of that you have Isaac Hayes himself. A towering personality with the voice of a god and such charisma it makes you lock in on every syllable. He delivers each and every incredily thought out lyric with passion and class, and brings such a fantastic energy to every track. With him behind the wheel you'll not even realise he's been monologueing for 8 minutes due to his amazing storytelling ability. This album truly is the full package from start to finish. Even with the added instrumental jams at the end of some of songs, it remains dynamic and focused sounding. Genuinely some of the albums finest moments can be found within these jams, causing you to feel a sense of anticipation as a great moment could be around every corner on this thing. A fantastic experience and a genuine masterpiece. 5/5
I actually loved this!