Hot Buttered Soul

Pas toujours dans le mood d'écouter du Isaac Hayes mais quand c'est le temps c'est bon.

This album certainly belongs on this list.

Can’t help but hear chef from South Park lol. But good album none the less.

Four songs on an album are enough, if they’re good. And this time, they were. Overall, a solid album.

No this was hot not Kollaps

So smooth very groove

𝘏𝘰𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭 stands out through its luxurious instrumental arrangements and the unmistakable presence of Isaac Hayes’ voice. The extended orchestral passages and smooth grooves give the album a cinematic feel, and instead of rushing through songs, it lets them unfold slowly and confidently. Hayes’ vocals tie everything together — warm, commanding and full of personality — turning long tracks into immersive experiences rather than indulgences. It isn’t flawless, but when the rich instrumentation and powerful voice lock in, the album reaches a unique emotional depth that few soul records attempt at this scale. Stylish, expressive and memorable.

Hot Buttered Soul gets four stars from me on vibe alone. Well, that and the fact that I imagined South Park's Chef--who was, of course, originally voiced by Isaac Hayes--doing the spoken word part of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and prefacing every line with "Now, children..."

Goddamn this stuff sinks right into my soul.

Issac Hayes is a baaaad man!

Fun

Isaac Hayes was out here dropping 18+ minute tracks?!

By The Time I Get To Phoenix is a JOURNEY

Very smooth and calm, perfect for some late night background music. I find the last song a bit boring, but it's cool.

4 out of 5. This is a hot buttered album.

I possibly enjoyed this more as it was a welcome break from a guitar heavy week. This only really functions as an album as each track in isolation is not that memorable but as a whole it worked.

Only four tracks but they all justify their length. Some fantastic grooves and vocals from Hayes here, packaged up with some very lush and rich production. And coming out at the tail end of the 60s, it feels like it set the template for a lot of more progressive soul going into the next decade.

Turns out I like my soul hot and buttered.

this album cover and name is bonkers in the best way. I wonder if this is a landmark soul album.

Well butter my soul, this is hot

On my first listen, I was working and this was excellent. On my second listen, I was driving with my family and I was less enthusiastic about it. I think it’s still solid.

Four songs. Four hot buttered bangers. Four stars.

1969? No puede ser. Espectacular. 7/10

Really quite lovely stuff. Yes it dragged a bit towards the end. But the first half was absolutely brilliant.

Isaac Hayes isn't like Otis Redding. Otis delivered his soul in 3:30 songs, but Isaac takes his time. Kind of interesting that they both came out of Stax; I think this is a testament to Stax. Isaac was destined for sountrack music--Hot Buttered Soul proves it, and Shaft delivered. My only criticism is that "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" is more vamp than slow burn.

Chef's early work is top notch. It doesn't have the comedic punch of Chocolate Salty Balls, but it's every bit as sexy. Seriously though, this is interplay between music and vocals is so delightful on this album, with its looong tracks that feel like a grand tour. Had to listen to it three times before being fully convinced: it's a four star showing.

Epic. Grand. 9/10

DAMN! Chef sure can cook! I prefered the first half of the album, but this was a really fine listen start to finish.

Quite a cool album. There's some stuff on there I've definitely heard sampled on rap songs too!

This record surprised me in a good way. Hell yeah Chef.

Great till the last song

This challenge introduced me to the concept of “psychedelic soul.” Isaac Hayes has a buttery voice and command of atmosphere, able to turn pop song covers into 15-minute epics. I enjoyed it.

This was so lovely. I hadn’t really heard soul music before, and I’d absolutely throw this on while working. Would 100% revisit again.

Totally cool. Like everyone else, I thought the spoken word intro to Phoenix goes on way too long. Really great production and creativity throughout.

3.5

Wish it was longer! Good stuff.

A interesting album, from his own take on walk on by to the mammoth By the Time I Get To Phoenix, this album is full of surprises. Not what was expecting but enjoyed it nevertheless

Right up my alley; added to the must listen again list

Short sweet, and packs a punch. You can hear how Marvin Gaye was inspired by this album, and how it laid the groundwork for later soul Albums

Right away, I recognized “Walk On By” from the Ludacris classic Southern Fried Intro, which was a cool surprise. That track alone hooked me, but the rest of the album kept me in. From start to finish, it’s smooth, soulful, and just plain easy to listen to. Isaac Hayes’ voice is as rich and calming as the music behind it. The arrangements feel warm and full, and even though the final track runs a whopping 18 minutes, it never drags. Somehow, he manages to keep it interesting the whole way through. Hot Buttered Soul is the definition of a chill record. Hayes took soul to a deeper, more cinematic place, and it works beautifully. It’s relaxing, confident, and timeless. Favorite song: Walk on By

Thoroughly enjoyed. Maybe just in the mood for it.

Very chilled and easy listen perfect with the newspaper and coffee on a Sunday morning . Issac has a very smooth and soft voice which feels like velvet , enjoyed the album very much and is a departure from my usual listening habits.

Glad I heard a little something new and different. Was actually a little more jammy than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. I'm just not really a "soul" man, so I don't see myself returning to this album.

45 minutes of extended sweet psychedelic soul jams by the Stax guys. What the hell is not to like? Hayes burns it down. So weird. So luxe. So epic.

Maybe the most aptly titled album ever made.

Low 4

What’s not to like (maybe the overlong intro on track 4). Over 55 years old- the album not me. Great stuff.

I thought I was pretty over saturated in late 60s/early 70s Soul and the albums new to me that this list threw up didnt do too much for me, however Isaac has Shafted much of the competition here. Really appreciated the long songs which I dont think any of his contemporaries experimented with to the same extent. Recognized the Walk On By intro from the Wu Tang sample and that sucked me in right away, 2nd song was arguably even better. Dropped off 2nd half so 5/3 for the 2 halved, averaging out...

8/10 As a big fan of funk and soul from the late 60s into the 70s, this was always going to be an enjoyable listen. I’m familiar with some of Hayes’ work, though I’m not sure I’ve ever sat and listened to this one before, but I’m glad to have been handed the opportunity. The Bar-Kays are always worth listening to, and they create a really solid base for everything to work over here. They’re super tight and play with such feel that it’s hard not to get lost in the flow of the tracks. And then you throw on the flourishes over the top, particularly from the keys, which just roam around between soulful, funky and jazzy, adding little bursts of nuance and flavour all over the joint, it’s just glorious to listen to. The extra instrumentation from the strings, horns and woodwind just go to add depth, swells and punctuation to the whole thing, but it never feels overdone and really helps to engage the ear on songs that are pretty lengthy efforts. Top that all off with the buttery soul of Isaac Hayes’ voice and you really get a special blend. His delivery is often understated, not trying too hard to take centre stage, but delivering soulful lines like the smoothest man alive. His dynamic control is great and while he flows along beautifully for the most part, he also knows when to up the intensity enough to bring extra depth and range to a track. Sure, he gets a bit self indulgent on the intro to the last track, but frankly, who cares. I suspect I’ll be spinning this again soon enough and it might be time to dig a little deeper into his back catalogue. Walk On By - A great build and then it drops into something so smooth, the Bar-Kays doing great work as always. This is a proper 12 minute song, so many builds, different sections and developments, but it keeps referring back to the core song, so it all feels unified. All too often with long songs, they’re just a normal song with too many verses. Not here, this is a journey. The playing is so good and Isaac’s voice is, as promised, like hot butter. Some of the high tones are a little on the harsh side, but those moments are fairly fleeting. Solid stuff. Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic - This one doesn’t have as much development through its runtime, but it’s so undeniably funky and groovy that it can just roll with it and work. There’s some top notch playing on here from everyone, the piano being the obvious standout, but there are some great little fills and bits of flair all round. A really enjoyable funky experience. One Woman - He needed to stick something a bit more soul croon on here, and if you’re doing that make it something like this. The interplay between the lead and backing vocals in the chorus is just soul gold, and his voice is so, so good. The string runs and builds are top quality. By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Props to the bass player and drummer for not falling asleep while he rambles on for half of the runtime here. At least the organ player just needs to hold his chord. This isn’t as strong as the songs on the first half, but it’s still some decent soulful stuff. His voice is fantastic as always, and there are some really beautiful pieces of playing from the musicians again. Some of the little piano fills are gorgeous and the little horn, flute and string flourishes give things so much flavour. It does drag a tiny bit and feel a little self-indulgent, but if listening closely, there’s still a lot to hold the ear.

Is this the greatest masterpiece the legend Isaac Hayes ever made? I dunno if it totally surpasses the glory of Chocolate Salty Balls, but it's still great. It's a record I'd put on to introduce Isaac Hayes's music to someone. Rest in Peace to a Legend

This album was better than I expected it to be. I was scared by the track lengths, but I really liked listening to this album. I do agree with others that the intro to By The Time I Get To Phoenix is longer than it needed to be. It's weird to hear his voice, because I'm so used to him voicing Chef on South Park, but I got past that pretty quickly. He definitely has a nice, soothing voice. It's perfect for this style of music. To think that this was 1969 is crazy. My favourite song was Walk On By. 4⭐️

102 Yaaaa? Cuando escuché la primera canción me encantó. Pero luego sentí que estaba escuchando exactamente la misma canción en continuo. Está para poner de fondo, comer un picoteo, y pegarse una buena conversa y otras cosas también ;)

Overall: 8/10 I'm obviously not going to be the first person to mention this but I love listening to Chef sing. He was one of my favourite South Park characters and this was like having a little bit extra Chef. The songs are pretty great, lots of fun instrumentations and atmosphere. I genuinely think the intro to By the Time I Get to Phoenix almost ruins the entire album for me. It's way too long and should have been it's own track (though this was made in '69 so there was no way of knowing people would be "skipping" tracks on albums). By the time you get to the actual song, you almost feel like you're listening to an audiobook. The song itself ends up being really great too. The rest of the album was great enough that I'll forgive it. Once again, it's just nice to have more Chef. Fav Song: Walk On By

Litt sånn funky jazz der. Lange låter. Nummer 4 der starter veldig tregt. Men smooth. Blir en svak 4’er

Great instrumentals. The songs are a little long for my tastes. Would be good for a jukebox musical.

beautiful ambiance

A classic.

Really like the 2nd song

People love this one for Hurt, but Desperado, In My Life, We’ll Meet Again…… forget about it

Álbum de soul muito bom! Se não fossem alguns momentos muito extensos falados eu daria 5 estrelas. TRIxHBB Kai.

Wow that was exactly what the title described. Hot Butter Soul music and it’s amazing to listen to. It’s smooth, it’s beautiful and it’s heartfelt!

τέλειο soul

I really didn’t know what to expect…only four songs on the album, and three of them were covers. The only thing that was familiar to me about Isaac Hayes was the theme from Shaft. Anyway, I liked this album. I didn’t recognize “Walk on By”, but I still liked it. I even enjoyed the long introduction to “By the Time I get to Phoenix”, which was more of a story. And, he has a really good voice. Anyway, I thought this was really good, and gave it four stars.

Tiesin Isaac Hayesin nimeltä, tämä on ensimmäinen kokonaan kuunneltu levy häneltä. Miehellä on erittäin sielukas ääni, kuten suoliin vihkiytyneitä artisteilla yleensä on. Tää oli erittäin rytmikästä ja hidastempoista ”panosoulia”. 😬 levyllä on neljä kappaletta.

Buttery.

The soulful voice of Isaac makes his lyrics sound through each note, and through every song. Deep, sensual and incredibly smooth. This is 100% recommended.

(86/100)

Smooth

it's ok i guess, I have heard better soul prior on this list and this one is just fine, it is hitting very regular levels

Nice

One woman 🔥

Would be a five star were it not for the ridiculous spoken word intro to By the Time I Get to Phoenix. Walk On By is a stone cold killer though.

I really liked this. Cool style of music - jazz/soul/psychedelic. Obviously one heck of a production. Almost sounds like a Quincy jones arrangement. Isaac has such a smooth voice that complements the music perfectly. Songs are longer than I’d like but I can deal.

Indulgent, dramatic, stank-face inducing, funky soul r&b thats unapologetically sexy as fuck. Love it, would be 5 stars if it was more accessible and easier to sell normies on.

Super cool vibes, especially in the background while working. Some of it felt like a movie soundtrack.

A lot of pleasant songs

Awesome

Es un dandy sexual mu sentio con mucha labia y con tdah porque pierde la nocion del tiempo haciendo canciones y es la unica pega que le puedo poner, pero que canciones.

Smooth

it was interesting, i really liked it and yes i didnt know that was chef fav: one woman

Wowza. Pretty close to a 5

Solid 4 Groovy from front to back

Voix chaleureuse et rythme entraînant, certainnement un monument soul

Mad how 4 songs that go on for 45 minutes keeps me interested throughout. Some huge sound on this and sounds quite far ahead of its time

Buttery as expected 💯

Dug it

No chocolate salty balls?

I've already listened to his album (11). A classic. Side A is some of the best stuff ever made in the genre. But it does drag a bit in the end (the last song).

4 songs in 45 mins? You know it’s gonna be jammmmmin’

Very nice!

Long before he became known to a new generation as the iconic voice behind 'Chef' in South Park, Isaac Hayes had made his mark as a soul musician unafraid to test listeners with longer compositions and psychedelic/progressive elements. On 'Hot Buttered Soul', Hayes rips up the soul rulebook, backed by the impressive Bar-kays to give the songs a dense and driving edge. Only four songs on this album, three of them covers, but how Hayes and co. transform songs such as the Bacharach staple 'Walk on By' and Jimmy Webb's 'By the Time I Get To Phoenix' [the second cover of this song I've heard, the first being Nick Cave's] into original works of art featuring acid-laced guitars, simple but rolling percussion, funky bass, inventive piano/keyboard, all brought together by Hayes' smooth, laid-back voice. But the true highlight here is the sole original track, 'Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymystic', an enthralling funk masterpiece that no doubt would've encouraged the likes of George Clinton and Curtis Mayfield to go bigger, longer and more innovative in the 1970s. Until today, 'Chocolate Salty Balls' is the only Isaac Hayes recording I'd ever heard, but now I can add arguably one of the greatest and most important soul records of all time to that list. 'Hot Buttered Soul' is fantastic, an album I most certainly will revisit! 4.5/5

enjoyable up until the last track

Walk on by feels like a template for Daptone Records’ formula. It’s also like 10 min long?? I loved the sound of this and if I still smoked weed I think I’d like it even more. Gets a bit long for me midway through but it’s about the purest version of this type of soul music I can imagine

One of the best soul albums ever made, and enormous versions of Walk on by and By the Time I get to Phoenix are not a second too long.

I loved this, four stars because the songs were very long for my attention span. My favorite was One Woman. Great album to put on while cleaning.

So many samples, a pretty legendary album just for the contributions to other songs let alone the album itself

The spoken-word stuff in track 4 didn't really grab me, but the rest of the album is great. Classic funk soul.

Beautiful voice; you can tell he feels the music deeply. Downgraded one star for the loooong narration on the last track.

If it weren't for the 10min intro on "By the Time I get to Phoneix", it would be the Chef's kiss.

I got pregnant just listening to this album!

awesome

Sexual

Felt this in my soul. Very fun listen.

This album sizzles. The production is outstanding, and Isaac Hayes has such charisma. Great, great stuff. 8/10

I'm thankful I was introduced to Shaft at such a young age that Isaac always resonated with me. Hut Buttered Soul definitely escaped me for a while until like my mid-teens. Walk on By always got to me. Still does

He says “I’m gonna moan now”, then moans. By The Time I Get to Phoenix is better categorized as a podcast episode. But god damn you cannot deny the artistry and soul that went into this album.

Every song simmers then bursts into some sex fueled guitar. Not what I’m looking for but Chef can groove.

Great combo of soul and funk with some long drawn out, Pink-Floyd esque feel

Four tracks is all you need. Isaac Hayes is the master of very sample-able little fragments and layers and additional layers in his songs - so well-written and arranged, and he gives the songs plenty of room to breathe on this album. The one song that unfortunately keeps me from giving this 5/5 is One Woman. Yes, it's a very romantic song about cheating, and that's great. But this is the one song where I feel the orchestration is just too over the top, to the point where I picture him performing it on some schmalzy musical revue show my grandparents would have enjoyed.

Best Song: Walk on By When Darkside of the Moon came out, it had stayed on the charts for some crazy amount of years, like 40-50 years. Anyway, one of the theories behind its longevity was that it was a great album to bang to which came as a shock to Pink Floyd. However, this album being a great album to bang to wouldn't be a shock to Isaac Hayes. That seems to be what he was going for. I wasn't familiar with him outside of Chef on South Park and this was a good listen. 4/5.

If somebody told me that Isaac Hayes invented soul, I sure would believe them. He wasn't the first soul musician, but he was one of the best. What I love most is how Hayes infuses soul with funk! Every song was a brilliant creation and so different from one another. He himself provided the vocals and keyboards with backing vocals and many other instruments (at least, that's what I suspect; the linear notes don't list much, but my ears hear violins, horns, and more). Much of the content in these four songs are instrumentals that could arguably be called jam sessions, but Hayes leaves you with the impression that he knew exactly where he was going and what he planned to create. The whole album has an organic flow that his beautiful voice supports. There's no doubt in my mind he knew exactly what he was doing in Hot Buttered Soul. Most of these songs originally written by other artists, which just gives Hayes more time to play around, improve the songs, and show these jokers who the master really is.

I can't believe how modern and progressive this sounds in the year 2025, and from all angles. The funk sounds fresh; the soul sounds fresh; all of it just has very solid production work and forward-thinking sound. And then you have Isaac Hayes' phenomenal voice -- hot buttered soul, indeed! I think this probably hits at about a 3.5 for me, but it doesn't feel right not to round it up. The music here is surprising, it's gorgeous, and it deserves wider recognition.

Hello there children, Chef has cooked up a psychedelic meal worthy of a Michelin star

i'll admit i've never been a soul/r&b girlie, but the vibes here are undeniable.

Damn, this is a great album. He packs a lot of goodness into just four songs. Favorite: One Woman Would I listen to it again: Yes

I read ahead the reviews and rolled my eyes at 'lol it's Chef' but... reader, I regret to tell you that it is, in fact, Chef. It's a decent album though. Limiting how many .5 margins I'd give myself, but I feel quite strongly that this is better than a 3 but inferior to a 4.

3.5/5

Walk on By is the big hit here, but I think I am more of a fan of Hyperbolicsyllabicwewquedalmistic. Solid effort, probably not an album I will revisit - but will put mentioned tunes on my playlist

Good soul music

Funky, soulful, romantic

Great easy listening album. The last song dragged though. Know Isaac Hayes mainly from the theme from Shaft.

This was really good. If I could I'd give it a 3.5 because some of the songs were too long for me - a kind of boring stylistic choice of the time maybe?

Short and sweet.

Not my usual genre but loved it! My mom also said it was good. Listened twice!

Had low expectations but really enjoyed it. Funky and musical

Smooth

Smoooooth.

Three killer tracks in a row and then a total dud.

Oh yeah

Por la portada parece un disco de rap. Afortunadamente por el año no puede serlo. Creo que me va a gustar. Pues sí que tiene mucha clase esto.

Baroque '70s soul that seems almost spoken-word or performance art at times. All quiet storms should be so groovy and vice versa. The playing is sublime, throughout ... one feels somewhat toyed with, but that's the prerogative of such a cooler-than-cool and sui generis artist.

Love this album! I forgot how great Isaac Hayes is. What a good album!

decent

Last songs intro was a little long…

Pleasant

I enjoyed this one. Bring on the butter.

Menos mal que “Soul Man” dura solo 2:39 minutos. Stax Records entra en colapso, e Isaac Hayes no dudó un segundo en aprovechar la oportunidad para negociar control total sobre el contenido, el estilo, la producción y, sobre todo, la duración de su proyecto solista. El resultado: un álbum que dura lo mismo que reproducir “Soul Man” de Sam & Dave unas 19 veces. Hot Buttered Soul. Si usted está muy ocupado siendo víctima del capitalismo, este disco no es para usted. Porque precisamente esta cápsula atmosférica sonora demanda tiempo al pedo para disfrutarla por completo. Cuatro canciones que parecen inofensivas, pero que por dentro están llenas de referencias que vas a tener que consultar con tu estudiante de medicina más cercano. Hay una que todavía estoy practicando leer sin trabarme (te la dejo aca por si necesitas copiar y pegar: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic). Pero qué atmósfera, por el amor de Dios. Canciones grooveras que hacen que el tiempo se vuelva relativo. La voz de él, en unos auriculares profesionales, debe ser una locura de intimidad. A veces, como todo chamuyador que te habla al oído, se extiende de más, y puede caer medio pesado con ese estilo “redondeando el recitado varón”. Pero es una gran experiencia inmersiva de soul que se siente relativa y atemporal. Disfrutalo mientras está en modo soulman, porque después vas a tener que debatirte entre amarlo en South Park y cuestionar su religión. Pero viste cómo es la locura del tiempo, que se termina derritiendo mientras los Outkast se están haciendo los waffles del desayuno.

The more I listen the more I like it. First listen was ok at best, but then it keeps getting better and better. And unlike many, I dont even mind the 8 minute story at the beginning of the last track!

I loved this so much more than I expected. Knew that Chef could sing but does he play everything else too? Big fan, might just throw this into rotation at very random times.

Hayes has a good, not great, singing voice. Terrific music composition. Enjoyed a lot. Kind tracks do well listening at home while cooking or cleaning.

Epic journey. Really cool.

Cinematic, no-holds-barred soul with some funk elements. Way way way ahead of its time in its combination of maximalism with smooth tunes. Saying that, low replayability because of the length of the songs

Good

*Replayable*

Great

I liked it! The talking one was cool and reminded me of the Quincy Jones song off Dawn FM. I didn’t finish the album though. I didn’t have time.

I really enjoyed this. It’s so funky, smooth, and just cool in general. I love the length of all of the tunes. If I’m in the mood I will listen to this again.

Bonne ambiance

BLACK STEEL IN THE HOUR OF CHAOS (actually Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic but) I heard that unmistakable piano riff first with Public Enemy and the original is just as good. On a mostly (?) unimportant note, there might not be 10 better-titled albums than this one. Classic that sounds amazing even after holy hell over 50 years, with the aforementioned 2nd track being my fave. Sure they're long tracks but it takes time for butter to melt, what the hell's your hurry? 8/10 4 stars.

Great album but long epilogue

Listened to this while cooking on a weekend - it was so so lovely. Might buy this album. People complain about the length but I loved how each song just kept building and building.

Smooth

Not listened to much soul music. Liked this, but probably would find many opportunities or situations to listen to it. The music itself was really good. Well produced. Lyrics were good too. Only gripe is that the songs were a bit too long.

Walk on By is my favorite, but I love the long jams here. Could listen to this while making dinner or trying to seduce a suitor.

I am an Isaac Hayes fan and I do enjoy this album, but "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" just takes too long to get into. Other than that, fantastic album if you're a soul fan!

One of the best album titles of all time.

This was awesome. Walk on by is great. High 4

Couldn’t listen too closely but enjoyed the vibey-ness

Walk on by is great. Good songs overall but too few

I know who Issac Hayes is, but I really haven’t listened to him that much. And he’s not really on the stations I listen to other than very sporadically. Well, at least the radio stations. I did know that he has a very cool voice though (trying not to state the obvious). This album was excellent. I loved Walk On By, just such a great groove, which is a consistent theme throughout this record. His baritone voice (perfect for voice acting, but we’re not talking about that) really soars on One Woman, which is another great tune. Loved the balance between his voice and the backup singers. Hyper… was another cool song, for totally different reasons. This is just down in it. Everything fits together so well (like a perfect recipe… no, don’t go there). The remake of By The Time I Get To Phoenix was my least favorite on this record. I don’t mind narration in songs, but this just went on too long and there wasn’t nearly enough to get me interested. In total, an excellent album that just didn’t finish off great. But, he gets a bonus half star because he’s Chef!!!! Damnit! I tried. The fingers were willing, but the mind was weak.

Hot buttered indeed. Creamy guitar tone coupled with stellar backing vocals makes for a Chef-inspired experience.

first listen hot dang this is cool

"Hello there children!" "Walk on By" absolutely carries this album. The other songs are good but DAMN. Favorite track: Walk on By 3.5/5

Très bon, j’ai été surpris !

Fav: Walk On By Least Fav: By The Time I Get To Phoenix Great album all around but shoutout to Walk On By for being an incredible song

I read a bunch of reviews that said the long sections that lead into the actual structured bits of the songs are annoying when those are obviously the best bit

Rating (1-5): ✩✩✩✩ Will I be listening to this again: Yessssssssss What do I like about it: This IS my kinda music ✩w✩ I also enjoyed the Interview What I dislike about it: Nothing Higlighted songs: One Woman, By The Time I Get To Phoenix

Chef form Southpark has a soft buttery voice

Really good! The rambling in front of By the time I get to Phoenix is the only blemish.

Can see why this is so iconic in the world of soul.

VIBES JUST ABSOLUTE VIBBESSSS mmmm i didn't care the songs were 10mins each they were just vibes nom nom nom

Pretty good, chill!

> the Beatles

Would be 5 stars but for the 9 minutes of talking in By the Time I Get to Phoenix. The 2nd and 3rd tracks are awesome. Hot, buttery and soulful

A great album with a great story behind it. Isaac (at the time a songwriter and background musician) didn't want to make the album, so he demanded total creative control - and this was the result. Interesting that he was known as a songwriter and only put one original on the album, but he sure makes the covers something completely different from the well known versions. Loved it.

Progressive Soul! Love it!

When an album starts with a ten minute long song it’s normally a good sign

4 estrelas

Accurate album title - this is some buttery shiiiit

Chef cooked with this one

Walk on By is excellent. Then, it’s some buttery soul. When we get to Phoenix, I’m not sure if the structure is brilliant or simply way too much for its own good.

Smooth funk

Ba jäkligt skönt sound

First of all, “Hot Buttered Soul” is an incredible album name. +1 star for that album title alone. Some song I know, but can’t place, sampled vocals from the first song “Walk On By,” I always love coming across the original like this. Next time I hear it, I’ll know where it from! This was soulful, groovy, and another album I’m shocked came out in the 60’s. I may not have ever listened to this in its entirety if it weren’t for this project, it was a good one.

4/5

Baroque yet funky and fucker, it was a blast.

sample for DJ Quik's Born and Raised in Compton at song two

Great album, surprised it was only the late 60s. the production is great the way it layers in the orchestra and makes a full sound. totally reimagined walk on by. 4.5

Not my thing but I can't deny the talent or influence.

Masterful, but a little too chill for me.

Þetta var algjör dúndurfílingur þangað til það kom mjög löng saga sem var allt í lagi að hlusta á en ég myndi samt aldrei setja þessa plötu aftur í spilun nema að sleppa þeirri sögu. Dregur hana niður úr fimm í fjóra

ooooh yeah.

Great album, seemed to go by almost too fast. Would love to give this one another listen or two

Never really thought his version of "Walk On By" beat Dionne Warwick's until literally this listen, but yeah that's an all-time great. Unfortunately, I don't really care for the cover of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", which sucks because it's almost half the album.

Walk On By and second track are great, especially the former. One Woman is kind of forgettable to me. By the Time I Get to Phoenix could truthfully lose the first nine-ish minute opening... but the ending is glorious.

Liked all but the last song

Enjoyed it.

Overall, pretty enjoyable; sounds great for '69. The long dialog in "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" makes repeat listens just a little more tedious.

The only way to properly serve soul music is hot and buttered. Thank you, Chef!

What a great start! It lets down a bit on the third song, but I was willing to still give it five stars, until he chose to lose the funky vibe with ten minutes of talking that was unnecessary (or could have been summed up in 30 seconds). The fifth song was good, but it had lost the momentum by that point.

Damn, Chef really has some talent! Enjoyable listen once I got past waiting for him to say, "Children!" Good stuff. The older I get, the more I like Soul.

Much mojo and swagger! Great sample in Walk on By. 3.7

“walk on by” was a MASTERPIECE. THE LYRICS??? THE INSTRUMENTALS. surprisingly WORKS as an 11-12 minute song. the closing guitar solo was excellent. the next two songs were good, not much else to say. “by the time i get to phoenix” should be renamed to “by the time i finish my monologue” because that was LONG. and mostly talking. however, i can respect the art on that one. overall, album was a solid 4/5.

8 minute monologue is the only detractor. Track is smooth and groovy af otherwise

Great fun throughout. Sweeping and cool. Sensual!

super fun listen adding it to my albums

A lovely album to have on whilst working. Not my usual vibe, but I appreciated it and would be happy to revisit it in future.

Enjoyed the Album more than I thought after the first track. Not my type of genre usually but I respect it and appreciate it. Was nice to have on in the background and made me stop and appreciate what I'm listening to a couple of times.

Da het mich de Isaac schön hinters heiss butterte Liecht gfüehrt! Erwartet hani old school hiphop und becho hemmer grandiose Soul miteme 12 Minütige ihstieg bis zum soul climax, was denn nach em 3te track wider biz abgflacht isch. Die erste zwei songs ganz klari 5 butterbräzel doch durchs s bizli abflache buttere ich 4 köstlichi butterfingers id Bratpfanne

Heissi Butterigi Seel! Big fan vo dere 12 minute version vo "walk on by" - de opening track zu de beste tanz performance woni je gseh han, damals ih mim erste summer in basel zemme mitem don timonski ih de kaserne und au jedesmal wenni das meisterstück lose gits en grosse zruggwurf zu de nachbesprechig am rhy mit emene bier und sprachlosigkeit au de rest vom album hett nöd enttüscht langi ufbauendi lieder hend eifach en soft spot bi drum gits für das vorzügliche butterbrot da grad es 4.5 ineklöpft yummie!

3.5 rounded up

A lesson in how to make hurt into something beautiful

enjoyed this a lot dk how i haven’t heard any prog soul before. second song is the best the monologue in the last song was kinda annoying but the rest was great

nice

"Hot Buttered Soul" is the second album by American soul musician Isaac Hayes. Progressive soul and pyschedelic soul are the Wiki-listed genres. That fits since it is recognized as a landmark recording in soul music by AllMusic and others I'm sure. Hayes was given complete artistic control and used producers Al Bell, Allen Jones and Marvell Thomas. Hayes played a Hammond organ and sang lead vocals. His backing band was the Bar-Kays (there you go) which included Willie Hall (drums), James Alexander (bass) and Michael Toles (guitar). And let's not forget Johnny Allen who arranged the strings and horns. Commercially, the album reached #8 in the US and also had highly positive reviews. There are four songs on the album and the first is a Burt Bacharach and Hal David song "Walk On By." An easy pace with drums, organ and strings give way to a fuzz guitar and Hayes' soft, soulful vocals. A post-break up song. A great guitar solo by Harold Beane and organ jam as the song ends. Actually, a quick drum finish at the very end. Hayes gets the funk and sexual overtones really going in "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesqedalymistic." A funky guitar and Hayes, not fooling around, goes deep voice as he describes a passionate, intimate interracial love affair. Female singers repeating the song title, bells and long periods of the piano and Hayes" sexual sounds. Hot Damn! "One Woman" is more delicate with piano, strings, drums and a gentler, softer Hayes. A song that builds. Isaac loves two women and can't decide where he belongs. The album ends with the 18-minute "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." In the first half of the song, Hayes raps about the power of love and then he finds his woman cheating on him. The beat picks up, horns, strings, a melancholic-sounding piano and Hayes singing soulfully. He's leaving her and seeing the effect on her. It was worth the wait. This album just oozes soul, R&B and sex. Long, extended jams of the piano, organ and piano. Great musicianship and excellent strings and horn arrangements. Hayes' music and vocals had a deep effect on 70's R&B and artists like Barry White. That is heard pretty clearly hear. A must listen for everyone and, wow, I need a shower.

Beautiful album that grazed my soul ever so slightly. 9/10

Едва ли не главный источник сэмплов для рэпперов. Довольно приятная музыка, но слушать я это не стану. Тем более с такой длительностью треков.

Kind of cool.

my soul is slathered

# Album Name: Hot buttered soul # Artist: Isaac Hayes # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Wow, that voice. The string and arrangements are fantastic. Love the take on walk on by. The guitar and organs are very good. its a 12 min ball of fun. Theres some good tracks on this album. Good listen! # Top Tunes: Walk on by / Hyper... / One Woman # Would I listen to it again? Yes

Awesome Memphis Soul

Where has this album been in my 48 years. Funk, R&B, Soul, Style and Essence. What an album.

Tight grooves and psychedelic flow. I loved this album. My first but not final listen.

Pretty cool, Chef from South Park

What do you have to say for yourselves, Hooverphonic? Fave: Hyperbolicsyllablesesquedalmistic

I think I liked the songs without him singing as much more, but only because South Park ruined me on Isaac Hayes :(.

The first song on this album is incredible. Several other songs are really good. The last song is much too long and boring, despite it trying to tell a story. However, I admit part of that could be a difference in upbringing, culture, time, and place. Overall, I understand the impact of this album, and I waver between a 3.5 and 4, so I'll give it a 4 here.

I love neosoul so much. Fav songs is Thai one who has a super long ass name😭

cool funk jams, but not just spinning its wheels. there’s a certain amount of direction and intention to the solo/instrumental sections that you don’t find all the time in these types of open-ended jam style songs. the windup storytelling going into Phoenix is maybe a little long winded, but it pays off once it finally gets to the song proper. cool mix choices with the drums and bass straight up the center, and basically every instrument panned hard left or right. the guitar in Walk On By with the opposite panned ~200ms delay is fuckin rad. really enjoyed this record, a lot of cool r&b shit going on especially for 1969.

W ogóle nie brzmiał jak album z '69.

Maravilhoso álbum, tem uma pegada muito original e envolvente.

A masterpiece, what a vibe

This album is good. Just so damn good. As a fan of longer tracks and soul music this is a great listen. Hayes voice is at its peak the music is perfect soul music. It's just a great album and a great example of soul.

Very good! Although I didn’t like the 5 minute monologue 4/5

Wow! Very cool! I feel I need to start a list of albums I’m truly glad I got to hear before I died. And while they may not all be the coveted 5, these albums are special, unexpected and unique. This is one of them.

Very smooth.

If "hot" and "buttered" mean "welcoming" and "engaging" and "pretty", well, this soul is lots of that!

After listening to this album a few times in a row I definitely feel like my soul has been buttered.

Very enjoyable, I especially liked the instrumental stuff

Most accurate title yet. Enjoyed the butteriness. People say they wanted to see what Jolene looked like but I want to see what the woman who cheated on that man 8 times without him leaving her looked like honestly. Fav song - walk on by Least fav - Hyberbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic Specific rating - 4.0

Some of the intros were a tad too long for me but overall shocked by how not bored I got with such long songs. Not something I ever would have chosen to listen to but I’m really glad I heard it (before I died). Favourite: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic Least: By The Time I Get To Phoenix

Nice but short! Feels a lot more modern than I expected

Funny I just complained how long a couple tracks on the last album were and the list delivers me an album that’s just 4 long tracks. Difference is, this is funky soul and not just a drum machine and bleep bloops and samples of vocals. Coulda done without the whole story time, that works great live but is boring as hell on an album track.

too long. instrumentally it was insane tho

4 stars just for how fucking influential this album is

Groovy soul. Easy to listen to

Has there ever been a better album title? Has anyone ever vocalized an "mmmmhmmmm" better?

Bald

Have never listened to an Issac Hayes album before. The track times intimidated me some what before I started listening but wow! This was really good from start to finish. The only “problem “ I had was all I could see visually was Chef singing the songs. 😂

Not my usual style, but good soul/r&b album

True to the title, it’s soulful alright. Definitely one I’ve gone back to from time to time since my late teens. He really took chances with the format having only three tracks - no concern for radio play on the long format tracks, just pure expression.

ахуеть как круто

Enjoyable soul album to chuck on in the background, but didn't grab me at too many points in the way a Gaye album would. Smooth as hell, don't get me wrong, just nothing mind-blowing like the beat change in "Save the Children". If you rate this less than a 3 you're racist.

Bro put a shirt on, PLEASE 8/10

Groovy. Cool stuff. Want to listen again

Simple: very good!

Smoother than my brain

A lovely listen. Big fan of the 4 song 50 minute style

That's that soul man stuff! Skön röst och trevliga låtar även om vissa drar ner betyget lite. Sista spåret kunde verkligen varit kortare ur ett lyssnarperspektiv och jag var nära på att stänga av det faktiskt men när det väl kommer igång som musik så är det en av albumets bästa låtar. Någonstans 3-4 för min del men det blir 4 av 5 idag.

Strong title, strong cover and strong opener and I'm thinking its a definite 5. Sadly it flags a little esp on By the time I get to Phoenix, but still a groovy & funky 4.

What an album, got pleasantly surprised by this one. Sonically, this is one of the best album I have heard, in general. This is so well mixed and mastered that you are literally taken on a journey through sound. You just have to sit back, get a good pair of headphones, and let the album happen to you. I guess you can call this prog soul, since this is taking the genre to a whole different level musically. The vocals are great, they are deep and mellow most of the time, and high and strong when needed. The melodies are smooth as butter, but also really powerful and loud when the song is taken in that direction. The only downside of the album, from my perspective, is the intro of the last song, which is 8 minutes long and gets a little boring after a few minutes. But putting that aside, this is a phenomenal album, which I will for sure listen to many more times.

hmm das album findi iwie schwirig z beurteile. es het recht kuuli sache i dem album, d musig gfallt mer generell guet. instrumentierig, melodie findi nice, sini stimm inere grosse bigband gfallt mer guet. es het zwei songs wo abgönd, ein love song und ein sehr nachdenkliche truurige song, ich han d variabilität gern. allerdings findi d songs zlang defür dass nöd gross öppis passiert. si sind au nöd unterhaltsam lang sondern ich find d songs werded lediglich langwiilig. fühlt sich id längi zoge aa und ich han mich debi verwütscht di ganz zit z warte was jetz passiert. nöd nur aber vor allem bi by the time i get to phoenix. anderersiits isch det das ewige „nüt“-passiere au es super bild für was ide gschicht passiert, nämlich dass er ewig lang nüt macht und sini fründin nöd verlaht und inere toxische beziehig gfange isch (immer gliichem akkord, bass und rhythmus ohni entwicklig). und d musig fangt erst richtig a und d lyrics falled ihm erst ii won er sich us de toxische beziehig befreit het.

You gotta pay the troll toll if you want to get to this boys Hot Buttered Soul. You know seven children were created during the recording of this album with how suspiciously long these songs are. Long live Chef! I've listened to him a bit before... If you like this, check out "Good Love 6-9-9-6-9"

This album grooves. I can't believe it is over 50 years old. It sounds extremely modern.

My my, how hot and buttery this soul is. It’s over the top. It’s baroque and there are fantastic songs on the record

Tough to describe but love the feel of this album, you can get lost in it. Smooth soulful funk. Also the first track is the sample for one of my favorite wutang songs

some lovely versions of classics

Soulful

Smooth as butter, Isaac Hayes even manages to make an 8 minute monologue sound good.

In general I don't like songs this long. However only the last song on this album was too long. The others are fine. There's enough tension in the music to justify the length of the songs. I don't have a clear favorite, just not the last song.

ниче так

Fantastic instrumentation, masterful arrangements, and all the right vibes! One of Soul's finest!

Great album

This was the first time I ever truly heard the soul in a soul album before. It was incredible. Could have gone without the 10 minute spoken word before that last song really got going though.

I enjoyed this more than I expected. Primarily the later parts of the tracks where the electric organ or piano and the like go wild Standouts Walk On By Hyperbolicsyllablecesquedalymistic 4/5

Side A rules, Side B not so much. How come nobody told me Isaac Hayes invented trip hop in 1969???

It's great.

Unglaublich, die Stimm gaht diräkt is Herz. Coole groove. Walk on by zum 2., da stimmt alles, Instrumentierig, Background-Gsang. I break down and cry😂. Im Gsamte villicht zwüsched dure ächli langatmig.

3.5 While I really enjoyed the first 2 songs, the last two were not as catchy. I'd still go back to it

Great album. Didn't expect such music from the cover art. Walk on By (2) is a banger, on dog. Strong 8. Will definitely come back.

60s soul

Lots of epic moments but leaves more to be desired. 3.5-4 ish

Smooooth

Good album. Great smoulder to some of the tracks.

Yeah, that's was a cool album. Sometimes you've just got ease in and enjoy the ride.

Would be a 5 with the first three tracks being so awesome especially the second one but the 9 minute ramblin’ Jack ahh beginning on the last one brings it down, the rest of the song is fine but still weaker than the others

hack hack hack

I was not expecting an album of 4 10+ minute songs, but I wasn’t mad. It was full-on Hayes the whole time.

Great for listening when you come home after your bullshit 1980s corporate job, cooking yourself a fancy dinner, reminiscing about a past decade and the freedom you lost.

I had never heard of Isaac Hayes, so I was not sure what to expect. But to my surprise, I had heard Walk On By, but as a sample on Hooverphonic’s “2 Wicky”. I really liked the first two songs. REALLY liked them. That’s why I think it’s a pity that One Woman didn’t carry the same energy for me: it felt much more generic and dull. Not a bad song, but my least favourite of this album. Although the spoken intro to By The Time I Get To Phoenix is quite long, I don’t really mind it and it’s a nice intro to the song. The song itself is beautiful. The musical arrangements on this album are awesome, just like his voice, which is very soothing and perfect for this music. Definitely one worth revisiting.

The fourth and final track is a little self-indulgent, but there's a lot here that I enjoyed. Wikipedia tells me that this is progressive soul, which I'm going to use as my excuse for giving this 4 stars, when I usually despise anything related to soul music. There's so many places where I half recognise a sample. The combination of the band and Issac Hayes' voice is irresistible.

3.64⭐️

18 minutes of Phoenix was a bit much.

i like it, very strictly soul and it's nice

Only 4 tracks total yet what this album lacks in quantity, it absolutely makes up in quality. Each track feels like a journey and as a whole. A landmark album for soul and it's influence is seen in the sheer amount of samples that come from these 4 tracks

Such an amazing album. Captured the moment. Still relevant. Every song a pleasure to listen to.

I knew of the 1st track from before by Dionne Warwick, not sure a which is the original but love this version. I recognise the distinctive guitar from a sample from a Tupac song I like. Very short album but if that’s even what it’s classed as, more like an EP. Shirt and sweet, quite a mix of songs; funky and slow/sexy. 1st 2 tracks very good, slows a bit and the last song starts after too long of an intro

Had someone give me this album randomly, years ago, and remember just being like "wow, this album is a whole vibe unto itself." High 4. Maybe a 5.

Being from Memphis/Tipton County, I may be a little biased. But I enjoyed this Isaac Hayes album, more than I thought I would as I usually don't listen to anything in this genre. Good stuff

These tracks may be lengthy, but boy are they smoooooth. Especially "Walk On By", the killer Dionne Warwick cover with a lot of funky vamp pizazz added. Many hip-hop fans will recognize the numerous samples that this track would later produce. Side two doesn't quite match the energy of side one in my opinion, but this is still a strong soul album from one of the best.