Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Better than I was expecting. Some really nice soul music, but I just wish the songs were shorter. Especially the last track, which is 18 minutes long. I don’t mind long songs usually, but these were too much. Still though, I enjoyed this one. Above average for sure. 7/10 Top 3: 1. One Woman 2. Walk On By 3. Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
Pretty cool short album. Jazz with guitar? Idk but it was cool.
Really, really good album. My only critics is obviously that some of the songs are too long, im not adverse to long songs at all, I’m just less likely to re visit them
I really liked three out of the four songs, one was more of a podcast lmaooo. Absolutely amazing and I don’t mind it’s a short album. Quality over quantity. Favorite was walk in by 👌
Dude knows how to groove, get that shit straight. Great music. I think if he cut the songs down and summarized, these 4 songs would be pretty close to perfect. Although the free standing form is pretty dope the way this guy sings and the way the instruments fill gaps. Personal Favorites: Walk on by
I'm not really into the super long songs but it's a great sound overall. Track 2, "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic", was a highlight for me. I think this is a 3.5.
The first side is hotter and more buttery. Really love the first two tracks. So cool. Side 2 is still good, but doesn’t hit me as hard.
Great sound and production, I enjoyed it a lot
A sad reality in life is that people really don't make music like this anymore. There is so much modern music that I absolutely love, but artists nowadays don't really release music to the same level of quality and care as something like this. This is 4 tracks of soul excellence. And one of the most important albums in the genre's history. Honestly, I don't think I've ever heard a song, or just an album in general, start the way Walk On By does. It inherently feels cinematic, due in part to those incredible strings. Strings and horns in funk and soul music always do something to me. This album starts off with a bang, and having it be this 12 minute long epic is a risky, but worthwhile power move. Thankfully the song is amazing. Isaac's voice is smooth and sultry. And those characteristics, combined with the horns, (again), and the backing vocals, potentially make One Woman one of my favorite love songs of all time. It is the shortest song by far, but I love the build up, and just how emotional it is. We also get a little bit of spoken word from Isaac on By the Time I Get to Phoenix. The second half of that song is great, but because of the first part, it feels like a song I would only listen to if I really felt like it. It takes more attention to listen to, and felt a little long-winded. Really, this album is a piece of art. All music is art. But not all music is art in the way this is art, or in the way other music is art. Some albums just excel at reaching parts of your heart and brain that others can't. This album is one of them. Rating: 8/10
Funkay. 4 stars.
Volume a bit inconsistent, but sounds good. Last song drags on too long. Worth a listen, but I won't revisit it.
Sonorités soul et psychédélique très cool, riches et puissant. Album concept avec de longues musiques, pourquoi pas. Intéressante découverte.
Isaac Hayes is a genious, this album is so soulful and dripping with sexappeal.
Includes two of the all-timers in the "long ass songs" category. A great album for driving, cleaning, cooking, background noise at a small gathering.
Easy listening R&B album. 4 long songs is interesting, 45 minute length seemed to go by quickly. Favorite Track: Walk On By
This was really, really great. I think that Isaac Hayes is a genius who deserves all the recognition that he gets if not more. Yes, the 9 minute spoken word intro on By The Time I Get To Phoenix might not be for everyone but the music is so damn good regardless. This is absolutely classic progressive soul and each of the 4 songs on here, which are mostly radically rearranged covers are awesome.
Would've been a 5 till it got to 10 minutes of him talking lol Great album, just the long extended story at the start of the last track throws the whole thing off.
This is a really strong album. It's got a good vibe to it and was great to just have on while working. That's not to say it's boring or background music though. I have listened to a little bit of Isaac Hayes' music before but this was my first full album and it was solid. Standout Tracks: Walk On By, Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic, By the Time I Get to Phoenix
It’s good. Listenable, 4/5
Crazy Album! It’s really a lot but a lot of good things. I’m having a hard time to rate the album, it’s not my favourite, I don’t know if I’ll listen to it again but I feel that this album is something extraordinary. So 4/5 nevertheless
Good Motown funk
This is a very classic R&B album that has aged very well. Although it’s a very short album, it has longer songs that are very soulful while crisp beats play in the background. I can hear hints of where modern day artists like Michael Kiwanuka got their inspiration from.
Smooth
Really nice instrumental sections. A couple long periods of talking that I was less enthused about.
Walk On By- Awesome, you can really hear the influence on so much music in this one song. Hyperbolicsyllablecsesquedalymistic- Says it all. One Woman- Great emotion. By The Time I Get to Phoenix- You have all this musical talent and then spend 8 minutes ignoring it?? Walk On By (Single)- Looses the groove of course but overall good single. By The Time I Get to Phoenix (Single)- STILL TALKING?? IN THE SINGLE??
Ethereal and poinignant
This was my first soul album. Considered a classic of the genre. It was alright. Good listening for a summer day.
Groovy
I was not excited about a 4-song album with one 18 minute long track. I was pleasantly surprised. Hayes and the band are fantastic. The grooves were tasty, and it was not at all boring. The 18 minute "By the time I get to Phoenix" cover was fantastic. Hayes dragged out all the emotion by telling the backstory before he dove into the Jimmy Webb composition. Great album.
Wow
Very chill, Isaac has a killer voice. I think 60s soul manages to do the super long song better than anything else, and this album is no exception. He really builds these songs up, manages to make an 18 minute song fresh the whole way through. I really enjoyed this one.
There is a beautiful place in this world for long-form Funk. Of course long epics like these tracks will start to drag a little at times but overall this is a great listen!
Hello Children!
Yes
Not my style of music but a great sounding album.
This album is everything it was going for and more. Isaac exceeded his own expectations on this one and it’s as good today as it was back when it came out. The proof is just how many samples there are of this album in modern music. It’s so good and I don’t care how long it is, it’s the pinnacle of soul and groove and all things vibing. His voice is so soothing, I just wished there was more of him singing. Everything else is phenomenal. 4/5
As a millennial, he’ll always be Chef to me. Fond memories of asking my mom to get Chef Aid: The South Park Album when it first came out. It was my first personally-owned CD. I also like the Shaft theme, but never checked out his other stuff. Digging this! Love that little fuzz lead on the opening track! Dirty fuzz tone. The ending of that track has some very obvious fader riding which I kind of love. All the tracks have something good going on. I like his vocals and the band is jamming on. I like the backup vocals a lot. At first I felt like the tracks were missing something. But after listening more, the vibe is growing. Also, considering this was one of the first albums of its kind, gotta go 4/5 on it.
This is my first ever soul album, so I went in with an open mind. Isaac Hayes has a beautiful voice, it works well off of the instrumentation of the album. Speaking of instrumentation, it’s great! Everybody has a part and it fits together perfectly. However, I think some parts while having some merit, are a bit monotonous and some parts go on for a bit too long and are a bit unnecessary.
I really loved this more than I thought I would. I think I saw Isaac Hayes before as more of a caricature, as Chef from South Park or the guy that did the Shaft theme song. This album was really great though, just catchy soul and some light funk. My only criticism would be the monologue at the end. Really glad I listened to it overall.
Oh hell yeah. I’ve been playing this a lot this summer, specifically Walk On By, my favorite being on my way to the beach. Sunny windows down driving with those fantastic orchestral stings sheeeeesh. And damn Isaac’s voice is amazing
Better than I expected. Very funky stuff. Not sure how many times I'd want to sit through the entire story of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" many more times, but on the first listen, it was pretty gripping. The Hyperbolic song was probably my favorite track.
Nearly a 5 but monologue fest at the end ruined it
Smooth shit which spawned a million hip-hop samples. Would get top marks if not for the boring 9-minute spoken word segment on the last track.
Why does he talk for so long on the last track? Apart from that it's good.
Shaft is a better album.
Isaac Hayes is so badass! So funky with amazing orchestration. He has some lame tracks where he talks too much on here but this is still great.
BEST SONGS: -Walk on By -One Woman
am not a english music listener by any stretch - I found songs long (12 mins, 18mins with a story intro etc.) but music/lyrics were good
For me this is an album with two sides, both figuratively and literally. Side A is 'Walk On By' and 'Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic.' This is the absolute top of soulful and grooving music ever made. Isaac's baritone voice is the extra layer on top of it. 'Walk On By' is the best version of this Burt Bacharach song I've ever heard and even though 12 minutes, it doesn't bore for a second. 'Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic' brings the funk to the album, and together with the pressing piano is a musical masterpiece that can't continue long enough for me. That bass combined with the the impelling drums that bring the song to orgasmic heights. Side B, even though really good on its own, really can't stand in the shadow of Side A. 'One Woman' is Isaac Hayes on the romantic tour. It's a good song, but not outstanding. 'By the Time I get to Phoenix' suffers from a much too long uninteresting intro of Hayes talking over the music. But he's no Gil Scott-Heron and it takes a full 8 minutes for the song to finally go. When it does it's marvellous though. Those heavenly horns and strings. So, a full 5* for Side A and a 3,5* for Side B will make this a 4*
This album is comprised of 4 long and great soul songs that sprawl in their splendor.
Nice
Heavy heavy soul! Banger after banger after banger!! Clearly the best version of Walk on By, that hype PE sample, sweet soulful One Woman and the absolute banger ending track, five isn't enough!
A nice, smooth and passionate record with a little bite at certain points. I think the long format tracks worked well, and while the last track took me out of it a little bit, I still felt like this is one of the easier records to get into so far.
Isaac hates kicks ass. Heard what buggie sampled
A great slice of funky soul. As much as I love ‘Walk On By’ and ‘Hyperbolicsyllabicesquedalymistic’, I do feel they are both a couple of minutes too long. Hayes’s version of ‘One Woman’ is great and at a more reasonable length. The long speaking intro to ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ does stop me from revisiting this album.
Finally a soul album! Isaac Hayes' production is incredible and really elevates these 4 songs through gorgeous strings and piano keys backing the classic soul vocals. Walk On By is one of the best soul songs ever made and the longer version actually made me appreciate it more. Also 10/10 album cover.
Great renditions although a tad too long perhaps.
Åpningssporet er verdt 3 stjerner alene. Åherreee. 1 stjerne for resten
At first seeing a 4 track 45min Soul album I was dreading listening to this. However I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely the album is, it doesn't sound like an album from 1969. The voice of South Park's Chef does not disappoint! Walk On By has beautiful instrumentation throughout, great song. Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic has more of a funky sound which is a nice change. One Woman is slower than the others and the most "Soul" sounding track. By The Time I Get To Phoenix wastes the first 8 minutes telling a meandering story. When the music actually starts it becomes a fantastic track with sweeping music. It's a shame the remastered single edit of the track also doesn't cut out the fluff. Overall really enjoyed the album, will listen again.
Love this. He was so cool. 4 songs. Crushed it.
Light 8
4/5
Its not bad, but also not something I would want to try more often. Its only 4 numbers, quite some mumbling, which isnt ideal for working/reading. When they play music, it is nice.
incredible soul record. walk on by wins the title for possibly most sampleable track ever Favorite Tracks: Walk On By, Hyperbolicsyllabicesquedalymistic 4-4.5/5
Mä kyllä tykkään Isaac Hayesin kamasta, oli se sitten takaa-ajo funkkia tai sitten enemmän täät kutumusaa. Hieno levy, jota ei oo turhaan pilattu liian lyhyillä biiseillä. Tunnelmallista. 4/5
Genrensä klassikko, eikä syyttä. 4/5, voisen pehmeää.
Great funky soul album! Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: probably Favourite Song:
sweet sweet album. immaculate vibes
We are eased into the album almost like Hayes is seducing the listener. The string arrangement, the guitar and then the voice and he’s got you. Walk On By, builds and builds across the opening twelve minutes. The band lock in the groove and jam to a close, awesome. Hyperbolic picks up the pace and it’s one of the funkiest jams ever recorded . Onto side two, yep there are only four tracks in total. One woman is a soulful ballad, Hayes vocal is smooth. The backing singers bring this track to life with some brilliant performances. And then we move onto the final track, all eighteen minutes of it. By The Time I Get To Phoenix, starts with a spoken word intro……eight minutes is a little long for an intro. But once it kicks on it’s a gorgeous string drenched soul classic. The horns chime in, piano tinkles deep in the mix and the layer of instruments builds and builds. Bass next and the groove is set. Hayes is lost in the vocal and there’s the Hammond organ to take us a little closer to a climax. What a ride we’ve been on.
Psychedelic and rich soul/R&B. Not an everyday listen by a stretch, but damn good for sure, I'll be coming back to this one.
Strong and smooth sound, definitely wanted more. Felt like it was very short, but that could be due to some of the very long tracks. But enjoyed the general vibe. Would have given 3.5 if I could.
It’s good. Very good soul. The only issue is the length of the songs. They are just a tad too long without justifying that length.
Veryspecialalbum. Canberasily5butlasttrackisverystrangeformytaste.
Not his best but still
Very fitting title. Silky soul. Intro to ‘Phoenix’ is a bit long, but still enjoyed the concept of it
Börjar och slutar briljant, med något mindre briljant emellan.
Not very lengthy album which makes it perfect for about 45 minutes of soul/funk music. Meaty tracks that make you remember Isaac more for his music than his beliefs. “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” is a story that hurts the heart.
Loved it
Sumptuous, interesting, classic. So much love for this one. Never thought I was a Hayes fan but I was wrong.
Hadn't listened to this before at all, so it was a nice surprise! I didn't care much for "One Woman", but apart from that, it was great. Voice smooth like butter.
Great stuff. Always starts out as a four and ends as a three, but on balance I'm going with the four.
на удивление, очень приятный альбом было пару слабеньких мест, но в остальном отлично
очень жирный приятный соул. Довольно медленно, но верно погружает тебя в эту приятную атмосферу
Меня прям пробило... Вот тут Фрэнк Оушен недавно был - вот такое он написал бы 50+ лет назад, кажется. Очень размеренный соул с классными гитарными импровизациями. Томный голос окунает тебя с головой в это море звука. Короче прям кайф, это можно ставить на почиллить на диванчике с чашкой чая.
Great listen, and an incredible atmosphere. One of the best albums by a Scientologist.
Noice
Amazing soul album. Isaac Hayes had an outstanding voice which made the title even more fitting to the whole album experience.
Yo this is dope. First track def the highlight. I'd heard things sampled from it but not the og. Wish it had stayed smooth all the way through without the noisy guitar bits.
Besides the first 9 minutes of the last song, I really liked this one. Go chef! Shaft!
This album is excellent. Honestly probably would've been 5 stars except for the Phoenix track having way too much spoken word before track gets going. Guy's an immense talent. Though this album really could've used his classic "chocolate salty balls" track.
Solid music. He's a great singer and these songs are fun to listen to. No major highlights as this is a pretty consistent album. The lowlight is the last track, I get a little tired of the story he's speaking to us because it is insanely long. Overall I think some of these tracks could stand to be shorter, if only to for the sake of making room for an additional couple tracks for us. On their own though, despite their lengths, I found that other than the final track these songs did not overstay their welcome, they're just nice to have on.
I really liked this album. Sounds more modern than the release date would suggest. Perhaps ahead of its time?
This album is great. It’s expansive, takes its time in everything it does, and when the big moments hit, they hit you like a truck. It really feels like you’re transported to a different world for its entire runtime. Outside of the cinema of it, it just is excellent musicianship all around. The grooves are brilliant, the guitars hit you in the soul, and Hayes’ voice is perfect on top of this production. His rendition of Walk on By is one of the greatest songs ever created, full stop. I can’t give it 5 stars due to it getting a tad overindulgent at parts, stretching out songs well beyond what the musical ideas have to offer, but in the grand scheme of things that’s really a minor nitpick. Listen to this album, it will hook you on soul if you aren’t already, and hook you onto longer form song structures.
I’m of the generation where I knew Isaac Hayes primarily as Chef on South Park. It was a long time after this that I actually realised he was also a very successful musician (I may have been watching South Park at a younger age than I should). So let’s listen to his music! Songs I already knew: Walk On By (although not this version) Favourites: Walk On By Often with the few albums I’ve heard that only have a few songs, I find myself growing bored. Hot Buttered Soul has only 4 tracks, and it was only during the last track that I started losing attention. Walk On By is a very interesting take on the Dione Warwick song and I did enjoy it. I will admit that in my mind’s eye it was still Chef singing each of these tracks, although it did kinda add to the fun of it. Overall, a fun album, though likely not one I’ll be returning to.
Issac Hayes jamming on 4 tracks that lasts 45 mins. How could you not like this. Long jam sessions on awesome soulful grooves. Super listen able
I didn’t think I’d like 10 minute long soul songs but it turns out I do. I draw the line at 10 minute long spoken word intros though.
I love the funky music, how the classics Walk on By and Phoenix are slowly buils up into something epical. Nice discovery thanks to 1001 albums
3,7
Good god, what a great album. So many samples I didn't know. Another "how did this slip between the cracks" album.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: One woman
A+ soul music, just wish it was longer
The most perfect name for this album because my soul is buttered. I really avoided it due to the length of the tracks but I loved it. Saved to my favourites.
A really great record. It was perfect for the sunny afternoon.
Smooth grooves. Love the long jams but I think I need to be in the right mood for it.
2023/03/21
I knew these songs but did not know I knew these songs. The single version of these songs can tend to be the better song, but this is an excellent album overall. I have never gotten into Isaac Hayes' catalogue so this is a great start to his version of soul.
This album was a fun listen. I nearly made it all the way through before I had to stop. I had to stop because, at my office, we have The Current playing, so I can faintly hear what's playing while I listen to the music in my headphones, and I could hear this faint little angel singing. So I pressed pause and perked up my ear to try and figure out what was playing, and low and behold, it was Billions by Caroline Polachek, which made me realize that I haven't listened to her album yet today and switched over to "Desire, I want to Turn Into You."
So that's why Chef got laid so often. Favorite track: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
This album is 7 songs and it's an hour and 9 minutes. I can justify a song over 10 minutes if it's on a live album, a really good song, or you're watching a live performance on a studio album pushes it. I don't know if that's an opinion other people have but it's one that I hold strongly. However, I did enjoy the songs on it. The 18 minute one definitely had me struggling to keep listening but it's hard to be upset over a solid album like this one.
Sexy
Really solid work
Very good soul album
Tempted to drop a star off for the lack of original material, but it’s just too good
good 8/10
Glorioso
So soft! Not enough 'o's in smooooooth
I already listened and reviewed in my first short-lived trip. Yes. Hot buttered soul.
Epic soul, love how long these tracks go for and are allowed to breathe. Only let down by the ballad "One Woman" 4*
This albm is great. A real slick cool groove soul record that always feels like it is driving towards something, even with only 4 songs and a 45 minute runtime. The extended story telling of this songwriter is a little boring though.
Prog soul is quite intriguing. I think it lacked something that really popped for me, but it truly is a great album.
Samples of this album are so intrinsic to classic hip hop it’d be hard for me not to enjoy it by association, that said, the ‘By The Time I Get To Arizona’ cover’s spoken word intro is awfully pathetic and overdone.
Knew so many of the tunes from Wutang and other artists sampling, in fact it's hardly even sampling, some of my favourite tunes are ripped straight from here it seems. however this is all Hayes as even though some are covers "Walk on by" it's all his style.
Loved every track besides Phoenix.
If any record producer wanted a masterclass into how to remaster an album, THIS IS IT. If I didn't know, I would have said it was recorded yesterday, with brilliant use of EQ, creating an "as live" feel. Hot Buttered Soul is the perfect name for this album, achieving the warm gooey feeling inside that only Soul music can muster. If there's one thing that stood out for me, it has to be the outstanding orchestral arrangements. It took each track to a whole different level and made it feel somewhat of a masterpiece. I also loved the story telling intro of "By the time I get to Phoenix". For an album released quite so long ago, it has to have been one of the first albums to include this style. The interview at the end is the icing on the cake. Isaac's effortless passion for his music shines through and brings the album to a close wonderfully. The only negative, and the reason for a loss of star is simply due to the album being far too short. 4 real tracks, 2 repeats and an interview. This is more EP than album. I finished, but I wanted more.
Un soul dulce y muy clasico que es vibrante y hace mover la cabeza al instante. No se hace pesado, diria incluso que es corto. siento que algunas caniones las habia escuchado pero no se en donde y tampoco me acordaba de las letra, cara, portada, sonoridad del todo. Buenos temas, que tienen adornos interesantes y arreglos sutilmente pensados. Conforme con esta escucha. Ya más hacia el final del disco me dio por reconocer lo texturoso que es, es uno de los aspectos positivos de la musica antigua. Este tema es tiene muchas textruas, se podría pintar con él. Me llevo una buena primera impresion de lo que es un buen disco y lo que parece un buen artista.
The only thing bringing this album down is the ten minute monologue
Great album, but there are some passages that drag on way to long, and I could have done without the spoken word intro to By the Time I Get to Phoenix.
Strong melodies and very easy to listen to
This was pretty groovy actually. Nice album and short. 8/10.
Hot buttered tits dipped in treacle, dripping into the eye of my anus as the sun comes out. What an immense piece of aural sex. My eardrums are bashing one out.
Better than expected.
This album starts with pure awesomeness (it’s great to learn where Portishead got their sample from), but side B is one big letdown. Regardless, I’m going to give credit to the creativity and originality in this album. Well worth listening to!
So good. What a great voice
Some deep grooves and exploratory textures on this record. A wide breadth of instrumentation is used to great effect, with strings, woodwinds, keys, guitars, organs all being brought to the forefront at various times. The length and pace of the tracks isn't necessarily overbearing but does make for a more static listen at times than the rhythmic drive of the music implies at first. The roots of modern soul are all here; traces of this sound can be found in Marvin Gaye to D'Angelo. The tracking band is never drowned out, rather they are complemented by the overdubs, avoiding a pitfall many albums of the genre succumb to. Some sonically unique and creative guitar playing here as well. Favorite Tracks: Hyperbolicsyllabic... Walk On By
So soulful and smooth. I love it!
For only 4 songs, this album has a lot. Hayes turned "Walk On By" into a completely different (and soulful) song from Dionne Warwick's version. "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" is a catchy tune considering it might be about heroin addiction. I'm surprised that "One Woman" wasn't a hit R&B single. If there's a weak spot, it's the nearly 19 minutes of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" with the first 8+ minutes as some kind of poetry slam (though the rest of the song is good).
Smooth, rich vocals. Lengthy tracks with creative and unique instrumentals.
Excellent funky cool, really low-down satisfying voice, great funk rhythms. The title is a spot-on description. You could drive around in a fat white Cadillac listening to this, with pink furry dice and people would just say y e a h
Super funky and soulful. a ton of sample gold in the songs. Only real knock is the "story" for the first 6 minutes of By The Time I Get To Phoenix. That's just too long for my millenial brain to wait for the music to start.
Very smooth and fun to listen to. This is my first album and makes me excited for the next one. I really like the dynamics in the first track.
This surprised me with how good it was!
The generator just gave me Shaft 3 days ago. I felt it's presence, but I didn't particularly enjoy it. Tonight surprised me. I was hooked from the beginning. I love the first two tracks, albeit a little too long for me. Then I was completely detailed by One Woman, like ready to stop listening. But I soldiered on and by the time Isaac Got Me To Phoenix, I was back in the groove.
Luka bio si upravu. Album je ispred svog vremena. Produkcija i miks su fenomenalni, svaka pjesma koliko god duga drži ti interes.
Odma prva stvar u dušu lupi. U jednoj minuti sam odma dvije stvari čuo, jedna mislim da je od Ghostface Killah - prvi sample, kad se promjenio sam čuo Compton's Most Wanted - inače stvar koja je korištena u GTA SA. Al sam eto pročitao da je to zapravo cover koji je on napravio, nije original, ali svejedno jako dobro zvuči! Druga stvar "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" je odma na prvih par sekundi uzela moj interes. Odlična isto. I tu ima jedan sample koji se koristio, vjerujem da je to bilo za jednu pjesmu od Public Enemya. Sve u svemu, album mi se jako sviđa, jebeni groove, funky, produkcija, šta da drugo kažem?
This album is a soul exploration that covers social issues, love, infidelity etc. Isaac Hayes employs a style that is is part preaching, part storytelling, and part singing. He weaves his way through the four tracks acting both as a guide and the vessel through which the songs are received. This style lends a feeling of intimacy, and almost feels participatory.
I would've never guessed the album is from 1969. The music is very modern, with all the orchestral and guitar sounds put together as a whole. The music is very smooth and just feels good. It literally rises your vibes to the top. The instruments and vocals work very well with each other. It's very chill to listen to, no concerns here. When I think of soul music this is exactly what I envision. Favourite track: "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic", least favourite track: "One Woman"
I see why they call it soul. This shit is caressing my soul. Really smooth and I love basically all the instrumentation. I love the jamminess of it, the repetition really helps sell the groove and atmosphere. Isaac has a beautiful voice, last song shows off his emotive range quite strongly. Not crazy about the lyrics but they're pretty serviceable.
Ok let’s put aside the record for a second and talk about the titular character in the 19 min epic ‘By the time I get to Phoenix’… So the fellow thinks he can buy his way into a successful marriage - working double time, triple time… and then when it fails - he believes he can just keep doing the same thing and expect different results? I think he deserved all he got - he should first been more sensible and worked on his relationship and then when the mistake was apparent he should have learnt some form of lesson. Anyway the records smooth and lovely - Walk on by is a masterpiece and the rest of the record is true to its name - soulful buttery spread. However, while the monologue of ‘By the time..’ has a cool edge when narrated by Isaac Hayes - it’s not exactly going to hold up with repeated listens. Without it - it would have been a stellar record.
I really liked this - it appealed to my love of Barry White, very similar stuff. I thought it was cool and sexy and pleasing. Put me in a good mood and would listen again. Did not know about the South Park thing and Luke made me feel foolish about that....
Not bad at all, did enjoy it a lot but kind of a less good Barry White. Plus isn't he a scientologist?
Enjoyed this. Helped by the fact in my head it was just chef singing this in the canteen. Good soul music
soul
This one was so smooth, really enjoyable listen. Has a timeless feel but still transports me back to the 60s with that reverb on the guitars.
Walk on by is just beautiful. I really like the monologue on phoenix but it's too long. Overall just smooth as hell.
It was a really cool soulful album, i truly enjoyed it
Lansones!
I know I've heard Walk on By before, but I've never paid attention to that cool angular guitar before. The way each instrument plays a part here and there in the build, and they all come together in the climax is great. Hyperbolic etc is a great jam with multiple interesting solos, a good underlying groove, and a cool tempo and rise and fall. One Woman is cringe though. The soulful crooning about his complete lack of self control, and blaming someone else for it, in a tone that sounds like we should feel for him? Urgh. Is he playing a character or something? Maybe, but it seems too sincere to sell that idea. If it was just a verse I could handle it I guess, but that chorus repeats like six times. I can't. It's a skip. The rest is good fun though.
I was on the fence about this one, probably an easy 3 star, but the final track easily pushed it up to a 4. Amazing extended jam with a great opening story.
Sometimes good and sometimes insane.
Side one is the funkier side, while side two is the soul side. The funkier side is definitely the better one to relax and lounge to, but the album is good as a whole.
Extra point for the sheer audacity of a four song soul album, though in truth I felt like the schtick wore thin on the extra long final track.
Solid
This was a fun groovy album that was nice to listen to. The bass was fantastic and really drove the album. I however did not love the length of some of the songs, I just think anything over about 5-7 minutes has to do a lot to justify the length. I think "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" did justify the song length, but nothing justifies a song title that long. "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" was also another lowlight it was just so slow and I don't love the talking over the cymbal taps. The second half of the song goes back to the form of the rest of the album and is chill and groovy. I'm between a 3 and a 4 so I'm going to give it the bump up and will be more likely to give it another chance.
Really good funk. While I do think the first song was long as hell, everything was really well put together.
Long form, layered and impeccably produced.
Leuk, typische soulmuziek
Every single song on this album is long and I mean very long like so long that some prog albums don’t even have songs this length. But somehow every song entertains they’re all overblown in various aspects but none of them are necessarily bad. There is one outlier in the album though and that’s the closer which is a bit of a drag just being spoken word over tapping sounds ( pretty rubbish) but luckily that’s only for the first half of the song then it just explodes into the usual brilliant overblown sound. The production on this thing is brilliant for it’s time and could still stand well today even if it’s over 50 years old. This album is mind blowing for am initial listen ( and this music isn’t even the kinda thing I really like all too much). Actually the only negative is the final song to be honest and the cover art isn’t great admittedly 4/5.
I'm liking this *way* more than I thought I would. At this album's best moments, this is way groovier & layered than I expected. Don't like the slow songs as much maybe. One Woman was just ok. And the first 9 minutes "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" was mostly talking... but the last 9 minutes were phenomenal. Favorite tracks: "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" The last 40% of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" 4 out of 5?
This album could have come out yesterday. Sounds fresh and I love the variety of songs. 4/5
The 70s really did make banger after banger. I have been constantly surprised at how good some of these albums are.
Isaac Hayes takes the listener on a…well, soulful sonic journey through love and heartbreak. Finally granted creative control after a stunted debut, Hayes belts out jam session-ish versions of classics over a sweeping orchestra and his own pounding Hammond organ.
What a fantastic and fun album. It sounded super modern and I can't believe this from 1969. Almost a 5/5 out from for me except for the last song which just I found couldn't justify its long length.
So good, long grooves that never get boring. Perfect for an extended workout
I liked this album a lot, though it doesn't feel nearly as coherent nor as striking as the Shaft OST album. Setting that comparison aside, this is quality Isaac Hayes. His compositions are big, filling up the speakers with both electric and orchestral instruments. He brings the funk on this album too. It also feels more personal than the Shaft OST as well, it's much more about emotion and struggle. 4/5
First Time getting into soul and holy sh*t, it slaps!
Walk on By so good. The rest less good, with One Woman being better than the other two. 5 for Walk on By, 3 for the rest. Average, kinda = 4.
I’m pretty sure my parents used to listen to this album quite a bit when I was very young. A great album to wake up and listen to. There’s no one quite like Isaac Hayes. Sultry, smooth and grooving.
Powerful soul music. His version of Walk On By and By the Time I Get to Phoenix are both great, a little bit to long though. I enjoyed the 4 songs, great background music to listen while I work
Lush arrangements and rambling monologues, Hayes’ albums are always an event. Count ‘em - four tracks! Around 10 minutes each! Let them immerse you and go with the flow.
Some bona fide Jams. Especially when the string sections are woven into them. Amazing dynamics along the way within each of these 4 musical journeys. Love his long spoken word set up in "By The Time I Get To Arizona." Brave long form soul.
Nice & funky. Enjoyable listen!
A classic. Love this album
A classic I already loved
Track length and structure fascinating - Walk On By immediately added to Liked Songs
This album is actually epic, great vocals, wordplay, emotion, production, instrumentation, I'm reminded of bright eyes honestly, which I know came way later but I wonder if they were inspired by soul/r&b
highlights: - walk on by - one woman album's great liked: yea
Four long songs - the first two are fantastic, the latter two are nothing special. The spoken word segment from "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" was weird and straight-up not enjoyable (musically speaking). Minus 4 stars for being a Scientologist, plus 4 stars for being Chef from South Park.
really fucking good
UNEXPECTEDLY FIRE. This was my first album recommendation and I was hesitant to listen. I really enjoyed it. There were songs lasting 12-20 minutes, which felt like a newer and more abstract concept but I guess this was not made for the radio. Anyway. Loved it
Every day is improved by an eighteen minute Jimmy Webb cover.
Alleen de eerste 2 nummers kunnen draaien, maar dat klonk echt super! Je moet er wel een beetje voor in de stemming zijn.
High production quality! 4/5
Butter smooth soul
Fantastic album. The one thing this project has taught me is that I like soul way more than I thought I did.
I've heard this one recently and it is also a part of my vinyl collection. Chef from South Park knows how to make a fucking smooth ass record!
Grooves, soul, long-winded story about a guy leaving his wife that didn't seem to get anywhere, swelling strings, funky breaks, and more soul. What would happen if you showed up to record an album having thought it over only briefly but were so talented that it's an instant classic.
This was a great surprise. An album with a soul!
First time I have ever listened to it. Loved it. Would have been five stars if not for the twenty two minute intro on the last track.
Elska þessa rödd og rólega grúvið sem er í gangi þarna.
Damn, this is pretty cool, doesn't quite make a 5 for me but certainly won't mind it on a future rotation. Walk On By is just great.
This is pretty darn awesome! Comes reeeeeal close to getting a five, but "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is a bit of a drag to get through. I'm usually pretty patient, but man, even I have limits. Fave track - "Hyperbolicsyllablecsesquedalymistic" Love it! Hell of a jam!
Already heard this one, it's damn good and very enjoyable. Definite highlight is 'Walk On By'. I procrastinated hearing this for far too long, and by the time I got round to it I deeply regretted it, as this album is a bonafide classic and I can't see why anyone would dislike it. Only gripe is the long intro that was spoken word on the last song, drags a bit and just wasn't as captivating as the other songs. Ah well though, it's still a decent track.
Real solid 70’s soul.
Didn't take the time to listen to it but I've heard it before... eeiiss gewd
Great jam filled soul here. Favourites: "Walk On By", "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic"
My man, love this
thought i couldn't get into soul because I never really listened to it but I really enjoyed this album! It's honestly something I would love to listen to more often.
Smooth as Butta!
That’s a stone cold groove but anything with 10 mins of chatting shit over a single bass note is always going to struggle to get full marks from me.
So good!
Definitely not what I expected, but I'm not disappointed. I think I'll have to give it more listens, but so far I like it.
Isaac and the Bar-Kays 60's Black Awareness soul here, with some excellent musicianship and Jazz like interpretations of classic pop songs Bacarach & Davids' "Walk On By" which is, I believe a definitive cover, and Jimmy Webbs' classic "By The Time I Get To Phoenix". The musicianship throughout this LP is outstanding with orchestrations, by Johnny Allen which are worthy of the best arrangers. You can here how influential this album was on soul music throughout the 70's and into later decades. A great album with just four tracks must be one for the record books is their an album, apart from Mike Oldfields' Tubular Bells, with fewer tracks? great influential album which I personally love and it is rightfully here.
Not the first soul album to come up, but this was one that, like a couple others that have come up, that actually make the genre click for me properly. Liked this one from the start.
Det här var bra.
Wavy as hell, the story telling is so awesome !
Only four tracks (plus some bonus material, including an odd interview, on Spotify), but all good. Not sure any of the songs really needed to be quite so long, but didn't mind it. "Walk on by" was virtually unrecognisable, and "by the time I get to phoenix" lasted about a week!
Amazing representation of an underrated genre.
Anything hot and buttered is a thing of beauty. The first ~10 minutes of Phoenix is a miss, but everything else is fire.
Enjoyed the first track a lot- great voice, and the instrumentals (especially the buildup at the end) were amazing as well. The tracks are quite long (except the third one, but that is still five minutes). The buildup is great in the last track as well- it started quite slow, but I really liked the ending.
Some hot buttered soul baby!
Great album.
Hyperbolicsyllablecsesquedalymistic absolutely slaps
Fav Song: Walk on By
Pleasant and original
Absolutamente climático, sexy, con la magia propia del soul bien lograda en canciones quilométricas que no hastían. Se archiva.
Good
Tracks longas, jazzy instrumental, gospel backing vocals.
“Now get the fudge out of my house”
Definitely a hot and buttered. A deliciously funky psychedelic soul. Issac Hayes, the one who made the famous "Shaft" soundtrack. But this is something else. It's much better than the mentioned album. I love the long and smooth instrumentals. The length and the psychedelic nature of this album feels a bit too much however. But who wouldn't love a big steamy buttery treat like this for breakfast?
Smooth as butter from everyones favourite Chef! The worst thing about this album is that there are only four songs on it. Knocked off a star for the 9 minute intro on 'By the time I get to Phoenix'.
I enjoyed this one a lot, was not expecting to. Also, SHOCKED that this is from 1969! Spotify said it was from 2016 and I was like yep that tracks, but I guess that was just a remaster or something? I could not believe this from the 60s, sounds so modern. Crazy.
I'd be happy if this album was a 45-minute version of "Walk on By". But even at 12 minutes, it's absolutely lush and a teasingly long version that takes all the best things about the song and combines it with all the best things about Mr Hayes.
Squam- Birk
Very cool and unique take on soul. I dig it
Some songs were a bit long but didn't take away from the album in any way, a great album for a period of relaxation
yes!
Hot Buttered is right ... "Say everybody have you seen my balls They're big and salty and brown..." https://youtu.be/sjrdanK4LSY?si=SxIw_sZJc_ntMfrK
Very enjoyable
Wow...Really nice Album. Nothing to add to that. (7/10) FT: Walk On By, By The Time I Get To Phoenix
2 classic covers
LOVE
This album is all about the bookends. Half way through Walk on By I was convinced that Isaac Hayes was a magician. Dionne Warwick sang this song beautifully and, I would think, sang it exactly how Burt Baccarat had intended. Along comes Issac who turns the song upside down and creates a 12 minute funkasized soul masterpiece. In the other bookend, By the time I get to Phoenix, he shows what a fabulous story teller he is as he spends over 8 minutes telling a story about what the song is about. The listener doesn't need any help understanding the song; the lyrics are plainspoken. The story is quite easy to listen to regardless. When the song starts he shows his excellent voice as he belts on this ballad. As an old white fart I naturally love Glen Campbell's 1967 cover of this song but I now like Issac's version more.
I'm normally not a fan of cover versions but when you breathe new life into them like Isaac Hayes does it's a different story. He showed good taste in the songs he selected. Walk on By and By the Time are nicely crafted tunes. The guitar and backing vocals in Walk On are rare groove staples and I even enjoyed the lengthy intro (about 9 Scum songs long) in By the Time. The late piano solo in Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic sounds like it could have influenced a lot of early house music 20 years later. One Woman isn’t as strong but those lyrics!
Methinks the 1,001 algorithms are have a bit of fun by giving me Napalm Death and Isaac Hayes back to back. But hey, variety is the spice of life and Hayes' Hot buttered soul album is one of my all-time favourite soul albums. Side A truly deserves the over-used and cliche'd adjective Epic. His cover of Burt Bacharach's Walk on by is a magnificent psychadelic trip and those string and vocal arrangements! As an aside, the Stranglers' cover of this same song is very different and equally good IMO as they give Bacharach's light pop song some real edge. Side B flails a bit, and gets a bit self-indulgent, so this baby gets a minor deduction and just misses perfection.
Strange scientologist releases the perfectly titled album. This is smooth and hot. Long strung out soul jams that make you want to bathe in coco butter. Just forget about the aliens. Best Tracks: Walk On By; Hyperbolicsyllablecsesquedalymistic
170324 16:03 4
Isaac before he went full-throated crazy. Amazing piece of work, his voice is like hot butter.
Amazing recognised so much of thos from the wu tang and various hip hop album. Weird sexy and differnt amazing music. Liked how the album had like 4 songs but each one lasted ages
What a voice!! I was familiar with the theme from shaft but have never listened to anything else Hayes has done. Smoother than a cashmere codpiece, I liked it a lot
Smooth and soulful, and a bit strange. Interesting to hear a Public Enemy sample. I enjoyed this a lot
Oh Chef, Chef, Chef. This is how you got that badass reputation, you smooth motherlover
Sooooo soulful ! The horns on the final track were amazing so 4*
Great stuff
Songs to live inside
It's like a massage for your inner ear
Never has an album been more appropriately titled. Maximalist to the point where the spoken word intro to By The Time I get To Phoenix lasts 8 minutes! Highly flavourful and dripping with soul.
Very cool, slick
Had heard a few tracks off this album in the past, but this was my first concentrated listen-through. This thing soars high in so many spots. The passion and intensity comes through, and the music is so strong. Although I do get they wanted a real orchestral sound to the album, just as personal preference I don't always want so much from the strings and horns. Isaac Hayes' talent comes through no matter what.
long songs
To jeden z tych albumow, ktorych nie slyszalem, a czuje sie jakbym go znal od poczatku do konca, a wszystko za sprawa murzynskich samplowan, wiec z dziwnym uczuciem deja vu, a efektu tego dopelnia sam pan Isaac, ktorego glos skads jakbym znal i okazalo sie, ze to przeciez szefu z south parka z pierwszych sezonow, to kolejne mile zaskoczenie, ale czym tak w ogole jest hot buttered soul, bo wiadomo, ze kopalnia dzwiekow z ktorej czerpali gleboko w latach 90, chocby biggie i pac, dj quik, czy public enemy, jak dla mnie ta plyta to jeden z najlepszych prob zbalansowania soula i funku na jednym krazku, stad tez pewnie nazwa progresywnego soula jako gatunku, ktory zawiera zaledwie 4 traki, ale dwa z nich to kompozycje na 12 i 19 minut, wiec ciezko bedzie z plejlistowym pickiem, 3 kawalki to covery, a raczej wlasne interpretacje istniejacych juz utworow, jedynie hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic, prawdziwie murzynski tytul jak na rok 69, wiec o ile pan Isaac nie jest autorem mocnych soulowych tekstow poruszajacych serca, tak jest kompozytorem brzmienia, ktore jest esensja czarnej muzyki funka, ktory porusza ducha, a nie jedynie cialo, sam hayes klika w kawisze na tym albumie, jesli chodzi o dodatkowe instrumenty, to jest on wspierany przez the bar kays, na walk on by wspierajaca gitarka, ktora jest w centrum uwagi zwlasza pod koniec traka jest harold beane, to wlasnie ten kawalek bedzie jednym z plejlistowych pickow, kolejnym natomiast ogrinalne kompo czyli hyperowy trak, nie moglem sie doszukac jaki cory czarnego plemienia wspieraly wokalnie hayesa na tym materiale, ale jest to jeden z lepszych chorkowan jakie ostatnio slyszalem na funkowych graniach
Strong 8 to a 9, such a nice album.
An interesting, very full-bodied interpretation of big band soul. I first thought this was a pretty modern, retro-styled album. It must have been way ahead of its time when it came out. Good album. But not one I'll actively listen to again.
SEX! also chef was a good character
Oh yeah, baby, uhh!
A combination of R&B and progressive rock. Walk on By is a journey. Loved it.
Fine album. Not my cup of tea musically but no denying the quality...and that voice...buttery smooth.
Groovin tunes, loved the backup singers and the hot buttery sound of the lead. Definitely would listen to again
Origin of so many samples and covers
Groovy
Different, but nice
Nice Soul Álbum but it didnt blow my head, its ok its prescence in this list
Solid. Kinda proto-funky.
Really good as smooth background soul music
Surprisingly chilled and groovy
Great stuff
So far i'm enjoying this album overall. the things that are throwing me off is how long the songs are, i know it was normal for the time but i'm definitely not used to the length of the track. the instrumentation is great, once i learn to dj/sample and whatnot i definitely see myself using sounds from this album. his voice is exactly the voice i like to listen to when it come to older music. I wouldn't say he's a baritone, but he has that nice deep sultry voice that i love 4 songs, 45mins? wow that's crazy! i'd definitely give it another listen. though i'd have to be reminded the album exist, i'd have a hard time remember for myself
Funky, buen blues.
i refreshed by accident and it ate my notes!!! :brofrustration:. anyway its good. groovy, soulful, hypnotic, great vocals and great rhythm section- love the soloing throughout - the guitar is tastefully thin for a sound thats getting panned all over the place. the best part is 9 minutes into by the time i got the pheonix when it goes from podcast w/ cymbols into an actual song. so good. simply good vibes i gave 8/10 (where do i put ratings?)
HBS, an important soul music album, perfectly matches my own preference for music. It's an album I would gladly play at home, however, I think I would tire of it too quickly. 4/5
Each of the extended songs take a while to get going, almost like Hayes is engaging in musical foreplay, but when the beat hits and the horns start a'blowing... swoooon.
Easy listening for me …. Seemed songs were stretched out… 46 minutes for 4 songs…..
Pretty fun. I see why he's legendary.
Good stuff, haven't listened to much soul before, I especially like the first two tracks: the cheating lyrics are a bit much. I recognise a snippet from a public enemy sample, and I'm pretty sure portishead/tricky use some samples of his too
Isaac Hayes is so smooth.
Ganska bra, väääldigt långa låtar så kommer liksom aldrig LYSSNA på dem, skulle gett 3,5 men får väl va generös.
Walk on bye
4.5/5, there's a vibe here that I haven't quite seen before. A timeless nostalgia. A warmth
I liked this. Some of the songs definitely overstay their welcome but they’re really good overall. 4+
4+ definitely. Good vibes, loved his voice. An 18 minute song is just a commitment.
4.5
opening tracks were so cool, will definitely revisit
Opening this up to listen and seeing four tracks was really exciting. If I'm remembering right, Isaac did the Shaft soundtrack and that same vibe is in this album, maybe just a little slower. There was a magic to these songs that makes them timeless both in length and memory. Consider my soul all buttered up.
Much to my neighbours joy and elation I sang along to this. I even did the brass sections and the sexy guitar flangin' bits. This album makes me feel like a straight up hottie. I don't want to give it my top score, because I'm saving that for when The Used 'In Love and Death' appears on this list.
Good songs but the last one is just kinda boring. Still groovy.
Very smooth soul, almost didn't realize it ended because it transitions so well with other music. Really good relaxing music.
slow, jazzy, and full of soul. I learned he is the voice of Chef on South Park and is a scientologist. he died in his sixties after a stroke. but these were the songs of a younger man, full of life and passion.
I can’t exactly explain why but I really enjoyed this album. The songs came to life and the emotion in it is genuine, and the musicianship found in the band were all great for me.
Soul. Bastante bueno!
awesome album, great beats
8.5