Hot Buttered Soul

Soul but experimental.

This morning I started listening to Hot Buttered Soul by Isaac Hayes on my way into work. It's my first time with this album as I haven't listened to a lot of soul over my life. I remember a time when I couldn't stand the longer versions of popular songs. For example, growing up and listening to CCR - I would have to skip I Heard It Through the Grapevine because it was 11 minutes long. That felt like forever. I want a song full of hooks, easily accessible, and I want it fucking short like a normal song! Or the long version of Light my Fire by the Doors, that was also painful to sit through for me in years past. But age has mellowed me I guess. This album with it's four songs, it's long instrumental sections, and the honesty of the singing - wow. It feels expansive and epic, and also very intimate and personal at the same time. Taking it slow has never felt so right. This was a lovely thing to hear this morning.

Opening track got my day going but wasn't sold on the monologue on track 4

Neat

I do love his voice. And the music was enjoyable.

The title almost deserves 5 stars itself. This is baby makin music!

composed really well, love the instrumentals

Listened to this with my wife...spent the majority of the evening making intense, passionate love with her! Thanks Issac Hayes

Nice beats

Not my favorites but still an great album

Now we are talking. The bass lines on this album or so funky. Of course, so is Isaac himself.

Jazzy soul music, Nice chill vibes, would go well with a morning coffee or a glass of wine. Not hype music

Own on vinyl. Samples galore. Four tracks!

Although I think that the intros to "Walk On By" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" set the tone quite nicely, they drag on a little too much in my opinion. Other than that, it's a fantastic soul record that'll most likely grow on me more as time goes by.

Absolutely flies by (after all, only four tracks!). It somehow feels both slight and like an absolute monster. I'll take my soul in this-sized chunks, thanks very much.

amazing legendary great spectacular one of a kind

Ik vind dit dus best wel fijne muziek om te luisteren, maar door die stem van Chef eronder, heb ik continu het idee dat hij zometeen "suck on my chocolate salty balls" gaat zingen. Waardoor het geheel een soort schijtlolligheid krijgt, die helemaal niet de bedoeling is. Van het schijtlollige gaan we naar het veel te zoetsappige. Ik luister dan niet echt naar de tekst, dus wie weet zit ik er helemaal naast, maar One Woman klinkt als een ode aan een vrouw. Goed, ik heb toch even de tekst opgezocht: hij eet blijkbaar van twee walletjes en weet niet welke vrouw hij moet kiezen. Dat geeft het dan toch weer veel meer lading zo'n nummer. Ik zou bijna zeggen dat ik vaker de tekst erbij moet pakken, maar daar kom ik nu wel heel erg laat mee, na bijna 1001 albums haha. Prima albumpje, maar ik ben het morgen weer vergeten. En we weten allemaal wat voor cijfer daarbij hoort ...

Only 4 songs available on Apple. I love soul music and this guys voice is fab but he has a knack of taking what should be a 3 minute song and turn it into a 12 minute song. Not sure I fully appreciate that.

Enjoyed this albjm

Great!

The first two tracks were magic, last two not so much. Let’s spilt the difference with a good ol’ three

I'm torn on this one... Isaac Hayes is certainly the GOAT of soul music, and the arrangements on this album are S-tier! The cover of "Walk On By" at the start was certainly interesting and he owned it, but being so familiar with the original version and the cover by The Stranglers, it felt jarring to get 12 minute lingering, weaving saga. And the lyrics for "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" are absolutely bonkers, but still fun and entertaining and set to a fun, funky groove. "One Woman" is a gorgeous song, even though it's about having an affair which makes the closing track a little ironic. "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" is a cover (and a great one at that) about a man that had been cheated on and is leaving his wife. I can do without the 8 minute diatribe before the song kicks in.

RIP Chef

Makes sense to be on the list. Too treacley and indulgent for me.

Super smooth

feels incredibly modern and great lyrics.

I am a big fan of soulful music, but this one was just a bit too much of the stereotypes often used with this music for me to enjoy it any more than I did. 3/5

Il bro ha cacciato un bell’album soul, che a tratti anticipa l’hip hop e il rap

Interesting. Not so much an album as a collection of 10 minute long stories. Enjoyable, but not my thing really. Still great to hear, music of that era takes me back to a time that I was too young to understand, but still a part of. 3

Cool sounds album, his voice is incredible. Could have done without the storytelling aspect of this album

1. I have never heard the 12-minute version of ‘Walk on By.’ I’ve always loved it but this extended OG version is supreme music. I worked a show dedicated to one of the writers of this song, Burt Bacharach and discovered that this guy wrote classic songs I LOVE. He don’t miss.

I had listened to this album a few times in the past. I originally discovered it while looking into some of the inspirations behind The Last Shadow Puppets. The album consists of only four songs. I really like the first two tracks, but I hardly care about the last one, which unfortunately makes up almost half of the runtime. Despite that, it remains a solid and soulful record with plenty of style. More than anything, it feels cinematic and layered. Unfortunately, that final track could have benefited from being split up or at least significantly abridged. My favorite songs are "Walk on By" and "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic".

Very cool we got to listen to a father and son back-to-back. Liked the son's more though. This was just okay for me.

While I can appreciate it, this wasn’t my cup of tea. It all sounded the same after a while.

It was okay. Pretty much exactly how I anticipated it would be.

By the time he got to Pheonix, she'd divorced him and married his cousin! Isaac Hayes takes the long way round and it's a bit boring at times but when he gets there it's worth it.

was okay, got boring after a while (not my style)

Good stuff. I'd really only known the Shaft soundtrack, but this is way less ironic. The earnestness of One Woman and Phoenix doesn't really land for me, but I like the soul psychedelia of the other two songs a lot.

Can definitely see why this is on the list. Very good album; hard to get over Chef singing though. I guess it shows my age.

A soulful and epic journey from Chef. Favorite track: Walk On By

een lied van 18 minuten is in 2026 toch wel diabolical ... maar dit s wel echt GROOOVYYY FUNKYYYY STYLEEE

Strong bit of soul first track carried the album

The monologue was not my fave. But his voice is smooth and funky. He was definitely ahead of his time. Just wish the album was longer.

Normally I'm down for 10+ minute songs, but a couple of these dragged on just a bit for me

great voice. a record id enjoy hearing at a record store, but probably not one that i would actively look for. 3.5

This album seemed a bit gratuitous for me. The first and last tracks could've been cut off SO much sooner than they were. Definitely not worthy of being 12 and 17 minutes. The second and third tracks, though, were EXCELLENT. They didn't seem dragged out for too long or cut off too short. I really do love the R&B/Soul meets Rock and Roll sound that Isaac Hayes has and his voice is beautiful, but I feel like those tracks could've been cut down to 7-10 minutes each.

Too much waiting for too little pay off. When the instrument sections of the first two tracks go off - especially "Hyperbolic..." - things get real - and real interesting. But even those tracks never quite reach the heights i hoped they would - they break down without truly breaking loose. By the Time I Get to Phoenix provides all the foreplay you could ask for without quite enough action. When it does eventually reach it's final altitude I'm all in but would have preferred to just hear that song.

Shaft soundtrack is what I've heard from him before so I knew what kind of vibe this album might have. And damn, it's really good! The last track was a bit boring to me but other than that it's a fantastic music 3/5

Great album and it definitely deserved a spot on the list unfortunately I don’t think I’d ever listen to it again

Mike- Josie- 6/10 nice vibe but songs too long

Haven't listened to many albums like this, but I enjoyed it.

Bueno, lo disfruté. Debo decir que lo tuve un poco de fondo. No es el tipo de disco que pondría salvo quizas para justamente algo que me pida tener música de fondo. Sería un 3.5 Queda guardado por lo pronto, creo que no va a durar mucho

eigentlich okay, aber dann doch super lame

It was pretty good but a lot of the songs ran REALLY long. At a soft 2:30 I wouldve said 4/5.

Quite good, but I wish it was a little funkier Fav track: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic

297/1089 the trumpet outro of By The Time is pretty great. This was a good soul album, i’ve heard soul that grabs me more but it was a good listen faves: Walk on by, Hyperbolic… 67/100

first song was mid big turnoff but I liked the 2nd track

I just don't get extending songs to twelve minutes and nineteen minutes long, come on.....the song reaches a point of ridiculousness for me when they are dragged on for so long. I actually like his voice. I like his singing, I just wish he would end the song. If I was attending one of his concerts, I would have left the building before this last song ended....

I wanted to like this more than I did, and it should fit sort of the Stax-centric 60s soul aesthetic that I love, but most of this just didn't super click for me. Track 2 is awesome though, super cool groove and bass line, but elsewhere it's just a little bit slow, plodding, and meandering. Track length is long, the extended instrumental sections don't quite hit. The last song is sort of a cool build by the end but takes a WHILE to get there. Filed under "just ok" as a whole.

This one felt kind of nostalgic remembering when you could hear this kind of stuff playing on the radio. 3.5/5

Just okay for me

Funky soul goodness from Memphis's (Covington) finest.

Enjoyable album sampled by so many.

The master of taking a 3 minute song and making it llllaaaaasssssstttt…. I did get into the grove and enjoyed all 4 tracks.

Isaac Hayes is possibly the coolest black man I know. I remember the shock I felt when I found out he was Chef on South Park. The guy who made Shaft? Awesome. Anyways, this record is good but too bloated for me to think YEAH MASTERPIECE. A groove can be set up but then it keeps running and running and eventually I get too used to it. There's no doubt there's great instrumentation on this record (as is Stax quality) but that's about it. I don't get much out of this besides it's generally good and it's Isaac Hayes (7/10, 3/5 on this scale)

Strong with waffle.

Not unpleasant, but honestly didn't move me or pique my interest in any major way. Certainly was interesting to listen to at least, and the soul involved (pun intended) is respectable, earnest. 2.5 in my head, even though I respect it, it just wasn't particularly fun for me.

I prefer to eat my buttered bread cold, because I eat it with very high quality butter, and melting it makes it less flavourful. Anyways that's probably why I couldn't get into this album. It was fine.

Absolute madness - these songs are hilariously overlong. Isaac obviously thought quantity should outweigh quality which is a bit of a shame because most of them would be great if they were a normal length.

Interesting album to listen through, unexpected that this musician is also a voice actor in South Park. Good Soul album

Not much to say about this album. It's nice. It's somewhat interesting even with such long songs. There's a 18 minute track that has talking for the first 8 minutes, which I feel is too extensive.

No opinion about it, but it is the kind of music my dad’s like 😀

Some super cool, chilled out soul. I liked it but it wasn't something I'd go back to of my own accord. Maybe a bit 21st century of me but I wanted more songs with more direction and less meandering. Enjoyed

Production is great for 1969. Felt the closing track dragged a bit but the extended version of Walk On By is a highlight. A good listen

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

5/10 Poor. I thought that Spotify was missing most of the album, but no, there are only 4 very long rambling tracks. There are bursts of interesting bits, but mainly it faded into the forgettable

The guitar work and instrumentals are soooo good, but there's something about it that just doesn't sit right with me. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Not too sure on the lenght of the tunes but soulmaxxing to the limits

Starts strong. Didn't need storytime at the end. Some recognizable pieces. Always wonder how I would have reacted if I were listening to this right after it came out.

RATING: 7/10 HIGHLIGHT: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic LOWLIGHT: By the Time I Get to Phoenix

The only things I'm really familiar with by Isaac Hayes are the soundtrack from Shaft and his work as the voice of Chef on South Park, so this album was all new to me. Hayes is just the definition of coolness - his music is so smooth and groovy - and I can see why people consider this to be an important album in soul music. The songs are all quite long, however, there is a definite build up in each one so they don't seem to be long just to be long. The songs are all "going somewhere". Quite a contrast in albums the last couple of days having a hardcore punk album that was 15 songs and lasted only 15 minutes, and this soul album that's 4 songs lasting about 40 minutes.

Upon listening to the tracks' single edits after the respective album versions, the music on the album sounds like a satirical caricature of itself. The songs really are too long and don't derive much value from the extra length aside from giving Hayes opportunities to moan and announce that he's doing so. This aside, the music was groovy and the vocals told soulful and dramatic stories that I did enjoy. Further, the individual instruments stand out throughout the tracks, whether it be the flare of the oboe or the chiming rhythm of the cymbals, providing variety and emphasis to Hayes vocals. This is a good album for devoting one's time and attention, but not worth as much time as it demands.

Love that he loves Bacharach, love the first 3 cuts, but can't stand what he does with Jimmy Webb's gorgeous By the Time I Get to Phoenix and keeps flogging it without mercy for 18 minutes.

Not a very focused listen to Hot Buttered so tbh. My review is subject to change.

So smooth. The 18-minute version of “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” is a little much, with far too much talking, but the rest of the album is outstanding. 3.5?

Just OK. The two pop covers don’t really work. The long story before the last track falls flat.

he went sicko mode on the 1st song

Was really fucking w the first half on my drive to work but then that second half low kirkenuinely blows

Not really my thing but it was solid. Was tempted to deduct a star because he used an overpowered mental shortcut of “hot butter” in the album title and the album didn’t really deliver a hot butter feeling but whatever bro

Good listen, I appreciate am artist who does more with fewer tracks. That being said, when a track has an 8 minute spoken word section, it is no longer a long track, its a boring regular length track. Overall the album is solid but not life-changing. 3.5/5

Another Isaac Hayes album from here. Liked the stretched out songs and is pretty good for late 60s.

Overall, a pleasant experience. Too much spoken narration to bear repeat listening, at least for me.

some very long songs but pretty enjoyable. Maybe a bit forgettable

3/5

songs are entirely too long

A blend of gritty funk and smooth soul. Isaac Hayes strikes a dramatic tone — and his voice is beautiful. With only 4 songs on the album, the music stretches out with long intros and some nice solos. It’s great music to immerse yourself in. “One Woman” is a great song too. I like that it misleads you, letting you think it’s gonna be a purely romantic song before revealing that he’s having an affair and is torn between the two women.

Great soul record with some really nice moments that has a few extra long tracks that somehow don't wear out their welcome. I listened full through and really enjoyed it. I dig the grooves from the band too, it really doesn't feel like this is a record where the singer is a separate entity from the band. Great cohesion. RIP Chef.

It was okay

I kind of liked it. It has a lot of experimental sounds and not that many lyrics, so it’s not really my type of music, but i still enjoyed it. It’s pretty short, and it makes really good company, like something nice to have on in the background.

Great funk/soul album from Isaac Hayes

Not up my alley, but I do get it

Tasty.

Good

hot buttery and pretty good to listen to

Enjoyable. More so than most stuff in this genre that I've heard.

Chef's Kiss

Almost didn’t believe this one was from the 60s. Guy was ahead of his time, and clearly had a big influence. Majority of the album didn’t hit me real hard but still solid

Out of sight

good jazz shi innit

Started off strong, then got reaaaal weird with it. The first song is great, the other songs are varying degrees of strange and off putting lyrics. The musicianship is appreciated, and even the music itself is great. But it could’ve been edited down or broken up a bit more.

The first track is really good, then it just kinda peters out, with random spoken word stories. Still, pretty impressive for 1969.

Funky and fun

Chef from South Park made music??

Wanted to love this so much, as soul is right up my street. But the story of the last song drags and drags, even if it does eventually get somewhere worth going. Otherwise, there's some irrepressible grooves here that hit perfectly, but there's just not enough to elevate it as an album.

Ok

1:09 minutes and like 6 songs hell yea. Disappointing to realise only like 40 of those minutes were the actual album but still and enjoyable if not necessarily enthralling experience. The opening tracks in particular i loved but i did struggle a bit with the chattier ones if only coz i wasn’t really listening. Sorry Isaac.

Tasty, but not sure I’ll come back to.

The singing part of the album was good but not something i will came back for

Long songs

Only 4 tracks but strangely seems a bit long, probably due to the closing track. It’s a decent soul/R&B album, but I found Isaac’s vocal delivery a bit rambling at times. 2.6/5.0

Groovy.

3.5

Meh

Intense and long. I would like to listen to this in a concert setting vs in my car

This is exactly the type of album I think should be on this list. I don't think I would ever have searched it out, but I had a great time listening. For a first listen I really liked 'By the Time I Get To Phoenix'. However, I do think I'd get sick of the eight minute intro on subsequent listens. And while I really enjoyed this album, I think all together it's a bit disorganized and lost. Three stars. (Favorite track: One Woman.)

I like a build up to a song, but 10 minutes is a bit much. Nevertheless, lots of class.

I've heard the intro to Walk on By dozens of times, but don't think I ever heard the entire, lenghty track

4 tracks, 40-odd minutes in total. 2 tracks a side. Thick treacly loving and grinding in vocal form, kept in time by a tight rythm section and spiced up by just enough dirty filthy guitar. The whole effect produces songs that are whispering sexy ASMR into your ear, getting you into the mood and groove while a guitar is ramming you from behind and asking for water sport and scat play. Feels so good but so dirty at the same time. That’s side 1. Side 2 is the post coital just want to fall asleep, can we stop talking for a bit i just wamt a nap, oh ho, what’s this we’ve talked long enough we’re back at it again! This is kept away from a 5 star rating by an inconsistent mix with some bits where his voice or the piano or some strings overpower some great guitar work or diminish some fine funky bass which sounds flat in the mix. Could be my shit earphones. Would like to get the vinyl.

This was good, but very jammy. I wish they would consolidate the things a little and maybe have a couple other tracks. Otheriwse though, great vibes and great jams.

I get why these sorts of albums, are on the list. And when I say sorts I mean iconic, maybe part of a movement, maybe just very popular at the time. But aren’t they disappointing from an ignorant, path well trodden kind of way. But as I listen to this I feel a sense of openness, an aliveness, that I’m discovering new music. In hyperbolic there is a richness to the piano, a determination from the musician to stay in the moment. The soul fights to stay alive. One woman is a song of celebration and joy. As multiple women sing in the choir, they echo the sentiments of approval of the man’s love for her.

As soon as I saw on Spotify that today I was to listen to 4 tracks, one of which was nearly 20 minutes long, I said, "Damn, this one might be a drag". And yet here I am, entirely wrong. Isaac Hayes's instrumentation on this album is godlike. Some of the funkiest, most groovy music I have heard on my 1001 album journey. Never once was bored listening to this. And Hayes' lyrics are so soulful too; I was tearing up on the track 'One Woman' right up until it was revealed the song was about cheating. Happened when I listened to CHIC last month too, got to a great love song only for it to turn out to be about "forbidden love". Ugh. Anyways, this album here was great. Absolutely loved it. Favourite tracks: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic 3.5/5

I am glad I listened to it. Some of it is excellent. But I am absolutely never listening to a an 18-minute long track that is 50% monologue ever again.

almost 4 stars

2026.03.11

Not my thing, hard to rate. Hard to believe it was any kind of hit with only 4 songs, one of which is spoken word.

Chef tuuttaa menemään aika erikoismenoa. Tääkin on semmosta kamaa että ehkä pitäis vähän enempi syventyä, niin irtoaisi paremmin. Taustamusana toisaalta menee eteenpäin ihan kivasti. Paikkapaikoin tykkäsin tosi paljon, mutta välillä oli melkoista puuroa. En kyllä noita Spotifyn extroja lähtenyt kuuntelemaan. Nyt on pari kakkosta tullut putkeen, niin Chefin kunniaksi yksi tähti siihen vielä päälle.

Smooth listen, not jumping out at me.

Good voice. Music doesn't appeal to me, however.

You’ve been transported back in time with this one to a period of before tech and edit upon edit of songs. Love Issac Hayes riting feels on this 4 soundtrack album.

First Isaac Hayes album and had a good time. Nice smooth voice and good beats.

Hot buttered biscuits sound better.

Decent album. Would maybe listen to some of his other stuff. 2.5/5 if I could.

ok smooth sensual buttered up goodness

Not a hip hop fan but I can see the landmark quality

Not sure if this counts as progressive soul as the tracks are so long. Great vocal and some nice soulful moments but seems more like a jam than an album of songs

progressive soul. det er sgu meget sexet specielt det første nummer. Åbenbart nogle lange cover versioner af tidligere kunstneres numre. Det har også sådan lidt strygere osv så det lyder lidt chamber/baroque filmisk agtig. Det at numrene er rigtig lange springer åbenbart genren, det ved jeg ikke hvorfor præcist.

Album #28, Isaac Hayes, Hot Buttered Soul ⭐⭐⭐ Right, where to start with this? This could be a two star on another day, but I’m giving it three because I’m in a good mood and it did kind of work for me in places. I actually knew this album already. I listened to it years ago, so I wasn’t going in blind. Let’s start with the bad stuff. There are basically only four songs. It’s a 45 minute album and that’s not a lot of material. Maybe that’s common enough for a soul or jazz leaning record from that era, but I don’t think it really works here. If you break it down, there are only a handful of musical ideas stretched across the whole thing, and I’m not sure that’s enough to hold my attention for that long. “Walk On By” is a good song, but it’s too long. It actually reminds me of “Suspicious Minds” where the best bit is the chorus, but a huge chunk of the track is taken up with a drawn out ending that doesn’t really build to anything. Same kind of issue here. “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” is basically the centrepiece of the album, but I don’t think the payoff justifies the long spoken intro. It’s a cool idea, and I respect it, but in the modern day of destroyed attention spans I found it hard going. Sometimes that kind of slow burn works. For me, this time, it didn’t. The positives, his band are amazing. “Hyperbolic” is an absolute belter. Proper jam. “One Woman” is decent too. Not one of the best soul songs I’ve ever heard, but solid. The musicianship across the album is the highlight for me. Isaac himself has a great voice, but I’m not sure I’d put him up there with the absolute soul greats as a singer. Maybe that’s not the point, but when you’re on a list with so many legends it’s hard not to compare. This came out in 1969, and I don’t know enough about the context to say how influential it was. Maybe it was groundbreaking and I’m just not appreciating that side of it. As I said at the start, this is probably a two for me on another day. But “Hyperbolic” is such a tune, and “Walk On By” has some genuinely beautiful moments, so it gets a three.

Sounds good but just not my favorite 3 stars

šef iz saut parka izbacio skroz neloš album

I like soul, and it’s fun to listen to Chef say “uhh” a lot, but ultimately not my favourite album. Bonus points for fitting “medulla oblongata” into lyrics, though!

Did not spark joy

el ultimo tema no me gusto la verdad. osea real 20 minutos hablando con ni un fondo entretenido

Long songs for me but pretty nice

Longest longs

Not my favourite, was getting very repetitive and it was kind putting me in fight or flight mode

Interesting listen I guess. I don't think I'll come back to this one.

Groovy. That's about all I took away from this album.

really didnt love it at first, then I started getting more into it

It’s okay

Not my thing. it's fine. not sure it's list worthy.

Didn't like the cover of walk on by, but the other tracks are grand.

While listening to this album, the question "Where do I know that voice from?" kept running through my head. I Googled the artist's name — and lo and behold, it's Chef from South Park! However, Chef would be thirty years away, but for now, let's consider the fact that this forty-five-minute record consists of only four songs. At that length, it might seem like prog rock, but no, it's soul, albeit a rather unusual one. Moreover, two songs on this album (that's half of it) are covers, which Hayes managed to stretch out two or three times longer, yet they never get boring or lose their appeal: this is beautiful, somewhat pompous music, perfect for a candlelit dinner. The record is almost sixty years old, but it doesn't feel that old at all; it's hard to believe it was recorded that long ago. I think that's one of the hallmarks of quality.

You know, I don't think this is Isaac Hayes best work, but the last song about the man finding that woman and her cheating on his 7 times, that was heavy and told a story in a way I don't get to experience often. So for that experience it definitely hits a little higher in the rankings.

I enjoyed listening to this. I felt it dragged on a bit long in certain places and I could have done without the 8 min spoken word section. 3.5/5

Hey it's Chef. Hot Buttered Soul may be the best album name I've ever heard. The music is in fact buttery. Just 4 songs, I can't believe how many albums I've listened to that are only 4 songs long. The songs really grow, there's a lot of space to each one, they're lengthy, and somehow it works better. Isaac Hayes' voice is really something else, I love the instrumental backing to each song. By the Time I Get to Phoenix really ends this one on a high note.

The audacity to open the open with a 13 minute song, damn. Can definitely hear how he influenced so many who came after him.

Honestly surprised by how pleasant it was.

Cool vibe

I imagine this record was important to the Beastie Boys during the Paul’s Boutique era. It reminds of the type of 60s/70s they mythologized. For me, I’d like the songs more if they weren’t so long.

Bluesy chill vibes

4 songs. 46 minutes.

Annoyingly long songs.

Starts off outrageously cool. But as is often the case with cool things, the more time you spend with them, the more faults you notice, and in the end, the mysterious stranger turns out to be nothing more than the rambling uncle.

Really interesting listen and oozes cool. Narration may drag on repeat listening.

Each individual component is objectively good: musicianship; songwriting; flare. For me however, there is a structural issue with the flow of these tracks. I don’t think the seemingly endless jams put any of these beautiful components in their best light. It all comes off indulgent and lacking in momentum to me. Though I am sure that the people who love this album love it for the jamming element, and maybe even wish it would never end…!

Songs are too long.

First foray into Isaac Hayes get the shaft soundtrack and no complaints

3.5 Isaac Hayes souled out

Enjoyable listen

I don’t like soul. It’s a genre based on a vibe I don’t enjoy. However, this album is a lot more lush and instrumentally complex than most soul, so it balances out. I liked it. I think the last song is a little bit underwhelming because of its long intro, but other than that, it’s one of the most enjoyable soul albums I’ve heard so far. 7/10

Holy cow! This was 1969!!?? Literally light years ahead of its time. Didn’t know what to expect, but this is just superb. Got a dirty nasty vibe at times and then it’s smooooooth. Definitely deserves its place on the list. 3. Drops points because it lost me a bit in the end. Definitely coming back to it though.

听不懂

Chef cooks

I think all albums should end with a 12 minute interview with the artist

This was ok

I've heard a lot about this album, but I've never actually listened to it, and it is as good as advertised. By the Time I Get to Phoenix is a TRIP.

It was unique in the ebbs and flows of each song however it was too long for me to ever want to revisit it

This was fine, but I didn't really get the point of the album. The songs were all very long but without much in the way of transitions or changes that could keep them interesting. I didn't dislike it, but I can't think of many reasons to put Hot Buttered Soul on again.

Lovely Isaac. A 3,7

How did they ever get this man to do South Park?

Never listened to Isaac Hayes before. It was sort of what I expected... except the songs were much longer than standard pop songs. It makes it more of a vibe thing I think. You turn it on and you just groove to it. I dig it but 20 minutes of him talking about his bad relationship? Dude... C'mon. I hope that was very healing for him but I found myself wanting to pay for his drink and leave half way through.

What a deliciously smooth listen. And it also went hard psych in parts. I wouldn’t say this is a life changer, but I’d come back to it. 3.5 stars.

Not for me but was great to have on in the background

First time listening to Isaac Hayes. I like the instrumental grooves, but I find it a bit boring because every track is so long. If I find a good part in a 14-minute track, I can’t wait to get to that part. My favorite tracks are ‘Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic’ and ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix.’

This was pretty cool. Pretty pretty cool. Pretty short too. Or felt short. Long grooves and funky sounds. Can’t say I loved it but very nice.

45 min album with 4 songs! Wouldn’t listen to this kind of music all the time but enjoyed the soul.

Muy bonito

Good soul record.

Damn these songs are long. But they still sound good. He was just talking on By The Time I Get To Phoenix, yet thats one of my favorites on here. Saved: One Woman

would be 3 1/2 but i cant rate half stars

Verbaasde me dat dit album al uit 1969 kwam. Luistert lekker weg, lange nummers. Wel aardig wat herhaling. Wel heel relaxt voor de achtergrond. Eerste drie liedjes niet goed naar de tekst kunne luisteren, laatste lied beter: gewoon een soort spoken word.

Soul de corazón

It was alright. I lost interest in the last song, but aside from that I enjoyed the first track and the rest kind of just blended into the album.

Where to start? It’s so over the top, melodramatic and heavily arranged that it’s difficult to fully know what I think. Love his voice though-really soulful-and the songs (all four of them) are all powerful. I especially loved One Woman. Really good overall.

The guy has a great voice, but I found the whole album a bit slow. Also, he talks too much! Still prefer The Stranglers version of "Walk On By".

Smooth buttery soul, but clearly a filler album

fun - weird - buttered? three point five rounds down to THREE> some amazing sounds at the beginning though. I like the experimentally.

Pretty interesting. Not sure I would have ever found this otherwise

Probably more like 3.5 or 4 if I let it grow on me. I don’t listen to much soul, but I’ll probably come back to this one

There something about Isaac Heyes that I just cannot get into it. I mean I appreciate the musicality, but somehow his work just never clicks with me. Quite a pity actually, as this should be right up my alley.

I hate when songs have long instrumental endings or solos that drag on. Hayes's voice is like butter.

3.7

Goated

Bom álbum para namorar, deixar de fundo. Não se destacou muito pra mim.

A 45 minute album with four tracks? Sounds like it would be a prog rock album, not Isaac Hayes' buttery soul. The first track was fabulous... and man this was sampled so many times. It's always a pleasant surprise to learn where samples originated from. Also, Portishead borrowed heavily from this sound. The second and third were also fab. But that last track is pure fromage! A bit of a letdown from the setup from the rest of the album.

Great record. Amazing to see and hear the record's influence on other artists and projects I love. Walk On By is the masterpiece, one of the great soul tracks of all time. The rest is very good but cannot compare.

Mochte den Vibe, manchmal aber zu "wet" für mich, gerade, wenn zu viele Streicher dabei waren.

Isaac Hayes vocals and music is spectacular, but I wasn’t a huge fan of this album. My only real gripe is that the tracks are entirely too long and kinda meandering/repeating. I just felt…bored, honestly. The intros on each song took too long, and they didn’t seem to know how to end so just kept going. With that said, I cannot for one second deny his talent. His songwriting is solid even if I’m not a fan of the content (an entire song about how he feels so torn up by the affair that he’s involved in didn’t inspire sympathy). House vocals are incredible. The music is brilliantly mixed and performed. I just didn’t like the jam bandy nature of the tracks that just seemed to drone on.

A bit different actually quite enjoyed - interview at the end quite interesting too

Soulful, smooth, and overall a pretty solid album.

generational

The first song is great. I don't really know about the rest I was playing minesweeper the whole time so minus a few points for that.

All of the songs were very groovy but too long for my taste

Not at all what I was expecting. Fine for what it was I guess.

This is a pretty cool album. The fuzzed out guitars definitely make for a cool take on 60s soul. I prefer the first two tracks to the last two tracks by a good margin though, which makes it tough for me to go too high on a four track album. 3.5 stars.

Album is stuck in the 60s

I enjoyed this album, I really like the way it sounds, it's not something I would usually listen to but I like how it's so movie. I would walk through a park thinking about the one that got away to this album. I didn't give this as much attention as I should've but it's very ballad-y and I'm just not into that at the moment. Wait it's only four songs?? Interesting. I like this. Favourite: One Woman Least favourite: By The Time I Get To Phoenix

Sick guitar on the first two tracks...chef was cooking!

I would have liked it more if there would’ve been less of it.

Album No. 0103 on my list. I had never heard of either Isaac Hayes nor his album “Hot Buttered Soul” (what a great name) before. All of this was completely new to me. I did like the music in general. Very cool soul, very good style of singing. I get why this is considered to be a hallmark album of the soul genre. Good stuff! The songs however are way too long, including minute-long spoken word parts. “Walk On By”, and “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” are my favorite songs, and I’m glad that single edits of these songs exist, because I’ll certainly add them to my playlist. So in the end, it’s a close 3/5 to me. I would have given 4 stars, but dramaturically, the songs are not ideal, because they are too long. Cool artist though! 3/5 stars.

whoa dude this is so funky & groovy

Not for me

3,5 stars Não estava à espera de gostar tanto

Good album but not for a casual listen. Long songs.

Soulful for sure. The prolonged spoken word killed it for me.

Short album didn’t finish it it’s smooth vibe but not my type of vibe

A primeira musica é bue fire and then we kinda got lost i think mas achei fixe Eu daria 3.5 se desse

Half of it is great, the other I never want to listen to again. Good thing it's only 4 songs, but they really are sprawling, beast of their own so I will not complain about that. The final song in particular is painfull, the reward is good in the end, but nobody got that kind of time and his voice while magnetic is also quite monotone

I liked the sound not the length of songs. they felt way too dragged out. I did liked how it felt new.

Lovely and funky and trippy and groovy record man. The 20 minute of by the time I get to Phoenix was unprecedented but I fucked w it

Vibes: 4/5 Instruments: 4/5 Production: 3/5 Emotional Value: 4/5 Storytelling: 2/5 Album Cover: 0 Stand Outs: Walk on By, One Woman Overall Rating: 3.4

Sooooo smooooooth. A cozy 45 min story. I think this is my new favorite Christmas album but definitely have to be in the mood.

Lauter ziemlich lange Songs - und sehr konzertant

Very interesting album. Most sounded exactly like I expected, but had some unique sounds & silky bass lines. There was an almost 19 minute song... holy crap, that's the longest one I can think of. I think this was the wave of creativity before Parliament & Sly took over. Great hearing The Chef in his natural habitat and always thought Isaac Jones was about as cool as there is.

Aged surprisingly well. A precursor to a decade of soul and funk

Some songs made me tap my feet, good warm vibe ! Less fan of the story songs (last track)

Enjoyed it, heard Walk on By before but not this guys version.

I’ve always known Isaac Hayes as Shaft and I have the Shaft record (or did before my parents moved and half my records disappeared). I never knew him pre-Shaft, so this is exciting just to begin with. It reminds me a bit of Baby Huey, though Hayes’ vocals are certainly more subdued. But it’s a very aptly titled record, just dripping with soul and charisma. A great Sunday morning record, and one I’m sure I will come back to many times. I think maybe there’s something in my (very white, very folk-inspired) upbringing that makes soul feel more distant to me. I didn’t hear really anything by black artists except maybe Stevie wonder until I was old enough to seek out my own music among my predominantly white, middle class friends. And while hip hop was around enough to form a familiar touchstone and was a genre I delved into when I had the opportunity, soul has largely escaped me, unfortunately. I mean, I love baby Huey, because anybody who has heard him sing does, and as a bassist I’ve listened to not nearly enough James Jamerson to fully appreciate how singular he was. I think perhaps there is a chasm in my musical knowledge that makes me think of this album as a 3/5. Lyrically and sonically, I can recognize that it’s above and beyond, but it doesn’t quite scratch the itch I want it to, and I am struggling to articulate exactly why. I love the drawn out instrumentations, the improvisational, emotionally charged feel of the whole record. But the jams feel slightly boring—the bass lines are killer, but I think I prefer more discord and attached feel than the somewhat masturbatory jams. The lyrics are nice, in fact they’re deeply cool. Hyperbolicsyllabicesquedalymystic is fundamentally cooler than me. And maybe that’s part of the issue—I’m just not cool enough to fully appreciate this album. But lyrically it’s lacking a French you know what that’s preventing me from really latching on to this. I give it a three, closer to a four than a two. It’s an excellent album, I believe, and one that I’m not primed to give its proper flowers.

Nice album. Chill listen with good bass, a nice voice and nice piano and guitar. Not really my cup of tea and quite long at times for one song but overall very decent.

Goede shit 3/5

Okay music, but way too drawn out.

на любителя.

Some nice soulful tracks

Solid soul music with a good vocalist.

Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Thank you chef for the extended jams! Enjoyed every minute, just not my cup of tea.

Good funky

The first track is a classic, and the second track is pretty solid. The third track, One Woman, is a bit over the top for my tastes. The last track, which takes up half of the entire album in play time, is decent. Overall 3. Just not really much of an album even though it's 45 minutes long, it feels like an EP.

Good music. Strong instrumentals. I could have done without the spoken word on the last one. 2.6 outta 5

Decent funk record, not super memorable, but the long extended nature of the songs was different.

Groovy and smooth.

Cheesy as hell but still really good

Smooth, groovy, and nice but not something I’ll probably come back to a lot. Never realized Chef was a Soul singer!

This was good, especially track 2.

Starts very groovy but becomes very heavy towards the end, maybe has to do with the track lengths? Great production tho, can see why it influenced soul so much

A nice album, but not very special at the same time

Dated.

Smooth, except for the annoying guitar.

Second Isaac Hayes this month. I’m fine with it. Brings backs memories of my high school days.

Fair, but not my style. Lot of talking?

Exactly what you expect and Issac Hayes album to be

This wasn't a bad album, but it was kinda slow and chill. Almost like background music.

Pretty good overall. Lots of talking though.

too much

Die Platte entstand überwiegend in den Ardent Studios in Memphis. Isaac Hayes, US-amerikanischer Musiker und Produzent, erweitert hier seinen Sound zu langen, arrangierten Soul-Stücken mit deutlichen Orchester- und Funkanteilen. Besonders bekannt sind „Walk On By“ und „Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic“, die zeigen, wie stark Hayes’ Ansatz zwischen opulenter Atmosphäre und repetitiver Groovestruktur pendelt. Das Album bewegt sich im Soul- und frühen Funkbereich und wirkt in seiner Konzentration auf Stimmung und Raum sehr geschlossen. Abschließend bleibt ein prägnantes Werk, das Hayes’ Stil nachhaltig geprägt hat.

The only Isaac Hayes song I knew before this album was the “theme from shaft.” I still love that song. I was hoping this album would bring some of the same whatever that song had. It didn’t. It was okay.

I thought we were in for a long slog with ‘walk on by’ to start as it plodded along and lost a lot of the little accents that make the original so good. The three tracks that followed were good though so I’m glad I stuck it out. When it found its groove it was a great mix of funk and soul which, interestingly, was often when Hayes took more of a step back and just let the band play.

Me ha gustado mucho, sobre todo siendo Soul. El inicio del álbum es buenísimo.

funky soulful and kinda strange.

I very much enjoyed this album listen! This isn’t music I typically listen to but growing up watching South Park it was fun to actually listen to an album by Isaac Hayes. This album was a soulful and funky good time and I would give it another listen in the future!

Should have include Chocolate Salty Balls on this one

chill vibes. nice to have on in the background. last track was very long and mostly just talking over instrumentals

Couldn’t really get into it but it wasn’t awful!

3/5

Good voice but not my cup of tea

Impossible not to picture Chef singing these songs. 3.5

The last song kinda lost me and that’s tough when an album is 4 songs

Wow what a pleasant surprise! As someone not well versed in soul music, it was mind blowing to come upon this album and see that it’s made up of only four mostly long tracks. The Bar-Kays as the rhythm section! Isaac Hayes singing, playing organ and conducting the band live! String section overdubs! Kind of a psychedelic vibe throughout this whole album and the tempos are all fairly slow and steady. Great to learn about this album and looking forward to future replays.

Decent soul album

Good album if wildly indulgent in that way that r&b can get at it's extremities. I do like him and have been to see his stuff at Stax. When no one was around I touched his amazing car. I like his style and panache.

Such a mood! An 18 minute long, mostly spoken word prequel to a country song is so bold. And it’s kind of great to listen to? Yes Chef!

Good album. Intrigued me on the first listen but didn't offer a lot on the second. Cool to see the Genesis of dance and r&b

chef

No muy guau. Nota: 2.7

Before today, my only experience of Isaac Hayes was from Shaft, and his soulful, and hilariously inappropriate advice to the children of South Park, and this was a nice, relaxing listen today. A bit surprising that there were only 4 songs on the album, but the songs rarely got tedious, even when pushing quarter of an hour long. That said, my favourite song was the shortest, One Woman. It's a solid 3 stars from me, but the highlight was when Spotify churned out Theme from Shaft after the album had finished. Absolute tune.

SO ahead of its time, especially the first two.

3.5

This was good for the first 3 songs but the last one was fairly boring

I mean, the vibe and the playing on this is impeccable, and yet ... I find it hard to say whether I enjoyed it. There's stretches where it sounds like he's left the band to play while he goes off for a cig - the band is incredible though. And the song where it's so hard for him because he's forced to cheat on his woman made me laugh. The length of time it takes for him to say "I'm about to sing a song" before By The Time I get To Phoenix is insane. A truly heroic amount of filler. And yet... A lot of the time I'm thinking it's really good, especially side 1.

An apt title. This is hot, smooth soul. Perhaps, though, a few more concise tracks would a been a better choice than 4 bloaters? Although the 18 minute ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ is great the first time; once heard, the 8 minute single-note talky intro is surplus to requirements on subsequent listens. So whilst probably brilliant at a live show, on a studio album it’s a waste of vinyl. My first listen took 45 minutes. Subsequent listens took less than 30 (plus the time taken to trim the fat). The lean was lovely though.

Silky smooth voice! Love them! This was not my favorite album, however.