Reviews (page 9 of 13)
18 min long songs Cool soul vibes
Four songs in 48 min is wild. I got a little lost in the middle, but it was an enjoyable ride.
Really liked a lot of the music, but the 'monologue' on the last track finished me off. Didn't make it to the end.
Pretty good but not overly keen on his version of Walk On By.
Opens with a fantastic performance of a Burt & Hal classic, but the slower tracks aren’t really my thing. I ’m just not sexy enough of an loverman for it to float my boat.
I'll be honest, I didn't think I was going to like this album. I was pleasantly surprised, however. I really enjoyed the musical build-up of Walk On By, and the piano in Hyperbolic was great. The introduction on By The Time I Get to Phoenix is entirely too long. 3.5 out of 5.
I really liked some of it. The spoken track is funny. Love how long the tracks were compared to yesterday's 15 minute album
Didn’t really speak to me, but I enjoyed listening. The track where he mostly talks was not as enjoyable.
Groovy
Isaac Hayes has a great voice, the songs on "Hot Buttered Soul" are nicely arranged, I like the experimental approach with only four lengthy songs... But still, it somehow didn't really catch me. Solid easy listening stuff.
Issac has such a soothing and powerful voice, and some of the songs meet him and really allow him to shine. Others just drag and labor on and get into 'jam band that doesn't know how to end the song' territory. I was waiting for it to be done after about halfway through.
I recognized the voice of Chef from South Park and I was surprised because I didn't know they made soul music back in the 60s. I like soul but the only gripe I had with this album is that two of the songs were almost 20 minutes long and 90 percent of the songs was just literal talking before the actual music starts. Could have shortened and that would have made the album better. I will give this a 3 because I certainly felt like huge portions of this album could easily be cut out.
Surprisingly experimental. Long but great tracks. Thoroughly enjoyable.
An artist with a classic timeless feel and style.
i liked it well enough
*1969. *45 minutes, but only 4 songs… *Really soothing, buttery soul music. *Great quiet Saturday morning background music. *Last song is preachy and talkative and I’m not into it. RATING - 6.5/10
There isn’t many tracks here to rate…it’s a 3
Funk/soul slow tempo. Instrumentals on Walk On By are nice. Fuzz, orchestral. Hyperbolic... has great instrumentals and funky beat Best track - Walk On By, Hyperbolic... 3 stars, but Hyperbolic... is great
Kinda cheesy
Again was apprehensive, but you know what this was a good listen again. My soul did feel hot and buttered in the end. Only thing I would say is the last track had too much of what I would call a live jazz set entrance to it, and I didn’t think it translated very well to an album. But overall very smooth
I had not listened to Isaac Hayes until now, and I personally have a bias towards any music created in the 60s and 70s, but this was not one of my favs. I like 2 songs enough to put them on a playlist, but I also do not want to take away from the fact that Isaac Hayes was amazing. This album just didn't do it for me.
Different genre than I normally listen to but easy to enjoy. Not a huge fan of an album having four super long songs but I see what he's doing. I think the story tying into a song for the last one was cool but 19 minutes is too long. 6/10
Ok, too long. What’s the last one about. Not my cup of tea. Would have to be in the mood
This is probably a generational thing, but I was expecting to have a really hard time not hearing Chef, and it actually wasn't for the most part, only every once in a while did it kinda come through! I think mostly cause he's so much younger on this. "Walk On By" and "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" were my faves, and I enjoyed parts of "By The Time I Get to Phoenix" it just needed to be way shorter
Almost 4 stars but the last track drags on a little too long. Walk on By is a classic though and I would say at least listen once.
Funky, cool
Too much talking and repetition
One of those exquisitely produced and made albums that just isn't really my thing. A perfect soul/R&B record. But with the extreme song lengths (Average of 11 minutes, one of them is 19 minutes long!!!) and this just not really being my thing, just don't got a ton to say about it other than it's fantastic, just not for me.
so did he ever get to phoenix
Love soul music
Lots of long, meandering soul music. Not my style, but I see why it's beloved
Überraschend gut.
Nice mix of songs. Very smooth and chill listen. I have never heard this before today and I enjoyed it very much. Probably not something that I would gravitate towards but a nice listen when the mood strikes.
What a wild ride. You are NOT ready for Isaac Hayes’ version of “By the Time I Got to Phoenix,” by Jimmy Webb (look him up - that dude could write some songs) and mostly remembered for the Glen Campbell version. Isaac Hayes has a fantastic voice and the soul on this slab-o-wax is heavily buttered, baby!
The 18 minute track really didn’t work for me, and because it was half the album that made it challenging. Still three stars for overall grooviness.
Good album. I enjoy it.
Soulful but not something I'd revisit.
Kool
It was a very pleasant listen
Memphis soul
This was a solid and enjoyable listen - didn’t realise it was Chef until halfway through. Super soulful and funky.
Fun soulful album. Got some groovy jams
Started off real strong, but then "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" brought this album to a screeching halt. Ten minutes of talking (I have no idea what about) is far too much to ask of any listener. The last nine minutes don't provide a big enough payout to make Hayes' seemingly endless monologue worth it. Minus a half-star because Scientology. Just think about how South Park would be even better right now if Chef was still around.
Why are the songs so long?
Did Isaac Hayes invent Post-Soul?
Kind of faded into the background. Not exactly my jam but pleasant enough background music.
This was a pleasant smooth album to have on in the background. I didn't love the last song, "By The Time I Get to Phoenix", but the others were sweet. I'm surprised at how aggressively Spotify is selling merch for this 60 year old album. 6/10
Smooooth
It was okay
I’m not sure if it’s genius or awful, but you have to admire this man’s chutzpah into taking 3 - 4 minute pop songs and turning them into 10+ minute psychedelic soul epics.
Ah yeahhhhh. Cool n funky & 100% sexy. REALLY dig the instrumental portions of the record. solid 3/5
Dad- 3 Mom- 6 Mike- NA Lori- 5.5 Michael- 6 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg-5.13
MmmMm that smooth buttery head. 46 minutes 4 song R&B/soul album from the 60s, you can count me in. And then the second song was just kinda whackadoodle I didn’t really match its freak, and the one after that was just about him trying to choose between his mistress and his wife, and I wasn’t really about that, and then the final song it took him 8 minutes to even start, although I will say once he did it was BUS. And of course the first song was excellent. Despite all those gripes though, this was all around a pleasant listen, I’ll probably revisit the 18 minute By the Time I Get to Phoenix cover often enough.
Nice! I think I’d bump it up a star if that last track wouldn’t drag so much.
Pretty good, not the type of jazz that I was expecting. Probably wouldn’t listen again bc it’s not rlly my thing
For only 4 songs it’s pretty great.
No hate love Isaac Hayes but didn't gel with the longer instrumental sections
Crazy this album was made in the 60's, sounds much more modern. Chef can sing a lil bit! Maybe a little weird that there are only 4 tracks, but it's a very creative and well-produced record.
3.5
Feels like he invented like four genres at once. Some really good soul jams
Songs were very stretched out. But I didn't mind. Good vibes.
Issac Hayes for 18 minutes - okay.
When I left Phoenix, I left a piece of my heart
Enjoyed this one even though I probably won't find myself coming back to it. Vibes were good.
I found this album interesting. Wasn’t what I expected at all - long, ten minute plus songs, some meandering grooves and some unique ideas. I expected short soul tunes and more focus on actual songwriting. I enjoyed it though because it totally blindsided me. As an album I felt it did come up a little short. I either wanted it to go deeper and darker or lighter and snappier. I’m left curious about Hayes’ other work, particularly around the same period. The 8 minute-odd spoken word section in By The Time I Get To Phoenix left me wondering what the fuck was going on though.
I hate to admit that this is some sexy-ass misogyny
Not my go-to genre but enjoyed this very much. When it wasn't groovy/funky/soulful, it was freakin hysterical
I enjoyed it. Not something I'd listen to every day but really powerful messages in here. Also, many many rap samples have been lifted from this album. Props to that. 3.4 / 5 stars
The elements of greatness are there -- but they come too performative altogether.
I liked his voice and music. Didn't care for the story he shared. It was fun to hear Chef from South Park in his prime.
Love Isaac Hayes but he gets a little over indulgent on some of these songs. Way too long but still enjoyable listen.
3.5
Only 4 songs - but don't let that fool you. They are long. A little psychedelic funk in some of them - which is enjoyable. Isaac Hayes voice is deep and smooth. I would imagine he has better works.
Interesting and jazzy (it's soul actually)
Really a 3.5. Solid album for the most part. I enjoyed a lot about it and know that if it came on I probably wouldn’t turn it off. So that’s pretty decent
kinda boring tbh, but i'm just not much into this kind of music
Nice! Vor allem die ersten beiden Titel. Den ersten kannte ich, konnte ihn bisher aber nicht zuordnen.
4 songs, 45 minutes long. You'd expect that of a twiddly prog rock album. There are elements of filler, but its soul in some form of long form wizardry
Last track drags on for a bit long
6/10
Walk on by is great, but it's a thin album.
Soul, last song seemed like some kind of oral story
Holy song length
7/10
"I'm gonna make love to you woman, gonna lay you down by the fire" is now stuck in my head and "Hot Buttered Soul" makes me think of the deepfake Gary Busey "Hot buttered Sausage" meme. All joking aside, this is a very soulful album with some interesting lyrical twists. I prefer the single edits, the others are unnecessarily long. "One Woman" is smooth af. I skipped the interview, no time for that. I hoped for more, I can't lie. But it's alright.
holy shit the longest intro in history
A nineteen minute song is absolutely insane. Walk On By, the single edit, was actually really good! 12 minutes was excessive, but the shorter version was top notch. Probably going to give this one a two/three star?
Felt like a lot of filler.
I like this album, very energetic soul album Fav song - Walk On By 3/5
This is a THICK soul album. Repetitive in some areas, and I am not the biggest fan of straight talk storytelling for 10 min; but dripping with hot butter. Quite a good album when you are looking to slow down. 3/5 not bad
The last spoken word thing took a bit too long and I stopped focusing on. Was overall a good album. Can see how he had as much success as he did
Smoooooth as! Although it’s quite daunting seeing 4 songs stretch over 45mins, it doesn’t feel like it once you start listening. ‘One Woman’ is a tune and a half.
Hmm, two Isaac Hayes in the space of a week. I prefer the Shaft soundtrack. This one was ok but unnecessary for this list.
I really enjoyed the 1st and 3rd song, but the 2nd and 4th (intro part) really dragged for me, so it's hard to gauge my overall opinion. Definitely like the instrumentation and overall sound, I feel like edited versions of the song would be my preference. Walk on By: I am enjoying the sounds, love the character all the instruments have, especially the keyboard and funky guitar sound. At first when the vocals came in, I almost missed the instrumental. But it won me over, especially the brass section at 5:00. I really didn't notice the length of the song on first listen since its dynamic enough to keep my interest until about 9:00 when it gets a bit drifty for me, and I was ready for it to wrap up. (Wish I knew more about the original version of the song since it's a cover!) Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic: This one had some sounds I really got into, but it didn't really stick the landing to me. Enjoyable enough but not particularly memorable, not including its hilarious title. Middle section of the song had me a bit bored, it doesn't seem to build or go anywhere for a while. One woman: What an awesome love song until the part where I went, excuse me? I enjoyed the sound of this song a lot, and I thought the vocals felt particularly strong here, probably due to the more stripped back instrumentation that lets him shine. Maybe just slightly long for me but I liked the sound. Like the song, definitely want to ignore the lyrics. By the Time I Get to Phoenix: The spoken intro was interesting at first but I was ready for it to wrap up. I get why he did it, but I literally got so annoyed by the end I almost wasn't going to listen to the main song. That part is pretty good but I admit my focus was diminished by the time it actually started. Best Song: Walk on By
This album is silky smooth and satisfying. His voice, the beats, lyrics, and timing all marry so well to create a vibe. I really enjoyed the first two tracks. The album dropped off a bit for me on the last two tracks. Overall, I can see why it’s on the list. Impressive, cinematic, and full of soul. Giving it a 3, but really it’s a 3.5.
Excelent!
Chef can sing
Cool for what it was. Had a great song name
Never listened to this one before, and quite liked it, especially the opening track.
3 stars I enjoyed it, although the ultra jam soul can feel a little overindulgent. But perhaps in just not used to it and with time it will grow on me. For now, this was an enjoyable experience I will return to, but has not revolutionized my perspective on soul.
1969. Walk On By
Isaac Hayes: Hot Buttered Soul: CHEF SOUTH PARK??? Its a cool album, a lot of chill songs, his voice is good, and the instruments are soothing. The first 3 songs were very enjoyable, but the last one is way too much speaking and droning on. Not an awful song, but 18 minutes of that is too much and I did not like it. Not super my thing as a whole, but the first three songs were rather good. 7/10
Good for a long listen of the whole album. Great stuff!
Sounds like a landmark artist coming into his own - Lush, groovy and dramatic. Well composed soul music that hints at the heights of Shaft! to come. The payoff after the long monologue in the final track does not quite justify itself to me.
Great music, however I doubt I'm often going to find the time to listen to a 12 and 18 minute song in one go.
I can’t believe it’s not better.
Pretty good
I think right off the bat the songs were just too long. Apart from this being something I’m not usually into, but this was refreshing. I see influence, and it was peaceful and exciting.
a lot of nothing for those 2nd 2 tracks. super soulful/funky for the first two. he's full of himself? HELLO THERE CHILDREN! HEY CHEF!
7.5
walk on by is a masterpiece
Lot of covers
Has some hits but the rest is pretty mediocre.
Ok, so at first glance I thought "sorry, 4 tracks?!?!?! An album, with 4 tracks?!?" ... Then I looked at the length of the songs and shut my mouth! Here's an interesting thing I found with this album - it's not a collection of songs like you'd typically get on an album. It's 2 mammoth tracks - "Walk Ony By" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" - have a total of 30mins of listening time. Both are... a vibe, to quote the yutes. Very cool background listening, both an epic journey through... I guess I'd describe the genre as classical-R&B? The harmonic decisions in "Walk On By" really create a stunning listening experience. The integration of more orchestral sounds makes each song grand and epic. Here's one thing I would say about our longer songs - they really are too long haha. I was enjoying "WOB" until around 4m30 ish, then I completely zoned out. My attention on "...Phoenix" was lost almost immediately as the sustained chord, ride cymbal and monologue continued... and continued... and continued... Nothing happened in that song until around the 8min minute mark. "Hyperbolic..." is also a hefty track, coming in at 9m36. To it's credit, the actual song started way earlier than it did on the other 2 long songs. I would add that my attention was lost after 3 or 4mins of this song as well. Don't get me wrong, the playing, composition and artistry on these songs are great, but songs that are that long need to mix things up a bit more often (for me at least) to keep the listener's attention. Our shortest song, "One Woman", was stunning. Nothing more to say on it. A beautiful track. Overall, a good listening experience, but hard to compare with the other albums experienced so far as it's more conceptual. Eh, 3/5 seems fair? Clearly talented musicianship and songwriting, but someone should've told Isaac to cut the songs and put a few more actual songs on the album. Nice background music though.
Another album I've never listened too. Really good stuff.
It felt like a four at first but then a two so I guess three?
6 inch heels…
love the bass lines and instrumental overall!! v lyric heavy but still v cool
Very cruisey. Good background.
You know I wasn’t initially a big fan of this album before I listen to the interview following the album, then the album just clicked in place. I’m like man this is actually really cool. Love this style of trying to pioneer soul music.
schöner, langsamer R&B, aber leider sind die Songs a bissl zu lang für den daily genuss
Didn’t finish but I liked what I heard
Soul music easy to listen to. Good album.
Is there anything to say about this one? It's Isaac Hayes singing/speaking soul in his uniquely Isaac Hayes style. Even if it's not the kind of music you typically like, it's hard not to have fun with him.
Smooth stuff here. Really sets a mood. I went into this listen knowing how influential it was. I enjoyed most of it but I have a little pet peeve about music being interrupted by a long talking monologue. I know it is not unusual for this genre and time period but it still takes me out of the groove when a guy just starts telling a story over music. It didn't ruin the album for me but it did affect my enjoyment of it somewhat. Overall though it was a great listen.
He lost his hair but not his soul
This was fine. The song about picking and choosing between two women, followed up by the guy just talking into the mic detracted from my enjoyment of the overall package. Good instrumentals, meh vocal work. 'Walk On By' was my fave by a country mile. Such a cool opening riff.
Not bad at all, but not amazing. Good dinner date background music.
It was 45 minutes of Chef from South Park singing his heart out to teach me about life and love. The entire time I listened, I just pictured a montage with Chef being superimposed over Kyle, Stan, Cartman, and Kenny teaching them things they had no business learning. Oh my god, they killed Kenny!
Me ha gustado en general y me he guardado "Walk on by", ya sé de donde saca Kiwanuka parte de su inspiración. El disco original parece corto, 4 canciones pero al final son unos 45 minutos que se pasan volando.
I liked parts of it a lot, but way more talking than I wanted
C'est nice mais y'a pas Chocolate Salty Balls. 😢
The last track was a little much but some great grooves before hand made up for it.
It's got some good grooves in here. Hot Buttered Soul honestly is a good description on how this music felt.
I like this, the songs are enjoyable and interesting, but I’ve got to be honest 4 tracks at 45 minutes is a little long for my attention span. There is so much noodling and jamming that I find myself waiting for the end sometimes. Still it’s great background music for working and I definitely like the style more than some of the other albums we’ve reviewed I have to say 3 stars.
Would have been higher, but the spoken word part of “By the Time I get to Phoenix” was too much for me.
Nothing incredible in n this album but also nothing bad.
Solid first half, but the second half is pretty mediocre.
Walk On By is a fantastic song, and Hyperbolic is great, but One Woman is just offensive and By The Time I Get To Phoenix needs to cut out the first 10 minutes before it starts to become a song. So all in all it's a bit of a confused mess with some brilliant material.
3 Sterne
12 minute songs is crazy work but it was quite good.
Chill soul.
Slightly quiet funk / smooth and soul for my taste (Thats my prism of view and hard to shit that). Anyway the review. At first it just seemed to blend into a blob of music with limited character. However my view has changed a bit as for some reason I ended up listening to it about 4-5 times. I do think its great music and while I would not choose it necesarily I did find it engaging and grabbed me in the end. It was chilled and especially liked it when driving where I could listen to it carefully. I feel like I have been brainwashed by a preacher but hey ho. I just learned he sang chocolate salty balls (South park) so thats something too. Haha. Worth a listen to bring you back to earth. "I hate when my balls stick"
Second song is really nice, but all the songs seem very long. So I think this is a album only listening situation.
I really enjoyed this album. The first song was my favourite and I particularly enjoyed the instrumental. I liked that the album kind of told a story. I would possibly listen to this again.
Chef!
I liked this album. I was breaking down boxes and taking out the trash while I listened to it. It starts with one of my favorite songs of all time. I feel like this is an album I'd like to own, it just has a coolness to it. Like it just feels like a recording of a session or show that no one intended to make an album of. There are some spots where that spontaneity feels overworked, and some of the technical elements that they lean into feel like they could have been shortened (a few guitar solos or intros), it's like they don't have to care because you are just listening to them do their thing. They didn't ask for you to come in. 3.75
walk on by- 6 hyperbolicsyllababicsesquedalymistic- 6 one woman- 5 or 6 by the time I get to Phoenix- 5 very funky but this has to be background music. I can't just sit down and listen to it
Not bad not bat
Really good first half, faded in the stretch. Still, a fun experience with a lot of attitude.
Man, I loved the first half of this album! Especially Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic, which knocked my socks off. Unfortunately it fizzled for me after that - the second half is alright, but didn't quite capture the same magic for me.
Good album. Can definitely see how it would be very influential.
Deep soul, laid back instrumentation, beautiful heartfelt tones, what's not to like?! Just a teensy bit meandering at times maybe...
I can see the vision, but not my thing.
So smooth! A great listen, the extended cuts and spoken words to music were a bit much for me (I can't be dealing with a 19 minute song) but overall 👍
I liked the music, but don't enjoy the spoken portions
Good but nothing too revolutionary for me
It's a good album. One of the tracks has a sound that has been sampled into modern music, but I can't put my finger on where I've heard it. 3/5
3.5
Super long soul love songs, not something i'd add to playlist though
The spoken word intro on the last song should have been cut. Almost half of a nearly 19 minute track is him just speaking and not music. That is ridiculous. It’s a good soul album but there are better ones out there.
Chad move putting an interview at the end of your studio album, gotta respect that.
3.5 very good album, just not quite my style
This is #day256 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… the first track instantly rang a bell. Portishead or some other trip-hop band must've sampled it. Just checked: it was actually Hooverphonic... The rest of the album? Progressive/psychedelic soul, just like Wiki says. Not my cup of tea, really. Also, the last track drags on for way too long. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day257.
Ne prepoznam niti najbolj popularnega komada: Hyperbolicsyllablecsesquedalymistic
As a South Park fan, I was incredibly excited to get an Isaac Hayes album. His voice never disappoints. If you are an R&B or Soul fan you will undoubtedly love it, but for me the songs were too long. There are 4 in total, and one of them lasts almost 20 minutes. I love Hayes's voice, and I didn't feel that the songs were bad. They were just lengthy. That being said Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic is an absolute banger and doesn't feel at all like its 10 minutes long.
Guay
Ohhh yeaaahhhh. Smooooooth babyyyyyy. 3.5/5
Hard to believe this was Chef. Genuine baby making music. Some of the songs dragged on for far too long though.
Better than I expected. I don’t love a 10 minute song but it was a nice vibe throughout.
5/10
Listenable.
Heeeeeeeeel rustige muziek. Goed gezongen en goed gespeeld! ***
A radical reinvention of soul music, Hot Buttered Soul is Isaac Hayes at his most fearless and cinematic. With only four tracks, Hayes stretched the boundaries of the genre — layering orchestras, wah-wah guitars, and sprawling monologues over heartbreak classics like "Walk On By" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." It's raw emotion dressed in velvet, a record that trades radio-friendliness for uncompromising artistry. Bold, hypnotic, and deeply influential, it set the stage for soul to become grand, philosophical, and endlessly expressive. A masterpiece of mood, groove, and vulnerability.
Butter me up, baby.
Fantastic. The only thing holding this back is the length of the songs. The last track is upwards of 20 minutes. But, this album came out in the 70s, that's how things were done back then.
o instrumental é impecável e mesmo que as músicas sejam longas, elas não ficam cansativas o que tira a quebra do clima no álbum é a última música
This was ok, but that 10 minutes of spoken word was a bit much. Liked Songs Added: Walk On By
Really soulful album. The numbers are quite long, with last track being over 18 minutes, bit too long for me.
The first two tracks had great openings but their length meant that they couldn't hold my attention for the entire duration. Track four was even worse for this. In comparison, "One Woman" was fantastic.
Nice enough
His voice is amazing and the lyrics can be surprising in a fun way. Recognized a lot of parts of the instrumentals from sampling or just recreating iconic riffs. The spoken narration was a lot.
Good stuff! Some nice studying vibes, although the interview at the end did detract from its loop-ability, which is preferable in studying vibe music for me
Good background music but a bit too long for my liking
Nice enough, better than a lot of other similar records
Jam r&b. 3
I’ve only heard 2 Isaac Hayes albums. This one today and Black Moses. I liked this one but I like Black Moses better. Good album.
Love his voice. Some of thee songs are too long, so it’s hard for me to really distinguish it all from each other and thereby enjoy it thoroughly.
Favorite Track: Walk On By
the weakest of 3s. the first track is amazing, sounds very trip hop portishead like so that was cool to hear back in 1969. Hooverphonic sampled this song in 2 Wicky, which is probably where i’ve first heard this. the rest wasn’t great. lyrics and … noises of the second track wasn’t my thing. third track was okay. nothing special. last track i was absolutely raging at the 8min 40 seconds of talking before the song even started. i would’ve given it a 2 but for the first track being amazing he gets a 3 😆
Seems like it couldn't been developed a bit further. Tighten up the meandering monologue on some tracks and add some more songs.
Sing us a song Chef!
rahhhhh ja sam spike spiegel
My firsr Isaac Hayes album- it was nice. Easy to listen to- his voice sounds smooth and I liked the backing vocals. Overall- good album
7/10
Nice biscuit but felt slow for me.
I liked this, big long loopy funk
Certainly evocative of butter, however, South Park has irreparably tainted Isaac Hayes voice for me - all I hear is chef. This album is good but it sorta outstayed its welcome.
I love Walk on By and I didn't even realise that's what it was. Big win there, but felt very caught out by the 18 minute song I thought would be over and done with soon enough. It was not. 2.5/5 stars.
I think a friend said it best. “Four tracks clocking it an 45 minutes. Pure soul music and musically complex and groovy at the same time. I have nothing but respect for this album. From the twelve minute re-imagining of Burt Bacharach's "Walk On By" to the anecdotal "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," this album feels like comfort food without being filling. While I enjoyed the listen, I didn't want to get up afterwards. I was happy to continue lying there, wondering if I would ever feel like moving again. I guess that is contemplative.“
Four tracks clocking it an 45 minutes. Pure soul music and musically complex and groovy at the same time. I have nothing but respect for this album. From the twelve minute re-imagining of Burt Bacharach's "Walk On By" to the anecdotal "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," this album feels like comfort food without being filling. While I enjoyed the listen, I didn't want to get up afterwards. I was happy to continue lying there, wondering if I would ever feel like moving again. I guess that is contemplative.
3/5
Album started strong, but the nearly 10-minutes of intro talking on the final track was a bit much.
Really liked it at the beginning, but not so much as it went on. Kinda torn on rating.
I get this being here and I had hoped to like it more but didn’t do anything for me. It’s a fine record but won’t listen again.
Pretty enjoyable music, very nice to have on in the background, but not something I’ll go out of my way to listen to. Thought it was cool that “walk on by” is sampled in “6 inch” by Beyoncé on lemonade, always cool hearing the same sounds in a different song.Bonus points for Isaac Hayes being in South Park. 3.4/5 Fav song: walk on by
1. walk on by: no central audio, psychedelic guitar sounds, breathy vocals, nice backing vocals, beautiful strings, repetitive horn and string section, fun keyboards, flanger guitar sounds, very long 2. hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic: flanger guitar riff, keyboard bass solo, overly long 3. one woman: nice vocals, soulful strings and woodwinds, nice music box noises, nice backing vocals, dramatic build 4. by the time i get to phoenix: 8 minute talking intro about love, nice vocals, repetitive overall: nice instruments and vocals, mid production, overly long, repetitive, and boring rating: 6/10
3.4 First track held so much promise. Really enjoyed that. 2nd and 3rd let it down, and I almost switched off after the 10 minutes(!) of intro chat for track 4. Luckily the last 10 minutes pulled it back up again. Mixed bag really. Can't fault the good moments though, and just how early this release was.
Good album. Not sure it’s my style, but love the guitar riffs.
IM GONNA MAKE LOVE TO YA children
Love the sound and style, but the songs were long and wandering
Great voice, but all songs sounded too similar. Lacked oomph
Is still worth listening to
16/02/25 I could see myself liking this were it not for the really long songs and the stupid interview at the end.
7/10 The first two tracks are great and full of funky, soul goodness but the second half doesn't live up. Not bad, but not as amazing as the first half. Good stuff overall, especially as this isn't my stuff generally.
ok do isch definitiv drin was druff stoht. meeega warm meega schön gspielt riese instrumentierig er singt suuper. moll ha spass. zweits lied schribi nöd selber aber goht glich wiiter mit mid tempo warmem soul wo afoch wiitermacht aber scho au sehr cooli teil het. klavier huuuere groovy moll. scho ehner lang die songs. recht chrank dases vo 1969 isch. bim letste verzellter afoch huuere lang e gschicht er het sehr e geili stimm und s tönt chli wie e predigt. fast 9 minute biser singt. het scho e würkig aber finds chli langatmig. ich verstoh progrssive und so. ok trompete seeehr cool. oookaaay vilicht wirds gad reecht geil und ich gnüsses sehr es isch immerno heiss und gebuttert.
ahhh coole caillou! han mit dere chain und de brülle echt denkt, das seg es rapalbum, bis ichd jahreszahl gseh han hahaha mega wichtig für soul anschinend, han da z wenig ahnig zum das chönne ihordne aber finds bis jz schön? walk on by isch na cool gsi aber het sich auchli zoge (surprise) hmm s klavier isch seehr geil aber nach 4 min hetmers denn scho au ghört mengisch han ich chli s gfühl, dasser tüfer probiert z singe, als er chan one woman isch aber sehr schön, v.a. mitem hindergrundgsang! hmm bi by the the time I get to Phoenix bini sehr zwiegspalte. ganz ehrlich, 9 min meh oder weniger eifach rede, währendem muskalisch sehr wenig passiert, isch für mich eifach langwilig. NÜN MINUTE, ih dere ziit sind penne al dente und s lied het nanig vill geh abeeeeeeeeeer, ich han denn de text nahglese und mengisch brabblet er auchli vor sich hii? aber uf jede fall merktmer rifhtig fest, wie vill ihm das lied und die situation bedütet. han nachane s original glost (OMMGG ISCH DAS GUET) und es isch hslt würkli sehr andersch hahahah (schock) naja, es zeiche vo liebi ah das lied, aber hanis würkli guet gfunde? naja. allgemein weissi nöd recht was ahfange mit dem album, es isch zwar iwie warm aber verlürt sich z hüfig und die umweg wo d lieder nehmed sind us minere sicht nöd immer die spannendste oder gnueg spannend, zum es mehrminütigs solo z rechfertige.
Enjoyable.
liked the first couple songs a lot
I think I’ve come out of this record still a bigger fan of the Shaft score. But also with an appreciation for the conviction Issac Hayes brought to each song here. “Walk On By” builds upon itself really well up to the 7 minute mark - it’s probably my highlight. “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” actually did a really good job of keeping my attention, despite it being 18 minutes. Great 3rd person narration. Not my absolute favorite, but a good listen with a unique album format
He may be a lying cheating scoundrel, but One Woman sure is smooth. By The Time I Get To Phoenix was hard to get through tho
longest songs ever, but very groovy
Sounds very nice, but with the length of the songs it was a bit difficult for it to hold my attention.
Good sound
Hello there children! Crazy that the guy who voiced chef has an album on this list, so good for him. I think I agree with the consensus that the first 2 songs (funky soul/jazz) are much better than the last 2 (R&B). All in all, that makes this one a solid 3.
Gear: Aür Audio Aurora Artwork: 😎🎱⚜️ Production: 🧈😊👌 Music: 🔝🍆🎼 Rating: 🧈🧈🧈(🧈)/5
Did not meet expectations
I always think Isaac Hayes is gonna be funkier than he is.
Day388 - what a great start to an album but even though it was short i didn’t leave wanting more
I enjoyed this, but all of the songs felt the same.
Walk on by really is one of the coolest songs ever written, there may not have been a man as cool as Hayes alive in 1969. It is all downhill from there, though. 2.5/5
Prefer his work with The Smiths. He’s kind of a shitty person
I was familiar with the background music in the first track, Walk On By, because it was used by Hooverphonic on "2 Wicky" (which was a surprise to me). I think Isaac's voice is "meh". I really like some of the instrumentation across the songs (guitar, strings, etc). But some of the tracks are just too jammy/talky/long. So I have mixed feelings about it all in all.
A whole soul album based on infidelity. And I have to admit I can only imagine Chef from South Park when I hear Isaac’s Voice. But there is an abundance of buttery moments.
An absolute gem of an opener. Diminishing returns after that, but still a great soulful album.
Smooth and soulful. The first song it the sample used in Hood Took Me Under. Fun fact: Injury Reserve payed homage to Isaac Hayes by naming their (and post-hip-hops) best album after the final track on this album.
It's good but I never really know when I'd throw this on.
Sure, soulful.
Baby makin' music. In that you'll get through the entire act before a song ends. I love me some funk and soul, and this was no exception -- but there's no need for 18 minutes of By The Time I Get To Phoenix unless you're really, really into it.
No notes
A decent album.
Pretty good.
Didn´t know what to expect but I really liked it. Nice groove. Great musicianship. Although it´s not exactly my jam. 2,5
6/10 Personally I do not like slow soul songs. Unfortunately this album is mostly that. However, it does have some bopping bluesy almost psychedelic guitar licks which can be heard on the tracks: Walk on By and Hyperbolic. I wouldve given it 4 stars if not for the last song: By the time I Get to Phoenix. In this song Isaac tells a story and talks most of the time. The story is so predictable that it couldve been written by a 8 year old. Due to this I rate it 6/10. Favourite tracks: Walk on by Hyperbolic Least favorite track: By the time I get to Phoenix
I learned Isaac Hayes backwards - I hear Chef. He's still great either way, just sounds like a parody to me at all times!
Wouldn’t put it in the regular rotation, but still stands as a quality album that I will happily come back to once in a while
It has its moments but some of the tracks do go on...
That first track.... went on forever. You can definitely hear his influence on pop, R&B and soul. Cool way to start out!
Isaac Hayes second solo album! No longer in the shadow of Otis Redding and other Stax hitmakers! So much in this album is so fundamental to the music that was to come!
Considering I only know Hayes for Chocolate Salty Balls and his portrayal of Chef on South Park, I am unsure what to expect here. If it's anything like CSB, we're in for a good time... Okay so this album is definitely a story of two sides. The first far outshines the second (at least to my personal preferences) as it taps into a more free form psychedelic/funk/soul groove ethos. With both of the tracks weight well over the 10 minute mark and giving plenty of space for the groove to develop, flourish, and prosper. I was nodding along nonstop.. Side two is a quick left turn into more radio-friendly soul // R&B in the first track, and a longer form (mostly spoken word) second track. Both are fine, but if I owned the record I would stop the needle after the second track fully fulfilled. As it stands the second half does exist, and for that this dips from a high 4 to a high 3
I enjoyed much more while I was younger, still worth a listen, it's aged better than I have.
not enough bass
A 50/50 album with the first two tracks really impressing and the last two tracks what was expected. a soul album with only 4 tracks! I began impressed with the 1st 2 tracks being really large performances and I could hear all sorts of influences in there. Almost reminded me of some prog rock! Really engaging, interesting and enjoyable. The 3rd track is just what one would expect of a soul song and the last track is just a long soul story with no great moments to recommend it, except for its length! A pity the album could not continue in the same vein as the opening tracks.
First 3 (of 4) songs were not what I expected... in a good way.
Huh, Compton's Most Wanted's 'Hood Took Me Under' is basically a complete ripoff of 'Walk On By'. Fun to know where those samples came from! I really liked this album. I have never really listened to Isaac Hayes before this list, but this is the 2nd album here now, with Shaft being the first. I think it's fairly deserved spots. This is slightly stronger than the Shaft album for me. It feels noticeably less of a soundtrack. The weakest part of the album is probably the 8 or so minutes at the start of 'By The Time I Got To Pheonix' which is quite a chore. My only real gripe with this album is it seems only 'Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic' is the only song actually written by Hayes himself, the rest are covers. And I am generall not that big of a fan of cover records, I find it removes quite a bit of the cred somehow, even though the tracks might be completely different. Still, if you let go of that fact and only focus on what you hear, I think this is a very nice album. I would want to put a 4 on it, but going to have to knock it down to strong 3 due to the cover thing.
Pretty good background music, can't say it did much more for me unfortunately but was still nice for what it was
Interesting listening.
7/10
this is the very first album i’m rating on here! this isn’t my go to music, but wow it’s amazing. I love everything about the instrumentals and his voice. I could totally listen to this with a cup of coffee and working.
This was an interesting album, but before I played it, I was wondering how he'd spin out four tracks into an album that's 46 minutes long. After playing it, I think that this would have made a good half album if only Hayes had shortened the tracks, especially By The Time I Get To Phoenix. To spin out Phoenix to nearly 19 minutes is a bit execrable, and I didn't much like having the whole thing explained to me for 8 minutes of that. Maybe this sort of noodling out songs into long extemporisation was in the air at the time (viz. Vanilla Fudge).
From a 69 song album yesterday (fitting) to a 4 song album today. Likely an album I'll never throw on again but have to respect what Isaac is doing for all the baby makers out there. 5.25/10 (2.625/5)
Some parts I really like. Some parts I don't care for.
Pretty good. Overly long songs, but I'll definitely listen to Isaac Hayes again. This was a good introduction to the artist for me
The spoken word long play was annoying.
Just a super smooth and relaxing album, loved having this on in the background.
Unc ah music
This was smooth and alright. I think I prefer some of his other material more.
60's Funk/soul. This is the same dude who scored the movie Shaft. I has that soundtrack already on this generator. Interestingly, Isaac was also the voice of Chef in South Park. This music was solid, but I could have done without the 9 minute spoken word short story at the first of the song By the Time I Get to Phoenix. Favourite songs: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic Least favourite songs: By the Time I Get to Phoenix 3/5
1969?? The production is amazing!
Gungar skönt. Väldigt vokal, kanske inte min grej. Tre.
That's right
I was really concerned when I saw 4 songs and over 40 mins. This didn’t feel quite that long, and had some good moments, but I feel like a 3.
6/10 Chef iz South Parka ima dosta dobar glas i gruv ali ovaj album me nije nista posebno odusevio. S obzirom na pricu oko albuma, jasno mi je da je ovo napravio iskljucivo po svojim pravilima. Tako imamo 3 dugacke soul pjesme i jednu petominutnu gdje si Hayes daje vremena da sve odradi polako i senzualno, sto je i glavna karakteristika albuma. Nazalost, ocekivao sam vise sve skupa, a pogotovo od zadnje koja traje 18 minuta, gdje me cak mrvicu i udavio sa pricom ali nekako mu oprastam zbog njegovog glasa. Mislio sam da ce ovo biti visa ocjena, ali ipak cekam neke njegove kasnije radove da poprave dojam.
good felt really long though
Nice. Not sure how often I'd listen to it though.
Solid classic soul album that shapes the foundation of the genre's sound.
Just okay, his other stuff is incredible though
Didn't listen to the whole thing, but it seemed pretty groovy.
I like it, but in little bursts. It's not consumable in its entirety for me. His voice though, so smooth!
Side A = 4 Side B = 2
Ikke det værste Soul jeg har hørt. Der er noget psyk og progrocket over det
Issac Hayes is an incredible singer if you like hot buttered bass vocals. He's the dude who did the Shaft theme song, and that's really all I got.
• 3/5 - Not my jam • Lot's of paradigmatic soul grooves, but the extended song length and ponderous spoken elements feel self-indulgent and my attention wanders • Walk on By is a nice reminder of how versatile Burt Bacharach tunes can be. Who's been covered more than him - maybe Dylan? K - tracks are too long for my limited attention span. Had a hard time getting other versions of the songs out of my head.
I get why some like this album. It’s not for me. Does seem progressive for its time. Some great solos. A bit repetitive. And he had a great voice, but I don’t love it
I really like Isaac Hayes but omg why do the songs need to be 11 minutes long
I kinda didnt really like this album. The songs felt like mush, the lyrics felt like mush. and overall it doesnt sound good in my opinion. I dont think your missing out if you dont listen to this song.
Do you like music with very long intros, and a lot of rhymes? If so, then this is the album for you! It has a very good beat, and I like that it has a lot of that soul feel to it. I also like the instruments because there are a lot of them, and when they are put together, they sound amazing. The only thing I don't like about this album is his voice is too boring to me. So that is why you should listen to this album.
Do you like VERY long songs? If so, this album is for you! Even though there are only 4 songs in this album, they make it up by being VERY long songs. One of them is 12 minutes long. 12 MINUTES!!! FOR A SONG!!! They are outstanding songs because I love the background music and Hayes' voice. I think you should listen to this album.
I knew Isaac Hayes, like many people of my generation, from South Park and the Shaft theme, so I was interested in listening to a full album from him. It’s a good soul album but an 11 minute and an 19 minute song is a bit too much, especially that last song.
Will need to revisit but for now I enjoy this and nothing more. The middle parts of the second track drags with little progression and the 9-minute preamble to 18-minute By The Time I Get To Phoenix (so that's where Injury Reserve got their album title from) doesn't exactly endear it in my eyes. So really the opening track is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here.
Respect the hell out of Hayes as a musician, but just an ok album.
Hyvän fiiliksen levy
Some really great songs, although not very many. This feels more like an extended single release. I had no idea that Hooverphonics' 2Wicky was sampled so directly from this.
This was enjoyable as always, but the running time for By the Time I Get to Phoenix is just WAY too long. I don't need to hear Isaac hold down one chord on his keyboards and tell a story for what feels like 10 minutes. It's drawn out and unnecessary and in my opinion, drops this album from a 4 to a 3 because of the length of that track.
Decent soul/R&B/funk album. The last track was like audible blue balls. There's no need for a 13 minute track telling some story while playing the same chords over and over.
impressive how modern this sounds, but not for me YNN
3☆/5 10.24.2024
Soul. The first half was pretty good, the second half was pretty boring.
Not bad
I wanted to like this more than I did, but I found it to be overindulgent and overdone. “Walk On By” was great but didn’t need to be 12 minutes long. “One Woman” was definitely the standout, which isn’t surprising considering it was the shortest and most concise song. Long songs are fine, but they need to serve more of a purpose than this. Isaac Hayes has a great voice and is super talented, but this could have been better.