Shaft

As far as soundtracks go, this one in a unique one that fits the time period

The sound is bad-ass and it is beautifully recorded. I appreciate the historical significance. So I agree, everyone should hear it. That said, as a listening experience? Excepting the three actual songs, it's a score; musical passages meant to accompany scenes in the movie. It's a component of a work of art. So while it's great playing in the background of a party, it's not a unitary work of art that one can sit down and actively listen to start to finish.

Very good.

Someone can preach to me all they want about having an open mind and appreciating an album for what it offers but even God draws a line. Music is only good on its own for so long without vocals or some sort of action that supports it. I’m highly disappointed that this album doesn’t have more singing in it. I’m assuming the movie was more popular than Superfly but hot damn, man oh man does The Superfly album kill this one in quality. Musically sound but an album meant for an elevator or McDonalds. So much more could have been done.

holy. freakin'. 1970s. if we want to talk about a time capsule, this album is pretty much that. all of the songs in this record are made for the soundtrack for a blaxploitation film of the same name. it's so darn 1970s it's almost beyond parody. i feel like i might have heard selections of this album in a family guy cutaway or something. it's an... arguably typical, almost stereotypical, but generally solid '70s film score; if you have a comb stuck in your puffy afro and you really like watching reruns of CHiPs, you might get obsessed with this little record. bow-chicka-chicka-chicka-bow-wow.

Very enjoyable sound, love blues!

Funky, but kind of exhausting.

Well I definitely know one song, and its a classic! But soundtracks are tricky things. I never really listen to them. It's cool, but quickly fades to the background. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Some Owned: No 59/237 (24%) Will I get: No

some nice soul

Damn right, this is some good soundtrack work. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 10, though I do have one little gripe here. I mean, look, Isaac Hayes is in remarkable form throughout this thing. Say what you will about a soundtrack album making the list & any frustrations that might stem from this being a mostly instrumental album, but… my goodness, these compositions are fucking awesome even without the context of the movie. I’ve never seen Shaft, but goddamn, do I want to now. The funk present here is in top form, especially for 1971, and Hayes’ ability to capture a mood on so many of these tracks, with almost nothing but the titles alone to go off of, is incredible. There’s not really a dull moment here – points where you can easily zone out, sure, but it’s never in a way that leads to boredom. It’s zoning out in a way where the groove naturally glides its way into your ears & you can just feel it, even if you’re not paying attention to the chord structure or some of the prettier background details. This whole album never takes away from that energy, and it succeeds as both an instrumental album & as a movie soundtrack. I’m not sure if there’s many other soundtrack albums in history that have been nominated for an Academy Award & the GRAMMY Album of the Year. Even after trying to Google it, I can only really find a handful of examples (surprisingly, “Star Wars” & “Beauty & The Beast” among them). So, what’s the gripe? For as much as I really like “Do Your Thing”, I do feel like the 20 minutes stall at a certain point. That’s not to say I wasn’t captivated by it, but unlike a lot of the other tracks where the groove glides & you never feel the weight of the length bearing on the track, it definitely hit more on that one. Between that & the sort of ear-splitting outro with the guitar deciding it wanted to go as loud as possible, it didn’t leave me as satisfied as I wish it had. That said, for the vast majority of its runtime, it’s still a pretty damn good track, and it barely takes away from a stellar soundtrack otherwise. It is the sort of thing that makes this a slightly shakier 10, as it might hit me a little differently on another future re-listen, but regardless, I fucking loved this. Isaac Hayes must’ve felt on top of the world in the early ‘70s, man. I’m very glad this is on the list, and for me, it’s a 10.

A funky instrumental album. It's nice to listen to while working. And it has those happy vibes that light up your soul but I prefered the tracks with vocals. Favorite Songs: Theme from Shaft ;

Favorite Song: Them From Shaft

Dá para ouvir uma vez apenas. Achei repetitivo e cansativo

Great piece of work, and I enjoyed learning about why it's so significant.

The title theme is iconic. The rest of this doesn’t do much without the film to accompany it.

This is the second soundtrack I got on this list and I don’t think they should be on here… soundtracks are best enjoyed when accompanied with the visuals and the storyline and the characters. Just listening to these with none of those things it’s just… meh

Hard to figure out how to rate this - the sound is nice, but as I have not seen the movie, these nice background sounds make no sense to me. Maybe, after watching the movie, it would make more sense?

I'm sure that every single album on this list has someone somewhere in the reviews asking the condescending question "why is this on this list". I have the same feeling for this, but I thought on the other hand, why not. It's not that I don't like it just because it's a soundtrack for a movie. That would disqualify a massive part of music. I just plain don't find this evoking any emotion in me.

Very good! Simply difficult to break into my daily listening 🤷‍♂️

I came to this album two days late after a busy weekend. I spent the morning listening to this album focused yet tired. This album comes as a particularly noteworthy moment for me within this list, as it proves that soundtrack albums are up for consideration, a question I had been curious about the entire time. It was still a surprise to me for the Shaft soundtrack to appear as that first example, but it was a pleasant one. I have been aware of Shaft solely through cultural impact and reputation, but knowing what I know about the culture of the US at the time and the trends of blaxploitation films like Shaft, I can hear the major funk and soul influences which would have designated this album as a culturally significant work. I had expected the music to sound a bit more aggressive in line with high-energy action soundtracks I'm more used to, but I love the choice for it to take a more laidback and funky approach most of the time. By virtue of being a soundtrack, there are a handful of spots which get a bit repetitive, but that's also judging these songs on a different scale than they were designed for; I'm supposed to be watching John Shaft kick ass or explore the streets of Harlem to this music, not sitting at a security desk in Glendale. But still, even as an album designed to enhance another artistic project, it still holds up incredibly well on its own with some incredibly catchy guitar lines and horns; it is a testament to its strength that I enjoyed the entirety of the near-20-minute-long Do Your Thing. Now I feel like I need to watch Shaft. Highlights: Theme From Shaft, Walk From Regio's, Ellie's Love Theme, Shaft's Cab Ride, Café Regio's, Be Yourself, Soulsville, No Name Bar, Do Your Thing

Listened over a few days on my walk to work and by the end i was doing little spins and finger guns at people like i was the main character of my life

It's fine. The songs with vocals are quite chilled and funky. The rest of it is a low-key soundtrack and is simply 'quite nice'. Strange entry really.

I really liked it but there was not much to write home about

Not remarkable to me.

Schmaltzy, a little weird, and it overstays its welcome, but that also all describes me at times, and by that I mean my best times.

I added this to my library just to make sure I didn't miss something the first time around. I certainly enjoyed it, but it faded into the background when I wasn't hearing any of the various versions of the theme. I don't know if that's because I was distracted or because the rest of the album isn't as interesting, as movie scores tend to be sometimes.

Hey hey, I wrote a whole article about this album: With Shaft, Isaac Hayes fomented a soundtrack revolution https://www.avclub.com/with-shaft-isaac-hayes-fomented-a-soundtrack-revolutio-1798240313 Isaac Hayes was a genius, and working on a film score for the first time gave him a chance to explore and try new things. Obviously the iconic "Theme from Shaft" is the highpoint, but there's a lot to love about this score (and the film).

Ehghh

Following Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack that I had last week, I found this to be a little disappointing! Comprising largely of instrumentals, it had nowhere near the impact that Superfly had on me. The title track is a banger and there's one or two other great songs but I found a lot of this to be very underwhelming.

I enjoyed this album, but one thing struck me. On both Shaft and on Hot Buttered Soul, the other Isaac Hayes album on the list, Hayes doesn't actually sing very much. The albums are mostly instrumental and it's a shame as Hayes has a rich, deep voice that I really enjoy. Just about a four, would have been an easy four if there was more singing.

Gut! Aber mir zu viele Instrumentals, ich mag "Hot Buttered Soul" zum Beispiel lieber.

Nice tunes

A pretty enjoyable listen, although most of it was acted as pleasant background music rather than a truly engaging experience. Definitely a few standouts among the bunch, though.

Isaac Hayes is great. Shaft is no exception.

Classic.

Isaac Hayes is a brilliang songwriter, that's for sure, and tracks like the epic Do Your Thing are really amazing and could easily be on studio albums' level, but it is still a soundtrack, which - as an album - makes it not as great, because in most of the tracks you can feel something is missing. The missing piece is the picute the soundtrack was written for.

Amazing soundtrack and the main track is an absolute banger

Perfectly fine funk album. However, I feel it might be better if you've actually seen Shaft. Or maybe if you're actively watching it.

Loved this funky soundtrack. I watched Shaft years ago, but don't remember much of the plot, but I don't remember adoring Isaac Haye's soundtrack. Favorite Track - Theme From Shaft Least Favorite Track - Bumpy's Lament ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m with everyone else, not sure why there’s a soundtrack on this list. Title song is fine, the rest is elevator music taking you to a cool club

This is probably an album I’d like more if I knew the film it came for. It was pretty solid background music at work though!

No soy muy fan de los instrumentales, pero están buenos.

I always loved the theme song from Shaft. This album has some good music.

It's hard to accept that Isaac Hayes has two albums in the Top 1001 (OF ALL TIME). The theme song from Shaft is instantly recognizable if you're over 50. I know the artist and his sound were imitated and influential but it kinda all sounds the same. Bottom line: It's a soundtrack, a true soundtrack, not a conglomeration of pop hits that are mixed into the movie to make it fun, but the actual music playing during the action and background scenes. That in itself should remove it from contention for the T1001 list. At times is sounds like it could be music in the background of CHiPs or Love Boat, it's so 70's. And let's be honest, Isaac Hayes is NOT a singer (please see "Soulville"). The guitar work on "Do Your Thing" (a 19 min jam) is the highlight. Lot of horns, lots and lots of horns. Too many flutes and a xylophone. It's just dated and boring outside of the Theme song. Can I dig it? Not really. 3 stars cause the music is solid, but I'll never listen to it again.

I usually am not a fan of these albums that are soundtracks, but this one is pretty decent. Especially for it being so early in the 70s, the sound is very cool. I can definitely see how it influence future stuff. Not sure how popular the movie was.

Half missing on Spotify. Otherwise, I know it's a definitive album for this kind of sound, it just wasn't the best version of it that I've heard.

Jamais écouté avant. Compliqué à écouter dans la longueur sans le film qui va avec. Par contre, les musiciens sont brillants, et quand ça tape, ça tape fort (Do Your Thing, c'est quelque chose !). Top : Do Your Thing Flop : Shaft Strikes Again

Es bueno, sin embargo, escuchar esto por más de 5 minutos me aburre hasta el culo. Dos porque tiene buenos grooves y algunos temas en específico me gustaron bastante, pero escucharlo de pe a pa es un medio martirio.

Used to love it, now it just makes me think of that old dog shagging in The Commitments

It’s a good listen. Smooth, jazzy, funky. It’s a good time. 4/5

Sportspegeln! Riktigt höga höjder och njutbar lyssning rakt igenom, under första halvan kändes det ibland lite väl mycket som att man satt i telefonkö men det lyfte verkligen igen under andra halvan. Kul album!

De ”riktiga” låtarna är ball och Isaac heyes är stenhård. Men soundtracks kan ju bli lite enahanda, svårt att komma in i instrumentala låtar som är skrivna för bild, utan bild. Med det sagt älskar man ju groovet. Pluspoäng för ”Do your thing” som fan nästan håller i alla sina 19 minuter.

Njöt

Det är najs

Close to a 5 star for me, but quite a few skippable songs for being a soundtrack.

Great

The Oxford English dictionary defines "cool" as "Shaft". There's also a footnote stating they can dig it, which I respect.

Now I'm listening to movie osts, But I enjoyed this one. It was greatly written and had calm and relaxing sections while others were more upbeat and jazzy. I think this complimented the film well but I have yet to even see the film so I can't really say much about how they work together but I think they do. 7/10, Favorite Song: No Name Bar

I don’t think I’m in the best position to appreciate this album having never seen the movie. But it doesn’t really feel like something you’d want to actively listen to. Worked quite well as background music as I was working. Nearly made working on corporate PowerPoint slides interesting.

Felt exactly like listening to a 74 minute soundtrack. Three vocal songs save this from 1 star (Theme, Soulsville, Do your Thing)

Difficult because the theme song is such a classic, but that is absolutely no reason for this album to be on this list.

Movie soundtrack? The SHAFT MOVIE SOUNDTRACK?! WHAT?????? Requesting Hairspray to the list then please and thank you.

On continue la descente aux enfers (ou au paradis, ça dépend des jours) de ce projet titanesque : les 1001 albums qu'il faut avoir écoutés avant de claquer. Aujourd'hui, on s'arrête en 1971 et on s'attaque à un gros morceau, un truc qui brille, qui suinte la coolitude et qui porte des chaînes en or plus lourdes que mon mépris pour la soupe commerciale actuelle : Shaft d'Isaac Hayes. On est en plein dans la "Blaxploitation". C’est le genre de disque qui, sur le papier, fait mouiller tous les critiques de rock en mal d'exotisme urbain. On ne va pas se mentir, l'album est sorti chez Stax en 1971. Pour les non-initiés, Stax c'était l'usine à rêves de Memphis, le pendant rugueux de la Motown. Isaac Hayes y était déjà le roi avec son crâne rasé et son torse nu sous une cotte de mailles en or. Le mec imposait un respect immédiat. Le livre nous dit que c'est un "jalon de la pop" et l'un de ses meilleurs travaux avec Superfly de Curtis Mayfield. Sur le principe, je suis d'accord, c’est d'ailleurs le premier compositeur noir à avoir raflé un Oscar pour la meilleure chanson originale. Mais parlons franchement, j'ai jamais vraiment accroché au film. Ces polars urbains des seventies, avec leurs zooms brutaux et leurs poursuites en Cadillac, ça m'a toujours laissé un peu froid. Et avec la B.O., j’ai exactement le même ressenti. L'album s'ouvre sur le "Theme from Shaft", et là, on est obligé de s'incliner. Cette guitare wah-wah qui pulse dès les premières secondes, c’est le génie à l'état pur. Et puis la voix d'Isaac... cette basse profonde, presque chuchotée, qui te présente John Shaft comme le sauveur des quartiers chauds. C'est cultissime, c'est intemporel, c’est parfait. Si l'album s'arrêtait là, je mettrais 6 sur 5 et on n'en parlerait plus. Le problème, c'est qu'il reste 55 ans d'histoire de la musique derrière, et qu'une fois le morceau phare passé, qu'est-ce qu'il reste vraiment ? On se retrouve avec un double album (à l'époque) rempli de morceaux instrumentaux qui servent avant tout à illustrer des scènes de film. "Soulsville" est sympa, ça pose une ambiance, c'est une jolie ballade soul comme Isaac savait les faire sur Hot Buttered Soul. Mais le reste ? Des longueurs, mes amis, des longueurs à n'en plus finir car le groove, aussi bon soit-il sur certains passages, finit par se diluer dans une soupe cinématographique un peu répétitive. C’est un bon album de soul-funk, certes et le groove est là, bien gras, bien présent. On sent que les musiciens de chez Stax, les Bar-Kays, s'amusaient comme des fous. Mais au bout du compte, c'est un disque qui n'a pas forcément si bien vieilli que ça dans son intégralité. C’est devenu une pièce de musée. Un truc qu'on respecte, qu'on cite en exemple, mais qu'on écoute rarement du début à la fin sans avoir envie de zapper pour revenir au thème principal. Ma note ? Un 3 sur 5 et je suis généreux parce que c'est Isaac Hayes et que le type avait une classe intersidérale. C’est le genre d'album qui s'en sort grâce à son morceau d'ouverture qui a vampirisé tout le reste. Le reste de la galette est une succession de thèmes qui font leur boulot de bande originale mais qui peinent à exister de manière autonome. C'est l'écueil de beaucoup de B.O. de cette époque : on privilégie l'atmosphère à la composition pure. Si vous voulez de la vraie révolution soul de 1971, allez plutôt voir du côté de Marvin Gaye ou de Sly Stone. Là, il se passe vraiment quelque chose qui vous prend aux tripes et qui ne vous lâche plus. Isaac, lui, a préféré nous pondre un objet de design sonore ultra-efficace pour l'image, mais un peu vide pour l'esprit une fois qu'on a coupé la télé. Bref, Shaft, c'est le disque idéal pour se donner un genre quand on reçoit des potes à l'apéro, mais si vous cherchez une expérience musicale qui vous retourne le cerveau, vous allez rester sur votre faim. C’est bien, c’est propre, ça groove, mais ça manque cruellement de relief au-delà de sa légende. John Shaft est peut-être "un détective privé qui n'en fait qu'à sa tête", mais sa musique, elle, finit par rentrer un peu trop dans le rang.

Had a good chuckle seeing this album on here. Sure, the theme track is cheesy as hell, but the rest of it is just awesome groovy background music.

I probably would rate this album higher if I actually just watch the movie instead there are some good songs on here. It’s a vibe probably gonna have to give it a two.

As soundtracks go, this was decent.

When the 'Theme From Shaft' has featured prominently in a Simpsons episode, you know this record has earned quite the reputation, not to mention the fact that the song also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. But the rest of the 'Shaft' soundtrack is pretty engaging too, even though Isaac Hayes' vocals don't show up all that often. The movie 'Shaft' broke significant ground for introducing one of the first African-American action heroes, and enlisting the services of Hayes, one of the key players in the emerging funk/soul genre, played a vital role in bringing the sound of cinema into the 1970s. 'Shaft' is a very dense soundtrack, pairing Hayes' signature funk/soul hybrid sound with the dynamic pace of the movie, from quaint' relaxing numbers ('Early Sunday Morning') to fun, horn-driven romps ('Be Yourself'). Hayes skill as a producer and arranger is very much on show here, as he's always able to find the right sound to convey the range of different scenes and emotions present in the movie; not bad for his first attempt at the movie soundtrack medium. The rare moments Hayes' voice does pop up, such as the 'Theme From Shaft', 'Soulsville' and the epic 'Do Your Thing', he's as soulful and heartfelt as ever, but his ability to command an expanded band (complete with guitars, bass, horns, strings and percussion) is the standout on 'Shaft'. Hayes understands the feel and importance of the film in giving the African-American community a major action hero to get behind, and given the commercial success of both movie and soundtrack, the collaboration proved a masterstroke. "Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks?" "SHAFT" "...you damn right" Best songs: Theme From Shaft, Early Sunday Morning, Be Yourself, Soulsville, Do Your Thing

Such a cool an unexpected album, it’s the reason I keep trudging through all the other shit.

Absolutely iconic theme tune. It maybe suffers a bit as an album with it being a soundtrack, as certain themes and melodies get recycled in different forms and there isn’t as much variety as a standard album, but it is still such a cool soundtrack

lowkey perfect

Great fun and the title track is an absolute classic. I don’t really enjoy playing through most soundtrack albums though even if I appreciate the skill and the history

Progressive soul, psychedelic soul.

Real soundtracky

Spotify only had 4 songs on it and honestly that's all you need. SHAFT!

It was hard to get through this because my wife wouldn't keep her hands off me due to the sexy smoothness.

As someone listening to this for the first time, it feels like a roller coaster. It starts with one of the coolest and well known tracks of all time. Then goes into a lot of nice little soul tracks, which makes sense for the movie, but none are particularly bangers like that first track. Then "Do Your Thing" comes on late and sets things on fire again, all 20 minutes of it. A hodgepodge due to it being a soundtrack and not a true 'album', but still an enjoyable one. I can dig it.

SUUUUPER chill jams, genuinely relaxing. Even the 20 min jam sesh is a nice listen

This is groovy! Like a combination of elevator music and a spy movie.

Only half album on Spotify. Fun theme song but otherwise meh. 5/10

Норм. Но не пушка.

This was solid!

Just not my thing. Some okay grooves, but some were annoying too.

I absolutely loved it, it is a work of art

Yeeeeeeaaaaahhhh!!!

Just talkin' 'bout Shaft. C'mon, folks -- it's Isaac Hayes. Just get lost in the groove.

I only know Isaac Hayes from South Park lol and I wasn’t fully locked in on the album cuz I was working but what I remember was enjoyable

shaft with good grooves ever

Soulsville so good. Might be one of the best mainly instrumental albums I've heard. Can hear where so many soul songs have derived from. Great sax, I wanna play some of Isaac's music

This was very pleasant music. And the theme is great.

Funky music! Loved some of the tracks on this soundtrack album, though in the middle some started sounding a bit like video game / npc shopping background music. I think this would all go better with the actual movie it was supposed to accompany though. Most tracks blend into one another so it all goes down very smooth, but you don’t really remember anything afterwards. Still, I enjoyed it but don’t think I will be revisiting it. 6/10

It's no super fly

Sounds a little like elevator music or being out on hold music but probably because this is good soothing background music so they play it in elevators

Фільм я не дивилася і поняття не знаю звідки ці саундтреки. Взагалі трохи дивно, що вони тут. Для мене саундтреки це окрема тема, трохи окрема від стандартної музики

One word to describe this album is SMOOTH. I feel like I’m being sonically wooed by the man himself.

It's good, not amazing. I really thought it would be something out of this world that would blow my mind considering it's the only movie soundtrack on here?

"Theme From Shaft" is a legendary funk song, the rest is pretty much instrumentals that have been chopped and sliced for hip hop samples ever since, so in that sense it's a cultural touchpoint musically speaking... but it's still a movie score and there's no movie score you need to listen to before you die, not without the context of the movie, at least. And did it really need a near 20 minute long number? Why yes, yes it did.

its a fine album but the idea of someone saying "have you heard the shaft soundtrack? you HAVE to listen to it before you die" is really funny to me

Fantastic soundtrack but it’s not that impressive by itself.

Loved Soulsville especially

Shaft is an easy five for me. This record lands squarely in my sweet spot. The instrumentation alone would be enough: deep bass, lush strings, tight rhythm section, and a sense of space that rewards sitting with the music rather than skipping around. It’s cinematic without being corny, groovy without being flashy, and confident enough to let long instrumental passages do the heavy lifting. I know some people ding this record because much of it is instrumental, but that’s a feature, not a flaw. The band is locked in, the arrangements are rich, and the mood is so well defined that lyrics would almost get in the way. This is music that sets a scene and then trusts the listener to live in it. The title track is iconic for a reason, but the deeper cuts are what really seal it. This feels like a record designed for vinyl. Drop the needle, let the side play, don’t overthink it. I can absolutely see myself reaching for this regularly if I had it on wax. Stylish, patient, groove-driven, and endlessly replayable. Five stars, no hesitation.

The one song is classic. The rest is just more of a hodgepodge score

A well made soundtrack album, liked the 19 minute track. Good theme song, jazz and funk fusion, and the Chef's voice every so often.

Meh, the opening is funny.

Y.. como musica ambiental no estaría mal, pero sigue siendo de una serie que no conozco y no me interesa.

This was fun, something tells me there’ll be more in his discography more worthy of being here. And god I hate that everything comes back to Scientology, gimme a break.

I have never actually seen Shaft, but it's been around long enough in pop culture that I know the story and the references. I really enjoyed this, I was craving something funky, and I love instrumental tracks, so this delivered. I love the horns and strings, they just sort of amp it up. It was the perfect accompaniment to my morning routine.

Good stuff

I wasn't expecting to be into this but I definitely am! Upbeat, funky, instrumental jams that I really enjoy. Yes, chef!

Was an okay album. A somewhat surreal experience listening to it in a traffic jam - got to groove along (slowly). 3/5

so just grab somebody

Every song is good, a true no skip album

I mean, the theme alone is worth the price of admission, and maybe it’s just having seen the movie, but I can’t think of many scores that feel more of a place than where the film is set than this one, great stuff.

This was good background music but I found it a bit same-y

The title track is great. The rest of it is good music but definitely feels like it is a soundtrack and doesn't stand very strongly on its own without the film.

pretty nice

Never actually seen the film Shaft, but very familiar with the legendary theme song provided by Isaac Hayes. I don't wanna say that's the most notable song here, but this IS a movie soundtrack after all. Expect a lot of instrumentals. It all sounds good enough (I do like funk & soul), but I don't have the context of having seen the film itself and thus don't know how well each of these tracks were scored. Like many others have expressed here, this is really only half of the story without the visual accompaniment of the movie itself. I'm not really chomping at the bit to watch this movie after listening either ('cause I've got like 35 albums to catch up to in this list!)

A movie soundtrack! I was familiar with Shaft/Isaac Hayes going in, and this was pretty much exactly how I expected the album the sound. Pleasant to listen to but at the end of the day, it sounded like a mpvie soundtrack

Funky goodness. I Only heard 4 songs from the spotify link, more tracks would be cool.

floot grooves. I'm sure it was great in the context of the movie, struggled to engage without.

pretty good music, would love to watch the movie now.

Cool, but got boring.

Güzel bi arka müzik vibrlamalık danslık gibi geldiiii

smooth

Fun, but not too memorable yet, prob because it wasn't on spotify so I wasn't paying attention to tracks.

Soundtrack, would be much better in context

classic

12:48pm Poslušala sam prvu pjesmu na brzaka, drugu isto krenula samo kad sam videka da je samo neka mjuzikica bez teksta, s čim inače nemam problema, ali mi je ovaj put bila nešto samo dosadna za slušati.

Incredible listen. One I won't continuously come back to but I would absolutely play this all the way through again in the future.

This album is just 75mins just… pure soundtrack funk disco groove goodness. Isaac Hayes you just know how to make a saucey ass album damnn

I'm quite surprised this is lower-rated on the list than his other album, because it is that much better. Something about the atmosphere he is building on this album, with the relaxing funk and soul elements, is so nice. Good stuff, Mr Hayes.

This is a jam band album disguised as a soul album disguised as a Blaxploitation film. The next to last track Do Your Thing is a 19 minute journey that could be a recording of a Phish sound check.

I can dig it.

I couldn't finish it i don't like it

Wrm is een film soundtrack in de 1001 beste albums???

Café Regio's made me think I was playing The Sims and was decorating my home. I do think the album is a bit long.

"Theme From Shaft." Enjoyed some of the more laid back tracks, and of course the classic Theme From Shaft. The 19 minute Do Your Thing wasn't my cup of tea.

Enjoadinho. Salvam-se os momentos de vibrafone e o tema principal.

Classic soul album! Shaft! Lol it was alright but not something I'll listen to everyday lol

The only title to be featured in the 1001 albums and 1001 movies books and I dont understand why it is in each one

It's a good time.

1 song already in my favorites. Would listen again.

0/16 bekannt 5/10 Beste Songs: Walk from regio‘s, Café regio‘s, the end theme Songnamen passen gut zu den Songs

casi 4, depende el dia

Enjoyed the funk sound, and there were a couple of really enjoyable tracks. The majority of it just made decent background music. None of it was actively bad. Standouts for me were Cafe Regios and No Name Bar. The 20 minute track was a bit meandering. Fine/5.

Isaac Hayes was so talented and bursting with creativity during this time period. This soundtrack (which I think is kosher for this list because it’s the work of a single artist) is funky and fun and a very enjoyable listen. Also, unlike so many double albums, it never feels like a slog. Probably because it varies so much from song to song. One second you’re listening to funk, then boss a nova, then pop, then r&b and then easy listening. I’ve never seen the movie “Shaft” and I’ve seen “Star Wars” a hundred or more times, but I put this soundtrack on with some regularity and never listen to the “Star Wars” soundtrack. Something about the sound of the music Isaac Hayes was making in the late 60’s and early 70’s just hits my ears exactly right.

I enjoyed this album, but I’m not sure soundtracks are really what I’m looking for here. Great vibe, just not something I’d reach for often.

Mmm

GROOVY

Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks? (Shaft) Ya damn right What can you say - Isaac Hayes, Shaft, early 70s classic stuff. Listen to the album, watch the movie. Do it NOW!

I had high hopes for this album. My parents had it on vinyl when I was younger, and the college-aged me enjoyed listening to it. Apparently, though, there was some degree of irony in that listening, or possibly a secondary understanding of coolness, that I no longer bring to the experience, because now the album seems long, dated, and not that cool.

This was pleasant enough, though maybe not enough to appear on this list. Be Yourself definitely references Everyday People. I don’t think that was an accident. I liked Cafe Regios too.

2/5 - Theme song is classic, and I enjoy the general funk, but I'm not here for film scores.

semana passada eu tava vendo a gravação dos cara fazendo o shaft ao vivasso no estúdio e pensando o quão do caralho era extremamente bom?

There are some great horn parts. Which was my favorite part of this album; however, a soundtrack shouldn’t be on this list.

Not an album I would seek out, but I did thoroughly enjoy it!

-so classic to the point that it sounds like a modern day spoof, in a good way -i really enjoy the love theme!! -maaaan they don't make scores like they used to i wanna watch this now idk why this is on this list but we ball 2.5/5

first impression: 75% of the album is unavailable so im sad themes from shaft ts boooogiieeeee. his voice sooooo good me likey. ellie's love theme is pretty cafe regio lowk boogie homework music soulsville boring asf no name bar a lil boring i dont love it. also a lil annoying do your thing meh OH MY GOD 19 MINUTES!!!!!!!! hell no i gotta go im not listening to all dis

While Hayes vocals are nothing impressive, his capabilities as a composer and band leader are exceptional. This soundtrack broke fertile ground for moviemaking as we know it today. Minus one half-star for Scientology.

Cool, funky

Me: wow listening to this album, it’s like the Shaft theme is from an entirely different artist. Her: um… yeah because Quincy Joes wrote it

Meh. Stone roses sample

c'est ok oui

Bo de film sympa

Super musique pour faire la sieste. La wouahwouah est hyper bien utilisée, j’ai kiffé les solos de saxophone. Un album qui donne envie de voir le film !

I recognized the first song- Fun! The rest were great for background music while I worked. I can't help but think if Chef from South Park when I see Isaac Hayes. Do Your Thing is banging! Maybe I should watch the movie, Shaft?

Fun listen

Orchestral funk/soul of the highest order. Supremely over the top but so fun that it doesn’t matter. At its worst it comes across as a sexier Henry Mancini film score, but the 20 minute ‘Do Your Thing’ is a funky barn burner that is alone worth the price of admission. Favorite track: Do Your Thing

Man, this soundtrack is enigmatic of how much effort used to go into curating a great accompaniment to film. At first, I thought this was just a decent soundtrack, but it stands well as a singular piece of work. The album flows between set pieces with an aloofness and lushness that I can’t get enough of. I liked this a lot more than I expected. Definitely plan to keep this in my rotation.

This soundtrack reminds me of the funkier tracks of the Persona 5 OST (i.e. Tokyo Daylight). So groovy, it's like I'm transported back in the city getting ready to kick ass.

i think i hear the opening track in ads all the time lmao yeah sounds great but there's only so much i can enjoy an almost entirely instrumental soundtrack album, funnily enough a lot of publications compare this to Superfly which we had just before this, and i do agree with them in enjoying that one more than this. where the hell does this 20 minute closer fit into a movie? Highlights: Ellie's Love Theme Cafe Regio's Early Sunday Morning Soulsville Do Your Thing Low 4

This sounds like a boring movie I found they would find a rhythm/riff and just play it over and over with no variation and it wouldn't even be an interesting riff. I don't mind simple melodies like that but there needs to be something interesting happening on top of it to make it enjoyable for me

Good background

While certainly iconic this album doesn't hit with me. The instrumental songs work well in a movie or tv-show but on its own, not so much.

It's got that one really famous song and then a lot of instrumental stuff. So weird how most of it sounds like background music for some kind of movie, huh? But it's quality-made background music and it's better than enough of the other stuff on this list, I did go "oh golly the penultimate track is 20 minutes long" but I never got particularly tired of letting the smooth grooves flow

I was expecting more, but cool sound.

Technically amazing, and quite the sound track. However it's not an album i'm gonna put on if I want to jam or listen to while driving.

Master of the slow build. Oscar winning Theme Song. Bad Ass record that does not disappoint.

It’s a really good soundtrack, no doubt, but its inclusion does highlight the exclusion of the other deserving soundtracks.

2/3. Fun little soundtrack album, nice to listen to on a morning walk. Regio's Cafe and Sunday Morning were particularly nice, but I thought it was a pleasant listen in general. Probably benefits further from having seen the movie prior, but even without it the music evokes a mood and scenery pretty well (Ellie's Love Theme comes to mind).

Already familiar with this album. It is very good

Not a bad listen at all, but felt very much like listening to a soundtrack. I like Isaac Hayes, I bet there was some other thing by him that coulda taken this spot.

Makes me want to watch the movie. Doesn't stand alone particularly well

Spotify seems to have murdered the full tracklist so I had to chase this down on youtube. It's pretty standard funk/jazz music with Isaac Hayes's vocal accompaniment. With Shaft being the most important film of the genre, it's hard not to associate the music with the filmmaking, but I'm not sure that this was the real zenith of the genre. It's definitely good, fun to listen to, and complicated enough to be interesting, but I can only listen to three chord wah pedal guitar for so long. If this wasn't a film soundtrack I would say it's overly lengthy, but I'll let it go because, well, it is. This is genre music. It doesn't make me want to listen to more of it, nor does it make me dislike the entire style. It's just good enough that I'm interested in seeing what others do with it.

The title track and do your thing are cool as hell and the other songs with vocals are solid jazzy soul social realism.tracks, but the rest is supermarket Muzak level smooth jazz. I'm sure it worked well for the movie, but it's not at all interesting outside that context, until it got chopped and samples a billion times for hip hop beats.

I love his voice.

Shaft is an excellent soundtrack, one of the best Blaxploitation soundtracks of the ‘70s along with Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly, James Brown’s Black Caesar and Bobby Womack’s Across 110th Street. But it is not a ‘great’ Isaac Hayes album and, arguably unlike the other albums I mention, it doesn’t really stand without the movie. “Theme from Shaft” is monumental, an amazing piece of music and an excellent song. The rest of the album is really well composed but is very much music to accompany visual media. It certainly works as background music but, when I listen to Isaac, I want to hear his voice, his stories; I want to listen to Hot Buttered Soul or Black Moses.

Some fun stuff, but meh

2.75 It’s jazz. Definitely more fun jazz, but still mostly no words. If it was hold music I’d be seriously bopping along, but I want words when I choose my music. There’s a theme song on the album, and it sounds like it. Fun but not for me

5/10 - this is a hard album to rate since I haven’t seen Shaft. I imagine this album is on the low for the cultural significance of being the first black composed movie album to win an Oscar.

I like the groove of this but I feel like it would work better as a soundtrack (which is what it is) than a stand alone album. 6/10

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ aside from the theme song (which is damn good i can't lie), i don't think i'd actively go out of my way to listen to the whole damn soundtrack. nevertheless, i guess this is pretty good background listening

It’s a little difficult to rate this album because I haven’t seen the movie but the instrumentation was fantastic. It makes me want to see the movie, considering the soundtrack already has so much personality to it. 4/5, I don’t think I can rate it any lower because I can see the deep artistic value and could see myself going back to it when I need fun background music

Starts strong, but loses it's way pretty quickly.

Not notable

It’s cool and legendary but at times falls to background noise.

A very generous 3. The music is good, the production is good, but at the end of the day, it's the score to a film.

Soundtrack zum Film Shaft Man hört der Musik an, dass sie schon einige Jahre auf dem Buckel hat ...

Mostly instrumental album with epic cinematic production. Soulful and jazzy with riffs that have certainly influenced later songs. Standouts are the dramatic Shaft theme(s) and the beautiful Soulsville.

The dude on the cover looks like Severance's Milchick Never seen this movie. Groovy AF from the start. It's giving 70s cop show, but still very enjoyable. 5* (wanted to dock 1* because the vocal tracks, while nice, kinda ruined my groove, but overall this is better than most albums on here). Highlights: theme from shaft, end theme (it's the bookends, but they encapsulate the album really well)

Isaac Hayes – *Shaft* (1971) An in-depth review of the landmark double-LP that became the first #1 pop album ever awarded to an African-American composer, won three major industry prizes and single-handedly re-wrote the rules for both film music and Black pop culture. --- ### 1. LYRICS – WHAT LITTLE THERE IS, MATTERS Only three tracks carry vocals, so every sung line has to justify its existence. - **“Theme from Shaft”** – Four minutes of hard-boiled comic-strip poetry: “Who’s the Black private-dick that’s a sex-machine to all the chicks? SHAFT!” ▪ The lyric is pure swagger, but it also does narrative heavy-lifting: by the time Richard Roundtree appears we already know he is cool, dangerous and sexually omnipotent . ▪ Call-and-response backing vocals (Telma Hopkins, Pat Lewis & co.) turn the chorus into a community chant, a Black Greek chorus validating the hero . - **“Soulsville”** – Hayes’ ghetto travelogue. Over a slow-blues vamp he narrates police brutality, heroin traps and Sunday-morning hope (“Every Sunday morning I can hear the old sisters say ‘Hallelujah…’”). ▪ The lyric functions like a newsreel inside the film, grounding the fantasy hero in social realism . - **“Do Your Thing”** – A lone repeated mantra (“Do your thing, let me do my thing”) that sounds hedonistic but doubles as post-Civil-Rights self-determination politics . **Verdict:** Concise, purposeful writing; every word either builds the myth of Shaft or maps the socio-economic terrain he moves through. --- ### 2. MUSIC – SYMphonic SOUL Hayes treats the double-LP as a canvas wide enough for both three-minute funk bullets and nineteen-minute psychedelic jams. - **Orchestration** – Memphis horns + Johnny Allen’s string charts = gritty Stax grit lacquered with Hollywood sheen. Strings sometimes *replace* rhythm guitar, horns act as a rhythm-section left hand; flutes flutter above the brass like smoke rings . - **Rhythm science** – Willie Hall’s 16-note closed hi-hat and Charles Pitts’ wah-wah guitar became the sonic shorthand for “1971 cool” (still sampled in 2020s hip-hop) . - **Genre hop-scotch** – “Bumpy’s Lament” – church Hammond meets Morricone-like pads. – “Café Regio’s” – Wes-Montgomery-style soft-jazz guitar over bossa-tinged drums. – “No Name Bar” – big-band brass section playing a blaxploitation cop-show riff. – “Do Your Thing” – the Bar-Kays stretch out into an alt-rock, almost Grateful-Dead-like jam, proving the funk underground could be as improvisational as any jazz loft . **Verdict:** A seamless braid of Southern soul, Bacharach-style easy listening, jazz guitar interludes and proto-disco grooves that still feels cinematic even if you have never seen the movie. --- ### 3. PRODUCTION – “HEADWISE” FILM SCORING - No written notation; Hayes conducted 40-piece orchestras by humming parts and letting the Memphis players “head-arrange” . - Recorded in two layers: (a) July ’71 at MGM Studios in Hollywood – the actual cues locked to picture. (b) August ’71 at Stax – the commercial album, punched up for radio, yet still containing micro-cues (some tracks run 1:15) that preserve film-edit timings . - **Soundstage tricks** – microphones placed down hallways for natural reverb; strings multi-tracked through EMT plates to create that “velvet car-chase” sheen . **Verdict:** A master-class in budget-maximising indie production; the record sounds big enough to fill a cinema, yet warm enough for a basement party. --- ### 4. THEMES – BLACK HEROISM & URBAN REALISM - **Masculine archetype** – The title theme literally sings the hero into existence, weaponising Black sexuality instead of apologising for it, a radical act in 1971 cinema . - **Ghetto documentary** – “Soulsville” argues that the American Dream is a bounced check for Black citizens; Hayes’ spoken asides act like a Greek chorus inside the film . - **Self-determination** – “Do Your Thing” is both libertine and Pan-African, echoing the contemporaneous “Black is Beautiful” slogans but couching them in party language . **Verdict:** The album is a cultural two-step – empowering fantasy on side A, social X-ray on side C – without ever sounding didactic. --- ### 5. INFLUENCE – DOORS OPENED, TEMPLATES BUILT - **Hollywood** – First Black composer to win an Oscar for music; within 24 months every studio wanted a soul soundtrack: – Curtis Mayfield *Superfly* (1972) – James Brown *Black Caesar* (1973) – Marvin Gaye *Trouble Man* (1972) Even 007 bowed: *Live and Let Die* (1973) hired Paul McCartney to mimic Hayes’ wah-wah swagger . - **Hip-hop** – “Walk from Regio’s” guitar stab → Beastie Boys “The Sounds of Science”; “No Name Bar” horn riff → countless 90s rap albums; drums re-sampled on 2Pac, Biggie, Wu-Tang records . - **R&B arranging** – The Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” (1972) is unthinkable without Hayes’ precedent of merging orchestral ostinato with funk rhythm-section . **Verdict:** The record is a DNA strand running through 1970s cinema, 1990s rap and 2000s neo-soul. --- ### 6. PROS & CONS (IN HINDSIGHT) **PROS** - Still the gold-standard for soundtrack albums that stand alone without the film . - Invented multiple sonic clichés that *still* sound fresh because the playing is human, not loop-based . - Social commentary baked into party music – a trick modern artists chase endlessly. - Production innovations (wah-wah as lead voice, hi-hat as hook) became decade-defining. **CONS** - Instrumental cues can feel fragmentary if you have zero interest in 1970s cop-movie tropes – some tracks are only 90 seconds long . - Sex-machine braggadocio hasn’t aged perfectly; the lyric can read as retro-macho to modern ears . - The 19-minute “Do Your Thing” jam is either transcendent or self-indulgent depending on your patience for psychedelic vamping . - Because its vocabulary has been so widely sampled, first-time listeners may feel they have “heard it all before” – a victim of its own ubiquity . --- ### 7. BOTTOM LINE *Shaft* is not just a soundtrack; it is a cultural thesis disguised as a funk jam session. Hayes turned a low-budget detective flick into a Trojan horse that carried orchestrated Black pride into mainstream America, rewrote Hollywood’s hiring rules and gave pop music a new rhythmic vocabulary. Fifty-plus years on, the wah-wah still cuts, the strings still sigh, and the brief, razor-sharp lyrics still sketch an indelible portrait of a hero who was “a complicated man, but no one understands him but his woman.”

Absolutely magnificent jazz, perfection, no notes.

I probably would've enjoyed this more if I had seen the movie and had visuals to tie it to? There were great songs on here, don't get me wrong, but it felt too long and repetitive

very good

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this. But at the end of the day, it's still a movie soundtrack, and it's intentionally written to be in the background; the repetition makes that clear. When it's loud and funky, boy does it smack, but when it's obviously behind character dialogue...why listen to it? And, I don't mind the 70s theatricality, but it can get to be a bit much. Total "Pippin" vibes at points, and the music in that show (a classic!) feels dated to me too. Fave tracks: - Theme From Shaft - Ellie's Love Theme - Café Regio's - Early Sunday Morning - Soulsville - No Name Bar - Bumpy's Blues

Chill background music. Good for writing.

Probably it doesn't really hold up as an album without a film, but I was listening to it at work and it was pretty good for that purpose. And you know what? I think I'm going to try to find the time to watch Shaft this weekend.

Lots of great stuff here and man that voice.

Filmska muzika nije ekvivalent pravoj muzici, posebno u obliku albuma. Da se nešto dešava u pozadini, tj. da gledam film, bilo bi ok. A ja ne volim baš filmove pa mi se ovo ne gleda. Međutim, ovdje ima nekih tako genijalnih kompozicija da postaju samoodrživi, značajni primjeri muzike.

Cool

- "I'm just talkin' about ...." -

Do Your Thing rips so hard, goddamn.

one of the best film scores ever…. but it is a film score so a lot of the album doesnt work as well without it

Класичний запис, тому не здивований, що він тут є. Цікавий соул, дуже приємно слухати. Класичну тему з фільму знаю скоріше в інтерпретації Scrubs)

Я розумію важливість Shaft (як кіно, так і музики) для афроамериканської культури. Втім слухати ці інструментали як альбом не дуже цікаво.

Theme from Shaft 4 Bumpy's Lament 3.4 Walk from Regio's 3.6 Ellie's Love Theme 3.3 Shaft's Cab Ride 3.4 Café Regio's 3.5 Early Sunday Morning 3.5 Be Yourself 3.6 A Friend's Place 3.5 Soulsville (Vocal Version) 3.6 No Name Bar 3.6 Bumpy's Blues 3.4 Shaft Strikes Again 3.2 Do Your Thing (Vocal Version) 3.4 The End Theme 3.8 Score: 3.52

Definitely filler, background music

Meint man man kennt die Musik nicht, Falsch gedacht. Bekannt kann es nicht EInordnen. Irgendwo Werbung ? EWtwa szum Entspannen

surprisingly enjoyable for a film soundtrack

i had my hackles up over a movie soundtrack (and one i've never seen, no less) being on this list, but i actually quite enjoyed this.

cool, funky album. i didn't even really mind the 19.5-minute-long track right before the end. i'd come back to this for sure. favorites: theme from shaft, walk from regio's, soulsville, no name bar, the end theme

Probably the only film score worth listening to.

The opening theme is legendary, and Isaac's voice is pure velvet. "Hello Children!", followed by "Hey, Chef!" is all I hear though lol. It becomes this massive stretch of instrumental mood music that just doesn't hold up on its own without the movie. It’s got style, though. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Theme From Shaft - Soulsville

The movie is great. The theme is epic. The rest is no more than accompaniment. Don’t listen to this, go watch the film.

3.5 - probably mostly nostalgia but really enjoyed listening. There were some songs I didn’t remember

He has the best, sexy, smoky voice. And he barely sang on this which disappointed me. Good music though though. 3

Fun, funky stuff. It's good to walk to. Top tracks: "Theme from Shaft," "Cafe Regio's," "Walk from Regio's"

Great soundtrack. It reminds you what a badass mother fuc(Shut Yo Mouth!) Isaac Hayes was. Good scoring, not sure something I would actively listen to.

Super funky

Pretty cool I guess.

Some of this really slapped, and some felt like elevator music. I really liked what I liked though.

Smooth black energy

Awesome soundtrack to a movie. Not entirely sure it needs to be in the book but enjoyed it nonetheless

Yes! This is great. I see some people complaining about the songs not working outside of the movie. I just don’t think that’s true. Get some imagination! It was fun for me, trying to imagine what Shaft could possibly be doing in a scene with these songs playing in the background. Funky, tight, excellent. FOUR STARS

The music is probably great in the movie, but doesnt work as an album. Standout song Do your thing

6/10. Should it be on the list? I don’t think so.

Iconic intro and the rest is okey as background music (which it is main purpose to begin with). Do your thing is my only issue because it is waaay to long for how uninteresting it is. A good long song need a clear structure otherwise you can just put a repeat if you wanna hear the same thing for a long time. Nothing special music wise but a part of music history in a way.

Better than I thought. Good grooves. Sometimes a little repetitive I’m sure for film purposes. Good album.

hell yeaaah! how can anyone not like this?

Bad movie with a better soundtrack. American Movies and Television depicting urban Blacks in the 70’s was uncomfortably cringey and stereotypically racist. Isaac Hayes played the part, got paid. Hey, if that’s what Honky wants, that’s what Honky gets! Ugh. But the music is pretty damn good!

Стиви Уандер. Лучшая песня - A Friend's Place.

A good album albeit I always find a soundtrack a slightly weird listen, given it was made to supplement a visual /narrative experience as well, and you're only getting part of it. I enjoyed the funky vibes and it's quite engaging given most of it is instrumental and it's a double album, I didn't get bored. But I don't know if I'd listen again

👎🏻

This was a great Sunday soundtrack while making chili. I've never seen Shaft. This makes me want to see Shaft. Sample recognition "Elle's Love Theme"

Great record that touches on all core points of funk. Love the 16 minute jam part

This was fun! How silly the Shaft theme song is. Issac Hayes can do no wrong for me, but I guess four stars because I don’t really desire returning to this. I think that’s my measure of a five: saving the album on Spotify and knowing I’ll want to listen again.

This turned out to be really great music to fold laundry to on a chilly November afternoon! The horns are sexy. Maybe we should watch Shaft?

An okay album, I liked Ellie's Love Theme and No Name Bar the most.

Honestly, smooth as hell

It's not a bad soundtrack at all, Isaac Hayes is capable of pulling off this style with ease, however without the context of the movie, it's likely losing some of its impact.

Overall: 6/10 Very funky, but I just don't like the idea of film scores being in the list. I gave a pass to Superfly mostly because I love Curtis Mayfield's voice and a majority of the songs featured his vocals, but how much is Isaac Hayes actually singing on this one? That's not to say entirely instrumental albums are bad, but I'd prefer if they weren't the soundtrack to a movie. The music itself is fine. Fav Song: Theme from Shaft

This wasn't my favourite. The first disk in particular mostly just felt like, well, soundtrack music (derogatory). The second disc had some highlights. "Soulsville," and "Do Your Thing" were excellent, with the other jams feeling much more coherent and interesting. It's mostly instrumental, and in the first half in particular seems designed to be background music (which, given it's a soundtrack, it may well have been!). A mixed bag, but largely one that I struggled with, especially given its length.

Very 70's.

Always a classic, but not one I would go out of my way to listen to

For a Movie soundtrack it was actually pretty relaxing to listen to. The two songs with lyrics are definitely products of their times. Went and watched the movie as well and the music fit solidly with it.

“Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks?” You know, I’ve always been interested in checking out this movie, and now I’ve heard the entirety of the soundtrack to it. This is the third movie soundtrack I’ve rolled so far for this project, and for the third time I think it would have been better had I already seen the movie going in. Listen, I love Isaac Hayes as much as the next guy, but this is not the best representation of his work. He barely even sings at all here, and his voice is the most notable thing about him. None of these songs, besides “Theme From Shaft” and “Do Your Thing” really stand on their own legs without whatever scene they are supposed to accompany. Without that very important added context, this is like 99% background music and 1% gold when he’s actually singing. The good news is that even the instrumentals are at the bare minimum good, even if some of them go on way too long. I’m an absolute sucker for some Funk/Soul, so it was at least enjoyable for the most part. It’s a tad boring in places, but with background music to a movie, that feels inevitable really. Another strange inclusion to this list to have a musician beloved for his voice, and inexplicably have him not sing for the majority of the album. Thank God for the fact that Hot Buttered Soul is on this list, that’s one I expect to enjoy substantially more. Important to note that I didn’t not enjoy this one, it just wasn’t what I was hoping it would be.

The music is fantastic... the only minor gripe is that it runs a bit long. I was going to give it a 4, but after reading all the dipshit comments whining about it being a soundtrack, it’s a 5 out of spite.

Excellent soul record. I didn’t realize it was primarily instrumental but that makes sense as a movie soundtrack. Just a fantastic listen. Isaac Hayes is a genius and The Bar-Kays are amazing.

It was mostly instrumental. It was nice to have on but it just faded into the background after a while.

It's long and I just prefer lyrics in my music. But there's some real talent here, that's undeniable. I just don't see picking this to put on again anytime soon.

Nice 70s vibe and good for background music.

Isaac Hayes was perfect for this soundtrack. Like Shaft, he was always (in till he went all in on Scientology) the coolest cat in the room. This is easily the greatest movie theme ever, and the rest of the album is just soulful awesomeness.

I did not realize that this was a Stax production, but the moment I read that, it clicked into place. Hayes and the session musicians on this album are making slight tweaks to that house formula, vamping it up here, adding some extra flourishes there. Not going to a place that is unrecognizable, but feeling eons ahead of what came before it.

I’ve never seen shaft, but before I hit play I knew what the theme sounded like. That alone should say something about the cultural significance of this album. The first half didn't really move me. Many of the instrumentals seemed too funked up. The second half though...that got another star out of me. I enjoyed tracks 10-14 very much. Do your thing was far too long.

Funky genius

Works really well for a movie picks: Theme from Shaft, Do your thing

The instrumental tracks aren't interesting to me but when Isaac Hayes sings I feel like I'm gonna make love to you, woman, Gonna lay you down by the fire! And caress your womanly body, Make ya moan and perspire.

Soundtrack albums can be extremely hit-or-miss, since they often depend on the visuals of their parent film. It’s the reason why Queen’s Flash Gordon, or the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine (album), or Pink Floyd’s More (or Obscured By Clouds), are regarded so much more negatively than the rest of their respective discographies. Shaft encounters a similar issue. Without (many) vocals to guide the listener along, and of course without having the movie playing alongside it, the music feels a little all-over-the-place. And often it’s plain bad. Walk From Regio’s is the first suspect track. It’s dominated by its slow, simple, repeating drum pattern, which gets old pretty quickly. (Good thing the track is also quite short.) Interlude tracks like Shaft’s Cab Ride are also completely unmemorable. But most of the album is plain, standard, “good” soft jazz (maybe elevator jazz?). Which, of course, earns the plain, standard 3-star rating. Highlights are tracks that can reasonably stand alone, even as instruments. Café Regio’s is one of these. Clocking in at just over 6 minutes, it has plenty of time to develop its musical ideas and juggle a few different textures one after the other. It’s also a pretty chill song overall, lacking most of the weird tension in other tracks and going all-in on the “background of a musical” feel. I can easily envision the concert band playing this during a (very, very long) onstage scene transition. The Theme From Shaft is also good. Musically, it's pretty simple, but has some instantly recognisable high notes in the strings that justify the simplicity. Soulsville and Do Your Thing earn points for being two of the only ones that utilise the band’s decently strong vocalist. But then Do Your Thing throws some of those points away for being… let’s see… what? 19 minutes? (Holy hell!) Be Yourself is impressive for the year 1970. It sounds straight out of the disco era. That combo of EW&F-esque guitar (whatever it’s called) and tight horn section are straight out of, well, a EW&F record. Or Tower Of Power. Strictly speaking, in isolation, it’s not a life-changing track. But I have to imagine it was pretty ahead of its time. No Name Bar, on the other hand, attempts a sort of progressive rock thing with the genre’s signature multiple sections, but it doesn’t work at all. At least the jazzy sax sections are good. 3/5 Key tracks: Theme From Shaft, Be Yourself, Soulsville

Issac Hayes may have been a nut but he maid some good baby making music

Nice

I really enjoyed this one start to finish. I love a good soundtrack, and I definitely see how someone like Isaac Hayes would make a good sountrack - something atmospheric and tone-setting - especially for a cool and groovy movie like Shaft.

Shafted

Really nice listening, lots of pleasant instrumentals and danceable songs. 4 stars

Perfectly funky, but alI fear without the film to tie it together it's a bit a drift.

Instrumentals are not really my thing, and I'm not that into funk, so put those together and this is definitely an album I'll pass on. Soulsville was kinda nice though, as it had some words. And Isaac Hayes has a beautiful voice. Do Your Thing could have been good if it wasn't 20 minutes long. Good vocal section, and the instrumental part wasn't too bad either. Cut the beginning vocal section apart from the instrumental, and you'd have a much better song. I wouldn't mind hearing this as background music, so I'll give it a 2. Best song: Do Your Thing

Cool but there were much better OST in 70s

The second half is a romp! Not sure why this is on the list but it's a great time

Not a big fan of soundtracks on this list, though the lead track is iconic and I could see how the film could have really pushed this genre. Started well enough, quite like this cool funk heavy soul in patches. It goes on though, particularly that one near the end that was about 20 minutes long for no apparent reason. I think it's a very good soundtrack for a film but that doesn't mean it's a good album.

Felt like I was powering around Queens, New York City, in the 70s. Trumpet in my ears, ready to take on the world. Smooth.

Do I need to hear the music to a 70s film as essential listening? I don't think I do! I've never seen the film though so maybe I'm not the correct audience. The shaft theme has been satirised so much they I can't help but just find it funny... Perhaps it was fairly unique at that time though. Feels super dated and tongue in cheek now though, but don't think it's meant to be. Isaac Hays has a good voice and a lot of this is pleasant enough, just don't think it's essential and would never choose to listen again. Who could forget such classics as "shafts cab ride" or his "walk from Regio's" though hey.... 2, as it's inoffensive and he has a good voice

Most of the songs don't exist on Spotify or aren't available in my region. Seems good?

I like the theme song as much as the next guy, so I have to admit I was hoping for more tracks with Isaac Hayes’s unbelievably smooth vocals, and fewer “Shaft gets a cup of coffee,“ instrumentals. I can still dig it, but just not as much.

Mostly jazz, rather than funk, but it’s good stuff. “Do Your Thing” is outstanding.

It's pretty good. 3.5*

Relaxing☺️

woaaa, weirdly nostalgic, i don't know this guy at all tho, nor the movie. specific vibe, but i like it.

It was a good album but way too long! Less instrumentals would have been better, we wanna hear that voice! 3 ⭐️

Sounds like a soundtrack, because it is a soundtrack.

Well Hello there children

Pretty cool, definitely a classic theme.

I'm not usually into movie soundtracks that much but this was throughly enjoyable from start to finish. Great compositions, arrangements, and loads of funk. I can see why this soundtrack won an Academy Award. Plus, that soulful voice of Isaac Hayes popping up every so often. Great stuff.

Naslovna tema super ostalo dosadno. Pored black moses i hot butter soul ovo je dosadno

Enjoyed this album! Brings to mind elevator music but with an upbeat twist. Not my usual genre of choice - but I'm tempted to look more into psychedelic soul/progressive soul because of it. Enjoyed it so much it felt like a quick listen even though it was over an hour in length. Might revisit later.

very cool, great music for working

Thoroughly enjoyable.... who knew?

Yeah nah, not for me, a bit flaccid👎 "No Name Bar" & "Do Your Thing" were sufficiently interesting enough to save it from a ⭐, the rest is either a funky cringe-fest or elevator drivel 🤮

Not for me … the music or the film…

Blind album and artist. Holllllyyyy shiiiiiit. The shaft is smoooooth god dayum. I gotta go watch this movie now. I loved all the tracks from the theme to the 20 minute epic brain-melting ballad of cool.

Zuhause, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Nett, mehr aber auch nicht.

Do your thing is so epic