Reviews (page 7 of 8)
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.
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.
floot grooves. I'm sure it was great in the context of the movie, struggled to engage without.
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.
I couldn't finish it i don't like it
0/16 bekannt 5/10 Beste Songs: Walk from regio‘s, Café regio‘s, the end theme Songnamen passen gut zu den Songs
2/5 - Theme song is classic, and I enjoy the general funk, but I'm not here for film scores.
-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
Meh. Stone roses sample
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
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.
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.
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.
Starts strong, but loses it's way pretty quickly.
It’s cool and legendary but at times falls to background noise.
Definitely filler, background music
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
Smooth black energy
The music is probably great in the movie, but doesnt work as an album. Standout song Do your thing
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.
Shafted
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
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.
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
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…
Kind of boring
Peasant enough but I can't shake the feeling that it would be better while watching the movie it was made for.
Interesting background vibe music. But this soundtrack doesnt give me enough to really go on about.
the intro is a great song, a classic, if you will, but the rest of the songs just illustrate the actual movie, which is devoid of meaning when you’re only focusing on the music. in terms of this being on the list, it shouldn’t be. if soundtracks are allowed then there should be many others making it on this list. the music was fine, but it doesn’t need to be on this list
Not my thing.
Might have meant something to someone familiar with Blaxploitation, but not for me.
Started good but got a bit boring
It's a perfectly fine soundtrack but I feel this is only included on the strength of the theme song 2.5*
Theme song is awesome, but the restvis forgettable
2.5 stars. Despite being exceptionally well-crafted and produced, there's very little on this album that I find engaging. It's very mellow, and much of it resembles 1970s elevator music. The title track is obviously a classic, and I really dig "No Name Bar" and "Do Your Thing" (as long as it is) as well. If you like slow grooves with lots of flute, this is your jam.
Decisamente not my style e canzoni troppo lunghe e ripetitive
Some good parts, don’t understand why it’s on the list
kedelig. 2
I didn’t think soundtracks were even allowed on this list—if they are, then where’s Saturday Night Fever? Honestly, I don’t see why Shaft deserves a place in the 1001 albums to hear before you die. As a soundtrack, the music probably works well within the film, and there are some nice moments—Theme from Shaft, No Name Bar, and Do Your Thing all stand out. But as a standalone album, it feels flat, with too many aimless instrumentals that struggle to hold your attention. For me, it’s a fairly pointless listen outside of its cinematic context. Favourite track: Theme from Shaft is the obvious highlight, with No Name Bar and Do Your Thing also enjoyable. These three songs just about lift the album to a 2/5 instead of a 1/5. Least favourite track: Most of the instrumentals blur into one, making it hard to pick out anything memorable. Album artwork: A standard soundtrack cover—nothing special.
So this music isn’t the worst overall. It’s listenable in short doses. BUT the 19 minute song messed it all up. -1 for annoyingness & length. Mehhhhhhhh
Long-Winded "Be Yourself", "No Name Bar", "Do Your Thing" and "The End Theme" are great. As for the rest, I guess im to european for this but appreciate the artistry. 2/10
While the music isn't that bad, it just goes on for too long and the song "Do Your Thing" overstays its welcome. Overall I'll give this a high 2/5.
Who mastered the first song? The rest, an OST with nothing stellar in it.
Trilha sonora. Até que legal, mas nada a ver estar na lista.Soundtrack. Pretty cool, but it has no place on the list.
I liked the groove it was missing vocals on the songs I didn't save because it's a movie soundtrack.
Ein Cooles Lied. Der Rest plätschert so dahin.
It's fine but it's a soundtrack. Without the movie it just doesn't make sense. 2.13
I get that this was a popular movie at the time but I don’t see the appeal of this album. Reminded me of an elevator.
Exactly as I expected listening to a TV series soundtrack would sound like. Background elevator music.
Not feeling it this day, but probably would have rated it higher another time
I am a fan of Isaac Hayes, he was truly an amazing artist. Although I’m not a fan of his work with the Super Adventure Club. I feel that Black Moses should have been on this list included over this album. The Theme of Shaft is certainly an all time song, but fourteen more tracks of soundtrack music hardly make this a must listen.
4/10 It's a soundtrack. It sounds like a soundtrack. It has one song and then lots of sound tracks. They sound ok in places, but rarely hint a cohesive album in the way I think this list understands it to be.
I have never watched this movie, but the soundtrack is ok. I kinda don't understand why this is on here.
Unique black voice from the 70’s.
This isn't my jam, but I appreciate it. It's dynamic, well-made and interesting. 2/5 stars.
More long-winded '70s soul/funk. Not for me.
I really have no idea why this is on the list. Soundtracks are an odd choice, and if you’ve got this one why not Saturday Night Fever or Who Made Who as well? Massively over long and a bit shit does not make me love this.
I listened to the Deluxe version to get all the songs and because everyone recommends it and....Meh. This was a fun jazz album by "Chef" (I can't believe this is the same guy who voices that South Park character) but this album just sounds like hotel lobby/elevator music. Most of the songs never go anywhere or develop. There are fun songs and good ideas here, just too long and boring at times. Maybe this would be better if I saw the movie. Liked Songs: "Cafe Regio" , "Ellie's Love Theme" , "Shaft's Cab Ride" , "Early Sunday Morning" , "Soulsville" , "No Name Bar"
This was fine for a soundtrack. I do like the overall sound, but it didn't particularly do anything groundbreaking in a musical sense. Maybe watching the movie would make me appreciate it more. 2.5
I'm not gonna say I disliked this album, because it would be a lie. I juste didn't think it was nearly as good as many other albums on here. I don't think it is one of the best soundtracks ever, which to me makes its position in the list really questionnable. Still, it was an easy listen, just not a fantastic one.
Tolerable but barely so.
What is this even doing on the list? Yes, the Theme from Shaft is an undeniable funk classic with its iconic wah-wah guitar and slinky groove, but beyond that, this soundtrack feels more like an exercise in background music than an essential album. The bulk of Shaft is made up of long, meandering instrumentals that, while slickly arranged, don’t really stand on their own outside of the film. Tracks like Cafe Regio’s and Ellie’s Love Theme are pleasant but unmemorable, often drifting into repetitive jam territory without ever really going anywhere. The few vocal moments—when Hayes finally steps up to the mic—are strong, but they’re so sparse that they feel like an afterthought. As a film score, it does its job, setting the mood with smooth orchestrations and deep bass grooves, but as a standalone album, it’s a slog. The tracks blur together, rarely offering anything as dynamic or engaging as the famous theme song. There’s no doubt that Hayes was a gifted arranger and a key figure in soul and funk, but Shaft feels more like an overlong movie cue than an album worth revisiting. If this weren’t attached to an iconic film, no one would be talking about it.
No suena mal, pero me ha resultado aburrido excepto el tema principal que es un clásico de esta época, lo he guardado. Entiendo que hay que escucharlo alguna vez en la vida.
I really wanted to prove the haters wrong, but the haters were right: without the movie this is missing so much.
A bit loungy.
Audible porno Ellie’s Love Theme is 5/5
The main theme is iconic but the rest is a bit so so
Some enjoyable smooth jeopardy, but on the whole the ratio of funk to lift tilts too far towards lift!
Simultaneously awesome and cheesy which is quite an achievement. Sadly mostly the latter, never lives up to the awesome promise of the opening track
It’s a score to a film, not an album. It has groove and the vocal tracks are good, but there are only so many instrumentals I can take - too long.
If I saw the movie "Shaft", or at least had some visual aid, I would rate it higher. Anyone else agree? Damn right! Favorite Song: "Theme From 'Shaft'".
non capisco il senso di inserire questo album. è una colonna sonora, ma dura tipo un quarto d’ora e a mio avviso non è neanche così particolare o rivoluzionaria. non è male, ma davvero, un ascolto inutile.
It’s good as a background music for moving images. It’s funky and stuff, but why tf is it on 1001 greatest albums list? In the words of shaft, man an hour long soundtrack of some 70s tv series on this list come on you gotta be kidding me. Never seen shaft
This is the fourth 2* album in a row. I'm sorry. This again is a nice album with some nice sounds. But... it doesn't do anything for me. Doesn't elevate me, doesn't make me feel anything. (Is the problem me??) Best songs: Do Your Thing Theme From Shaft
Maybe it would have meant a lot more if I had seen the movie. Otherwise it feels a little low impact. Is it good background music, yes. But it is good background music. It has some emotion in it and would work well with some visuals, but on its own it wasn't super interesting.
Well, this was too long and quite boring. The theme is a bop.
Nja, beetje te lang. Hoefde er voor mij niet op. Cava om op te zetten op de achtergrond. 2.4
Decent for background noise
Artiste inconnu, et je ne suis pas sur d'avoir vu le film. Par contre j'ai reconnu le premier morceau, un classique ! Le reste, en majorité instrumental, est plutôt agréable à écouter. Mais il y a aussi du remplissage, qui passe certainement quand on regarde le film mais est plutôt ennuyeux à l'écoute (exemple "Be Yourself" bien trop répétitif). Pas sur de l'écouter de nouveau. =>2/5
It's fun but not something I'll listen to again.
There’s a song on this soundtrack with the powerful title: “Shaft Strikes Again” - and it’s the most mellow and boring thing, you’ve heard in a long time. I listen to Isaac Hayes for his vocal, a thing that is almost completely omitted from Shaft. It’s not a bad soundtrack; it’s just not an album. Looking forward to listening to Howard Shore’s LotR-soundtrack further into this list.
#444. I'm sure this was fine as background music in the film, but it doesn't really stand up as something interesting on its own. It's not bad, it's just boring out of context. 2/5: meh
I'm a bit conflicted with this one. I enjoyed a lot of it and see why it's included (the cultural significance of the main theme). But I'm on the fence about whether soundtracks should be included here at all. A lot of these tracks don't really stand alone without the context of the film (which I haven't seen). Much preferred Hot Buttered Soul.
Listened to the deluxe version. I love this type of music, but barring the song sung by Hayes, this was capital b Boring. Songs dragged on too long, album was too long. Woudlve been better as a medly.
2,5
I expected a banger... It's Isaac Hayes. And then I realised this really is just a soundtrack album. Not songs from the film, but the music that accompanies various scenes in the movie. A disappointing and a bit boring exercise.
Oh look, more 70s music. Shocker. This should be interesting, though. I’m too young to have seen the movie, but the song is pop culture royalty. It's mainly just a score, which I was a little surprised about. The issue with that is that it just sounds like a cheesy 70s movie, which isn't extraordinary, it's just kind of forgettable. For a soundtrack to be something one "must listen to before you die" I would think it would need to be something exceptionally different or groundbreaking. For example: Judgement Night - forgettable movie, but the soundtrack was really breaking ground by putting major hip hop artists with major rock artists. The rap/rock hybrid sort of became the dominant sound of the mid 90s, but this album predated that dominance and, in fact, heavily influenced it. Purple Rain - I mean, just a masterpiece on so many levels. I know it's already in this project so I won't belabor the point, but THIS is an album you have to hear at least once before you die. Saturday Night Fever - Look, I don't like disco, and this album isn't my cup of tea. But if you're talking about albums to listen to before you die, this is one of them. Whether you like the music or not, it tells a story. It is a love note to a very specific time and place. There are instructions in this album, there is history in this album. It is a time capsule and, for a moment at least, it was perfection. Oh Brother Where Art Thou - This soundtrack took music that was close to 100 years old and somehow catapulted the album to number 1 on all the charts! Why? What was the allure? How the hell? Exactly! Don't you want to know the answers? Don't you want - no, *need* - to listen to that album before you die? Exactly! There are literally dozens of soundtracks that are more deserving of being on list of Albums to hear before you die. Even if you're looking more at scores than soundtracks, literally anything by John Williams, Gladiator, Chariots of Fire, Interstellar, Last of the Mohicans, FFS! Anyway, this album was underwhelming.
I’d always assumed that ‘Theme from Shaft’ was a one off novelty record, but it turns out that Isaac Hayes (who missed out on the title role) recorded the whole soundtrack for the film. The result is a double album of prime 70s funk and soul. Judged on its own merits, most of these tracks lack context so feel a bit aimless. The highlight though is ‘Do Your Thing’ - an epic 20 minute track which makes me feel like driving a car through some cardboard boxes.
I've watched this movie at least a dozen times and I do not recall the soundtrack being this boring.
It's just too much wokka wokka guitar.
Delighted just to be able to access only 4 tracks of a double album
2.5 This is one of the weirder inclusions we’ve had on the list so far in that it’s a film soundtrack. Not that that itself is a problem per se - I mean, so is Purple Rain - but this album feels much more like film score, meaning, it’s mostly instrumental stuff that sounds like it was meant to play in the background of movie scenes. So, as someone who’s never seen Shaft, it makes this album hard to rate. Does this album work? Idk, it’s hard to gauge given that the intention and creative force behind most of the music was to accompany the film. Don’t get me wrong, listening isolated is fine, but without context, it also just feels like a lot of nothing. The Theme track is at least pretty good, but conversely, there’s no reason Do Your Thing needed to be as long as it is - it just feels like the same thing looping over and over for twenty minutes. If you want to hear something of the same length that’s much better, go give The Decline by NOFX a listen - it’s certainly topical given the current state of affairs in America. Hell, maybe everyone should go out and give that song a listen right now. Not exactly sure how to rate this one, so I’m just going to land in the middle. Will definitely revisit if I ever do end up watching Shaft.
It’s good. The funk is played well, an the orchestral parts in the theme are well done. It’s just kind of kitschy. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
I think this would have been better if I had any context for who Shaft is
Maybe the best theme song of all time? Its up there. The rest is fun and of that era. Horn sections, wind sections and a touch of Isaac (he doesn't sing that much). Was fun and fine.
Pleasant but too close to elevator music. Obviously the actual theme song is great though.
Never saw the film so I don't have any context for the soundtrack. It sounds very stereotypically 70s in an almost funny way. Key tracks: Theme from Shaft
Haven't seen the film, so no nostalgia for me for this. The theme is fun, lyrics are hilarious, almost exactly what you'd write if you were parodying a film like this. But most of the rest of it is incidental music, nice, but ultimately designed to accompany something else rather than being listened to in its own right. 2/5.
All I can hear in this album is “Shaft!”.. it was just ok.
Not a huge fan of soundtracks. A couple tracks on this album can be standalone's but as an album it's not high on my list.
I'm sure this would be great within the context of the film but it's pretty boring by itself. There is a rare highlight to toss in an instrumental playlist though. 2/5
Classic track, not a class album.
Für das klasse "Theme From Shaft" einen Extrapunkt. Der Rest ist leider zu sehr Soundtrack. Ohne Film fehlt was.
A few songs are okay, but this doesn’t really feel like an album. Probably suffers a lot without the movie it’s attached to. …do I just not like slow, soulful R&B?
Scientology is a cult
Perfekt elevator-musik hvis din swingerklub ligger på 5. sal
Pleasant background noise. Not that exciting as an album
Hmmmmm. movie soundtrack and mostly instrumental. Why on this list? Just for the one song?
It's a solid movie soundtrack, if a product of its age.
As 3 músicas que eles recomendam são boas, mas o resto faz nenhum sentido sem a imagem provavelmente
Fairly ambivalent about this record! It was certainly fun and pleasant, and I’m sure that title track was a hit, fantastic example of that sound, good jazz interspersed there. I felt soundtracked to. It no doubt must be brilliant in its effect of scoring the film, but it suffers from being unsupported on its own without the film itself to lead the way. 2/5, probably not returning to this as an album, despite its acclaim!
I hoped this would be a lot more fun than it was. I knew the iconic theme with all that lovely funky wah wah business. But as with all movie soundtracks (especially mainly instrumental like this one) it’s not a great listen unless you absolutely love the movie. Having never seen it, it was all a bit lost on me.
Gameshow music. Got really dull really fast
Favourite song - cafe regio
Boring
This album is so cheesy Kraft Foods called - they want their Velveeta back. 1.5/5.0: Bad
not for me
A Soundtrack? I guess it is all performed by the same artist, Isaac Hayes. Good background music, I guess
Bow-chica-bow SHAFT
Oddly corny for such a controversial album. 2/5
The music was ok but it really felt like listening to a movie soundtrack, something was just missing without the story elements and visuals. If we are going to allow movie soundtracks on here there must be really iconic ones that deserve places here too. How does one even decide? As an album it doesn't really connect as you can here the songs belong to different scenes. The theme is cool though,
This soundtrack has some great bits but is mostly skippable and not worth your time---JUST LIKE THIS LIST 😮
Most songs weren't available on Spotify
Kind of tough to rate a soundtrack album heavy in instrumentals without viewing the movie simultaneously. For me the 70s cop show sound just doesn't hold up today. Quintessential for the time, but the relevancy has faded.
I like that 70's guitar sound, obviously the lead track is the standout out and the rest seems what it is, background.
Lots of soul/blues jamming. Enjoyable enough but not something I would seek out.
Fun album to get for this, but only really enjoyed a few of the tracks. Personally feeling pretty meh over it.
Da jeg startede med at høre den her plade tænkte jeg: Jeg vidste slet ikke at jeg havde haft brug for så meget wah-pedal, orgel og blæsere før! Men efter de første 10-15 minutter fandt jeg ud af at jeg ikke behøvede mere i min hverdag.. Soundtracket giver mig lyst til at se blaxploitation film... Og det er nok præcis den her lyd jeg forbinder med den filmgenre, så det er jo ikonisk og derfor den er på listen. Desværre bliver pladen rimelig ensformigt og lidt kedeligt i LÆNGDEN.
Definitely lacks the engaging aspects of a dedicated album as a soundtrack but has pretty good funky grooves. Won’t be a regular listen and I didn’t save anything
Theme from Shaft is a banger but the rest of the album is just background music.
This was a funky album. But also... my life doesn’t need to have shaft music in the background.
Based on the title track this would earn 5 stars but due to the remainder os the songs being hot tub jazz, which is definitely not my cup of tea I have to score a 2
Boring
I'm sure it's great if you know the context these songs play in during the movie, but for the uninitiated, it's not very engaging.
I played the Theme in high school. Loved it. Hadn’t heard the rest of the album. It is a movie score - not expected to be 75 minutes of high level stuff. I’m not a fan of strings and vocals. Two stars
this album suffers from what many soundtracks do, the fact that it is comprised of mostly instrumentals. i do enjoy the music of the album, don’t get me wrong, but it would be much more enjoyable if more of the songs had vocals.
Meh. Good background music, I guess. 🤷♂️
Listening to a soundtrack from a film you've never seen definitely takes away about 90% of the experience. Does that mean I'm going to go and watch the film just to make a less biased review? Absolutely not. I'm doing this challenge to listen to music, not to watch films. That's the fault of the list's creator for putting an album on the list that requires more than just the music to fully experience. Every review from everyone here is biased to a degree so I'm going to review this album, as an album, as someone who has never seen this film. This album really drags on, it never feels like it really goes anywhere and just keeps doing the same thing all the way through. The fact that almost all the songs are instrumental definitely doesn't help, it just makes it so much more boring than it already is. It has its moments, it can be enjoyable at times. It's the kind of thing you need to listen to while doing something else, I couldn't even imagine how tedious it would be to get through this entire album if you just sat down and listened to it. Overall, definitely not the worst thing I have ever heard, but I really have no desire to come back and listen to this album likely ever again.
This is alright for a soundtrack, quite a few epic melodies that have been sampled in hip hop. This is far from the best Isaac Hayes though, probably would not listen again.
Only 3 songs of the 15 are available on Spotify for some reason. I guess they couldn't get the rights. I can listen to the whole album elsewhere but that was kind of interesting to me. In any case, this is a strangely popular album. For the kitsch or whatever, I don't know.
Movie soundtrack with a couple good songs.
Not my jam
In Canada, Spotify only has the rights to 4 tracks, so this may be an unfair review… Funk guitar to kick off the theme song, always a plus! I did think it would be a bit louder and intense (just thinking it is an action movie soundtrack). Full of soul. From what I’ve heard, high 2 to very low 3.
I was just not interested in this album. It felt a bit too much like a soundtrack for a 70s movie for me to enjoy it. Plus, Issac Hayes first appeared to me on South Park and I can’t separate that from him. Sorry this album was always set up to not live up to my tastes.
Good but like just an instrumental soundtrack?
This was okay, but was also just a movie soundtrack. I don't think I needed to listen to this, I could've just watched the movie.
Couldnt really listen to the whole album and Isaac Hayes is great but this seems like a weird placement here.
What this really needs is a film to watch at the same time.
I couldn’t dig it.
can ya dig it? the obvious aside, sadly not
It’s fine as background music
I bought the single "Theme from Shaft" and it's still an amazing track, but for the rest of the album that Spotify allowed me to listen to - meh!
I knew the them song. I was surprised that this entire album made the cut. It is not a bad album, but certainly there have to be better funk/soul albums? There was already one Isaac Hayes album on this list. The album is certainly better than some of the other albums on this list. I don't see myself listening to this entire album again.
Classic funk, but a score without the movie is not my thing
Enjoyed some of it but had higher expectations. Not much variety.
Shrug
2 songs rest is 70s elevator music
Incredibly boring
A soundtrack that perfectly communicates what's happening but sounds like it's elevator music now. Everyone knows the theme. I really dug the bassline on "No Name Bar" but I didn't come across any crazy standouts.
Good strong vibe, definitely a music soundtrack cause it’s mostly instrumentals. The vibe here is super funky
Pretty snazzy but a bit samey after a while
It has its moments, but too much of it sounds like background music (which, being a soundtrack, it is).
My entire knowledge of Isaac Hayes is from watching South Park as a kid. Refreshing to hear that voice again. Great first track. Peters out a bit from there, I know it's a soundtrack, but a large bunch of the tracks sound like they're trying to focus the viewer on what's happening, which doesn't really work in solely audio format. The other two vocal tracks Soulsville and Do Your Thing were disappointing for opposite reasons; the former because it simply wasn't good, the latter because it was good but then ran far too long. I'm a fan of a long jam but 10-12 minutes would have been much better than the actual 19. Might check out some of his other stuff given the vocal tracks were on the whole enjoyable.
That theme song is a verified 11 outta 10. The rest of the album doesn't need to exist. It's functional background music. I now know where "Santa Claus is Coming to the Ghetto" got their sampling from, however. So that's cool.
The title track (which everyone knows) and some other vocal tracks are good, otherwise this is surprisingly bland.
Except for the title track, it wasn't very exciting.
A film score and it shows. It is pretty laid back which is weird given the film it is supporting. The title track is the standout providing the memorable hook - Stick any single syllable to the end of the Who is the .....
There’s nothing inherently bad about this but long soundtrack albums which are mostly instrumental just aren’t made for me. 2/5
Ihan kiva, toimii taustamusiikkina. Ei mene jammailuksi vaikka uhka on.
I don't really see why a soundtrack is on this list. I'm sure Issac Hayes has many many fantastic albums that don't have the disadvantage of not missing visuals to go along with it. That being said its ovbiously very well made funk and Hayes vocals are as smooth as you would expect. But being a soundtrack alot of the time it just meanders along without any really standout moments because thats exactly why it was made, as background music.
The soundtrack languishes a little too long in its soundtrackness. There are moments that reach choice, and nothing is bad; There's just excessive repetition making for something average.
Was it an interesting idea? Yes. Did it make me feel like I was hold while calling a bank? Also yes. Would I listen to it again? No. Can appreciate the history with movie sound tracks and academy awards but it's little more than elevator muzak in the end, until it got to track 14.
"Superfly" is on this list as well - did we really need two progressive soul funk soundtracks released like 6 months apart on this list? This doesn't work as well without the context of the movie as the other soundtracks on this list do (or at least I assume as I haven't seen the movie). Too many songs here are just little background tracks that no sane being would ever listen to in their spare time. Uhh.. something something coffee shop music, something something Scientology is a cult, something something South Park. And again, I have to mention the fact that C418's "Minecraft: Volume Alpha" is not on this list despite being not only the best soundtrack album of all time but also the best ambient album of all time in general! Curse you Robert Dimery, yet again!
Rating: 2.5 Without watching the movie it might be a less enjoyable experience. It's a fine album but besides the main theme and (tracks with vocals in general) nothing really stands out on each own. This could be a good background music though it already sounds very dated. Best song: Soulville (Really good soul/bluesy song, with meaningful lyrics and great backing trumpet) Worst song: Walk from Regio's (repeating sounds are irritating, unpleasant)
Theme is legendary, but everything else is meh
Chill enough but a bit ZzzZ
Beyond the classic signature tune there's a baffling amount of lift music on this. Some funky bits I guess but it's pretty bland.
Torenhoge verwachtingen die niet waar gemaakt werden. Behalve die eerste track viel alles vies tegen. Jammer.
Het openingsnummer is briljant! Dus ik had echt zin in een plaat vol van dit soort funky spul. Maar helaas blijkt de rest van deze soundtrack vol te staan met instrumentale R&B liftmuziek. Wat een suffe bende.
Couldn't find lots of the tracks
I know Curtis Mayfield's Superfly will be coming up on the list later, which to my mind, is a much stronger choice for "blaxploitation movie soundtrack" if someone felt that niche genre had to be included. Here's the difference between Superfly and Shaft: Superfly actually works as a standalone album, not just as a soundtrack. Shaft is one iconic song - "Theme from Shaft" is rightfully legendary - and then a lot of instrumental filler. It's not bad music at all, but it doesn't really work outside of the context of the film.
Agree with others here that this is a questionable addition outside the context of the movie – several tracks are enjoyable and decently funky, but this OST was written to literally provide background music for the film. There are definitely musical chops shown here, but as a standalone listen it just doesn't break above surface level.
Great theme- proper 70's soul but a lot of the rest of the album is orchestral wallpaper with a couple of good tracks in between. Hot Buttered Soul is better by far.
Ohhh yeah, he's the man. But saying that other than the theme tracks, the other tracks sound a bit like elevator music. Maybe it would be better while I'm making sweet sweet love to my woman
Yritin kuunnella avoimin mielin, mutta tää funkkihomma, yyh. En osaa kuvitella olevani koskaan niin tšilli, ettei tällainen musiikki kuulostaisi lähinnä vittuilulta. Tunnistan hyvin tehdyksi, siitä yksi piste.
I have never seen or even heard of the movie. It’s a nice soundtrack album, funky jazz with really nice rhythmic section. But that’s all there is to me. It lacks context of the movie. And therefore I’m really puzzled if this should even be on that list?
Relic
2/5. Some great instrumentals but mostly very similar styles without much diversity among them. The opening track is great but I would rather just watch the movie.
Title track is iconic for sure but the rest of the album isn't particularly noteworthy.
Theme is great, but the rest is not anything amazing, I'd rank a bunch of soundtracks higher than this. The Theme gets it out of 1 star though, so there is that.
Lekker vet maar niet mijn stijl
theme from shaft forever goated, shoutout knowhow by young mc the rest is okay. the movie's legacy is complicated. isaac hayes has some good stuff in his catalogue but eh
A little boring on its own... Sparse mixing which makes it extra uninteresting.
I understand this album is on the list due to its impact on popular culture and the landmark in time. But, it's a soundtrack. And it sounds like one. Probably sounds well as background music for whatever is happening on screen. But aside from the killer opening track and the 20 minute jam-session on Do Your Thing, without the visuals, this album is mostly just funky elevator music. Right on.
Despite its iconic title track, its still an OST, so its uninteresting despite its musicianship
Haha…I can’t even take this album seriously. The Shaft theme song has always seemed comical to me, probably because it has been referenced in pop culture so many times. Most of the album feels like elevator music to me. Reminds me of music that would have been playing when my mom would drag me shopping with her through Pic N Save in the 80’s. It would have been a 1 star, but the 20-min long “Do Your Thing” barely gave me enough to give it 2 stars.
Definitely has a 70s-show-background-music sound. I didn't love it, but at least it was easy to ignore.1
Funky. But never saw the movie so...
Boring
Made it part way thru. Probably should watch the movie
Not bad. But it's movie music. It must sound great in the film.
The main Theme Song is absolutely amazing...the rest I could leave alone. Too much movie soundtrack. 1.5/5
Funk
The main theme is fun, and there’s a sort of airy, happy-go-lucky feeling to the instrumentals which is endearing (no idea how a lot of these translate to a crime/action thriller though…) But as an album in its own right? Can’t see myself sticking this on in any situation really. The Super Fly soundtrack is better.
It's a perfectly fine soundtrack, but I think the only reason I would listen to this is if I had some nostalgia for the movie, which I don't. It was a bit long and I don't think I could distinguish anything besides the title track.
chef from South Park made a movie soundtrack
That seemed like a really strange choice for top albums, but I don't really know the context. All I could hear was chef from South park as that's where I know Isaac Hayes from.
Cool groovy music, I can get why its on the list but not something I’d care to listen to unless its in a movie. Aso Isaac Hayes is a bitch for leaving south park
Title track good. Otherwise.. well its a soundtrack.
I'm confused by the inclusion of film soundtracks on here... what is the criteria? Why are there no John Williams scores if soundtracks are fair game?
Main tune is a tune, the rest is (admittedly funky) instrumentals.
Pretty boring. The 20-minute Do Your Thing is great though.
Good vibes. Once a year listen.
Unfortunately, this doesn't do much for me.
Was pretty good. It was interesting hearing the wah pedal on an earlier piece of music than I'm used to hearing. The songs probably worked better as a part of the movie though, some songs were a bit too repetitive for casual listening.
Its not bad but its far from great.
I mean the music was fine... good even. Maybe I'd like it more if I'd watched the film but it didn't really seem to be a cohesive thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkfLKiYIfL4
That main theme sure is a classic. The rest is not great. It's not super terrible but I'd be lying if I didn't think of elevator or hold music while portions of this album played. I get that it's a soundtrack so there's a reason for so many instrumentals but Isaac Hayes had such a cool voice and I wish it had been used here more often. Come for the main theme and check out after. The movie is pretty good too.
Wow, this one was really really lame. I understand that this soundtrack is historically relevant in terms of what movie soundtracks can be. But I really don't care for listening to nearly any soundtrack as an album. The point of a soundtrack is to accompany something. Without the accompanying something you're just left with context-free yet context-specific background sound. I liked Soulsville. It was one of the only tracks with lyrics and to me the only track that could stand on its own (apart from Do Your Thing if it were 6 instead of 19 minutes). The guy has a nice voice, so I'm all for a proper album by Isaac Hayes. But please no more soundtracks.
It was really good but surprisingly long. "Do Your Thing" is 19:27. WTF! Plus it starts to sound like one continuous album of like 30 musicians who got together and jammed. That may not be a bad thing if you are into 1hr 10 minutes (roughly) of that jam. I wasn't and could think of many more Movie albums that belong on this list then Shaft. Finally Isaac Hayes has much better records out where he actually sings on more then two of the songs.
he did better things than this
Meh
Damn, I’m not familiar with this kind of music except for the parody usage we are used to by now… to me sounds dated AF even if I can recognize the talent and creativity. Couldn’t finish it. Not my jam.
Not bad, but I didn’t really enjoy it.
Track 01 - 2.75/5 Track 02 - 2.5/5 Track 03 - 1.5/5 Track 04 - 2.5/5 Track 05 - 2.5/5 Track 06 - 2/5 Track 07 - 2.5/5 Track 08 - 2.25/5 Track 09 - 2.25/5 Track 10 - 2.75/5 Track 11 - 2.5/5 Track 12 - 2.25/5 Track 13 - 2/5 Track 14 - 2.25/5 Track 15 - 2/5 Overall: 2.25/5 Album Art: 3.75/5
Schwachsinnige Idee, Filmmusik in solch eine Liste aufzunehmen, noch dazu, wenn es sich um Instrumentalmusik handelt: wie soll das funktionieren, wenn man den Film nicht kennt? Gefällig, aber keine 3 Sterne
Not all songs were available in Italy
Good album
funk
Alright, but not my style. Main track is a classic though. 2 Stars
Shafted
It is exactly as it says it is... a soundtrack, and a very good one at that... but I don't want to sit at home and listen to background music.
It was pretty good, but everything sounded the same after a while.
first song is the only good one, couldn't finish
The main theme is a classic. The rest of it is as 70s as it gets. But without context, most soundtrack music doesn't really work as listening material. A soundtrack that consists of actual songs (Almost Famous, Saturday Night Fever) would have been a better suggestion from this site.
meh
alright, but besides the shaft theme song lets a bit down on the other ends
Elevator music
Для фона сойдёт
I like a bit of soul but this is a bit TOO much soul for me
Mostly instrumental
No Chocolate Salty Balls? Bummer. This music is awesome - a nice jazz/funk blend and great arrangements. The whole thing is varying shades of sexy (from corny to porny). I recommend not listening to is while you drop your kid off at the bus stop if you don't want to get weird, judgmental looks for the "good" parents. I could rate this album as high as a 4, but I won't on principle. It's a theatrical score and was never meant to be listened to as an album. As great as the music is, it was created as one piece of a larger puzzle, meant to be enjoyed in the context of the film. No one should have to listen to this album before they die - they should watch the movie with the sound all the way up.
Meh
Love that tune. Good soundtrack. Stops there.
Not my cup of tea.
well, it's a soundtrack. Needs the show to shine.
No esperaba encontrar una BSO en la lista. Algunos temas míticos y otros que se me han hecho largos.
weird that a soundtrack made it on here
A little too slow for me. Easy listening but nothing memorable.
Upbeat, largely instrumental music. "Groovy"! Theme from Shaft was my favorite.
Rien que le thème de Shaft justifie un album
Cool ass grocery store music. Mervins music. Grand Theft Auto music. Felt great walking around LQA with this in my ears. Cold sunshine. Got a sandwich from a deli. Bought some cottage cheese. Ate the cottage cheese. C+
Wah wah madness
uhh, its shaft. its basically a porn soundtrack from 70s malaise movie era
Not on Spotify. Title track is a banger though.
Int så bängeri Bra soul, men kanske lite ensidigt
Indeed it is a soundtrack from the 70's. Theme from Shaft is the most entertaining... both lyrics and background vocals that chant "SHAFT!"
Little boring
Just not into instrumentals and this was very long.
It's like listening to a 70s TV show theme song for an hour
2 stars.
A lot of songs not available. But some nice 70's funk, a lot of duff dated stuff now though.
Wasn’t focused on this too much, good background music.
it's a soundtrack
What a waste of time. This music was meant to accompany a visual: the movie. Without that, it’s just background noise, and not very interesting noise at that. If we’re doing movie soundtracks, there’s a whole lot that need to come before this one. ⭐️
Apparently 70 minutes of Shaft's 100 minute runtime is scored. All of it completely necessary, I'm sure. But I don't know that any soundtrack needs to be a double album. I can't think of many others. Tommy and Quadrophenia, I suppose. Maybe Saturday Night Fever. However, those are mostly song based. The type of repeating instrumental music that makes up most of a film score and, therefore, makes up most of the Shaft OST is called incidental music for a reason. 1.5 It’s a very good main theme and it should be because that’s where all the effort went. The rest of the album sounds like it was thrown together in a couple of days. I’ve never seen the film but if Shaft didn’t go shopping in the mall, hang out in the elevator and host a game show then Isaac Hayes can surely feel that his music wasn’t given the dramatic setting it deserved. 1/5
Kinda dumb
Jesus
70's noir action movie background music. Oh, it actually is a movie soundtrack. Making this a 1 to protest its inclusion, or at least, the fact it was included but no Bill Conti Rocky soundtracks were also included.
Meh
Dreadful, to be honest. Absolutely aimless background smooth soul, which is either non-descript or annoying to the extent that I simultaneously don't really remember even listening to it and yet I'm still extremely irritated.
I did not enjoy this. I knew the theme from Shaft. The rest was mostly instrumental which I don’t like, and one song was 15 minutes long!! Ugh!
Wrm is een film soundtrack in de 1001 beste albums???
Mmm
👎🏻
Very 70's.
I don’t know is there anothe Hayes’ albums here, but if not — it’s just stupid. “Hot Buttered Soul” sounds like an Abbey Road compairing to this OST. And yes, why the fuck “Saturday Night Fever” isn’t here, if you including OSTs? It’s my 400-something album, and it’s the second worst thing on this list (Kid Rock still the worst). Love Isaac, love Shaft theme, love Cheff, fuck scientology, hate this inclusion.
definitily skipping this. haven't seen the movie and i guess i'll die before listening to the soundtrack
Not sure this deserves to be in the list.
Only really enjoyed the theme song. The rest were not likeable
elevator music type shit. makes me cry in agony
Ei saatavilla kaikkia kappaleita
Meh ….
Look, I get that Shaft is iconic as a movie — but having the soundtrack show up on an all-time albums list feels like a stretch. Aside from the theme song (which is admittedly catchy in a kitschy way), the rest plays out like background music you'd hear in an elevator that thinks it’s cooler than it is. It’s fine if you’re throwing a 70s-themed party, but for everyday listening? Hard pass.
Nothing special about this, not at least in 2024. Also, I didn't see the movie so I don't even consider this fun, as other reviewers pointed out.
I've listened to a third of this about three times and I just can't listen to more at any one time. There's no way I've listened to this whole album and this is the first time I'm not finishing one. I just can't.
It draaaaags. Pointless.
Did not like this. Is this album here because it was influential in the elevator music genre? Do Your Thing is a long bloated mess. Cafe Regio is probably the only redeemable song here.
Apart from the theme song this could be the soundtrack of almost any 70's action movie. I have no idea why it is on this list. 1 star or F.
I thought this was OK. Theme From Shaft is a great tune but otherwise, a musical soundtrack to movie was not something that was very enjoyable. Some funky beats and sounds, but pretty forgettable album. 1.5
bro im not listening to an OST from a movie from 1971 what? why? NNN
Reminds me of drunken Thursday nights at the Mecca in Wakefield which in itself is a good memory spoilt by having to endure music like this all night. Never saw nor want to see the film either. 1/5 15/8/24
It's a soundtrack what did you expect? Irritating, uninteresting, bland, tedious. Can't imagine why anyone would listen to this. Even the cover art is shit.
Not for me
I recognize that this is a soundtrack however I still was incredibly bored listening to the entire thing. I give credit because of its history but from a blank slate point of view I disliked it entirely because I just felt no connection nor no desire to continue listening. I felt it was so boring which honestly makes sense because it’s a soundtrack so it’s not the main point but that’s exactly why I didn’t like it.
The Theme from Shaft is a great song. The music from the film Shaft is things to listen to in the background whilst watching the film Shaft. Otherwise it's just a boring pile of nothing.