Link: Official Isaac Hayes Site
The Inside Pulse:
When you get right down to it, the legendary Isaac Hayes has two types of fans. There are the ones that know him solely for his work as Chef on Comedy Central’s South Park series and as the man behind the theme from Shaft. The rest of his fans know him for pretty much everything else Hayes has done in between Chef and Shaft, spanning 35-plus years in the music industry. With an anxious eye on the holiday season, Stax Records (Hayes’ first label, which he originally left back in September 1974) has collected over 30 tracks of the man who made Hot Buttered Soul household words just a generation ago. But, does the material stand the test of time? More importantly, will this exhaustive compilation connect with younger fans who only know Hayes as the crudely drawn animated caricature spouting one-liners about his stereotypically huge libido?
Positives:
This double disc album, running over two hours and 30 minutes in length, only features Hayes’ work from 1968 through 1977. Thankfully, producers didn’t attempt any cloying reaches for completionists by including his mediocre Ike’s Rap period in the mid-80s or his abysmal Virgin Records run in the mid-90s. All of Hayes’ biggest hits are here, including Theme From Shaft, which has somehow held its sonic stranglehold on the senses, despite its incessant overplaying as a pop culture punchline in recent years. Also, from the Shaft soundtrack, and included here, are Soulsville and the edited version of Do Your Thing. It’s especially fun to listen to how many of his songs have since been sampled by acts including Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Ashanti, just to name a few. The samples, quite simply, can’t hold a candle to the originals. There are also several classic instrumentals here, including his cover of Let’s Stay Together, which highlight Hayes’ skills as a complete artist.
Negatives:
It’s debatable whether or not music fans who’ve been weaned on the “weed n’ women” subject matter in today’s urban entertainment landscape can appreciate tracks that run for more than twelve minutes, like Run Fay Run. This will be a difficult album to sit through for the casual Isaac Hayes fan, as several of the efforts require a level of listening that has long been lost on the Lil’ Jon Generation. The quibbles here are mostly minor, but the unedited and extended version of several songs, including By the Time I Get to Phoenix and the aforementioned Do Your Thing would’ve been even better inclusions. And, the Chocolate Salty Balls song on the bonus DVD, wasn’t necessary.
Reason to Buy:
You’re not going to find a better “greatest hits” concept, as the right songs (mostly) are on here and the lesser-quality content is kept off. The bonus DVD includes Hayes’ appearance at Jesse Jackson’s PUSH EXPO in 1972 Chicago, where he performed a handful of his songs in an atmosphere filled with electricity and urgency. Two words that sum up these CDs quite nicely.
