Black Moses (Dlx) (Dig) (Rpkg) [Deluxe Edition]

Isaac Hayes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 24, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Deluxe Edition
• Label: Stax
• ASIN: B001PPLIUU
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,075 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #64 in Music > R&B > Soul > Memphis Soul
  • #87 in Music > R&B > Soul > Southern Soul

Editorial Reviews

Isaac Hayes' landmark 1971 double disc set is now reintroduced with completely restored album packaging, expanded liner notes, rare photographs, and digitally remastered sound.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars NO IMPROVEMENT IN SOUND, March 6, 2009

By 

BOB (LOS ANGELES, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Black Moses (Dlx) (Dig) (Rpkg) (Audio CD)

Regarding the audio on this set, it's the old 1991 remaster, so while the "digitally remastered" applied to this release is technically correct, it's just marketing BS applied to an 18-year-old mastering job. Very unkewl.

So, if you already own the older 2CD jewel-cased set, all you're getting here is an expanded booklet and a flimsy replication of the original, foldout LP cover. Care needs to be exercised when attempting to remove the CD's from the thin-walled digipak: I suffered a tear to the package's spine while extracting one of the discs from a pocket.

The audio on the '05 Can You Dig It? set is slightly better, but, of course, many of the "Moses" tracks on that collection are the abbreviated versions.

There was also improved sound on the 1999 import, but that edition was a single-disc, hacked-to-death bastardization.

In addition, the 2008 Japan SHM-CD release was also the '91 master, and even though that was a mini-sleeve re-release, the Japanese have never replicated the original LP cover, which is supposed to be the principle behind mini-sleeve versions!

All of this is really frustrating; maybe someday, some label can forgo the opportunistic death-profiteering, and get the sound updated correctly with the complete version in the original package?

Hey, MFSL or Audio Fidelity, howzabout you guys? If either of you were to FINALLY do it right, it's not like it wouldn't sell: Japan has pressed two 5K mini-sleeve runs, and even the edited 1CD import sold through, so obviously the market is there!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Improvement in mastering over 1989 version, March 18, 2009

By 

Luigi Facotti (Chicago Il) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Black Moses (Dlx) (Dig) (Rpkg) (Audio CD)

Having heard the great improvement in sound in the Stax re-releases in the Universal Japan SHM-CD format (McClemore Ave is stupendous) I've been waiting to get Black Moses in the same format for less than $65. Reading the reviews on this 2009 re-release from Concord I was puzzled at the mixed reviews at the vintage of the remastering and for $13.99 rather than $60 (and no current availability on the SHM-CD set) I tried this. Contrary to other reviewers - this is not the muddy, dimensionless 1989 remaster by Kirk Felton released on Stax 2SCD-88006 but a vastly improved 24 bit version by Bob Fisher at Pacific Multimedia of probably the last great album release from Isaac Hayes. After this Isaac went disco and the arrangements on those songs that harked back to the great HBS raps became BORING. A great re-release - and while the packaging is complex - finding the CDs and the booklet is an interesting challenge - its nice to relive the original vinyl (on RCA Dynaflex - with its own built in warp) in the outrageous packaging. Hey Concord - you got it right for once - but how did you let Booker T go to Anti???

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Early 70's Issac Hayes Masterpiece Wonderfully Remastered & Repackaged!!, July 13, 2010

By 

HE WHO FUNKS BEHIND THE ROWS!! (Seattle & San Diego) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Black Moses (Dlx) (Dig) (Rpkg) (Audio CD)

This is a very close second (in my book) only to his
classic & iconic 1969 breakthrough "Hot Buttered Soul" in
the great Issac Hayes catalogue of 1969-1973 brilliant
soul/funk masterworks which were highly influential game-changers
in the scope and production of black music of that time.
Of course their influence goes beyond just black music or
the times in which they were produced.
Issac Hayes was pure genius at taking songs which were popular
in their day by other artists and totally transforming them into
something that was uniquely his own creation!
Just like "Hot Buttered Soul", this amazing 2-disc set abounds
with epic & lush orchestration, raw & flat-footed funky rhythm
arrangements that will have you making the "funk face", bobbin'
your head and haunchin' your shoulders along to the groove!
Also, there is the deep sensuality & longing that Issac's music
was known for and he communicated so well through his silky
but resonant baritone with that southern drawl that drove the
black women of that time wild!--The black men of that time
admired him for what he represented.

Issac Hayes--from his "look" with that bald head,
the gold chains which symbolized the new post-civil rights
black man & woman breaking free of the chains that had once
bound their ancestors and "washing them gold" if you will,
with a new spirit of expansiveness, upward mobility, education,
pride, self-motivation, fully utilizing the freedoms &
opportunities which were then newly available to them!
That is what that generation of young blacks were about,
and he seemed to be the living & breathing embodiment of
that for them! Many felt he was like a beacon to them of
what could be possible for you if you were young, gifted,
black, proud and self-determined!
Hence the nickname that was bestowed on him, which became
the title of this seminal album....BLACK MOSES!!
Issac Hayes was indeed a MOVEMENT, a STATE OF MIND in the early 70's!

Just like the preceeding albums from this period, Issac Hayes
shows how adept he is as a producer, arranger and vocalist
who had the ability to not only transform the music works of
others, but he could create his own original musical statements
as well which had similar impact of his listeners.
Brother Ike was known for his long verbal tales (or "Raps")
which set up the theme of a particular song, building it to a
climax of brilliant musicianship, peppy horn lines, lush strings,
lilting woodwinds, and afro & dashiki-wearing female vocal sirens
which supplied the harmonic oohs and ahhhs or call & response
to what the Black Moses was puttin' down! (-:
This whole album is amazing from start to finish and contrary
to what some of the other reviewers have said, the new remastering
and repackaging is fantastic! I don't know what kind of system
they're listening to it on, but on my BOSE WAVE Surround Sound System
in my home, as well as the system in my cars, this sounds amazing!
As far as the repackaging, they were able to recreate (in miniature)
the 4-sleeve cross-like opening jacket with Black Moses standing
there, with his arms extended outward, wearing sparkling sunglasses
and a biblical-looking robe as he led the children & grandchildren of
former slaves and sharecroppers to a new "promised land" of
black upward mobility in the 70's and beyond!!---Yes, I know it's
a grandiose, somewhat knaive and ego-driven vision to 2010 sensibilities,
but you have to consider...this was 1971.
The future indeed seemed bright and limitless for black america
at that time!--Blacks were on TV more than in any previous decade,
they were owning their own companies, breaking down barriers
culturally and otherwise and being portrayed in a positive light
for a change, instead of as mammies, butlers, bug-eyed fools,
criminals, etc., and people like Don Cornelius, Quincy Jones,
Issac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and others
were showing & proving that there was indeed a place for us at the
big table where the American pie was being divided up and we could
have our share too! (-:

Bottomline, this is an amazing album filled with classic material,
and if you weren't hip to it before, then this your chance to
get hip now! Issac Hayes was a bad kat in the world of music
and broke down many doors in entertainment long before he became
known as "CHEF" to the Southpark Generation! (-:

The highlights are: "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Ike's Rap II /
Help Me Love", "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Nothing Takes The
Place Of You", "Man's Temptation", "Your Love Is So Doggone Good"
"(They Long To Be) Close To You" and others.

Rest In Peace Issac Hayes aka The Black Moses (1942-2008)