Customer Reviews

Ultimate Isaac Hayes: Can You Dig It?

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Damn, where's he been? For thirty years, Isaac Hayes has apparently been one of the coolest people on the planet Earth, but he's rarely seen, and only heard as a voice on a crazy cartoon show. This CD lets us hear what we've been missing for the past thirty years. At the start of his career, Hayes wrote hit songs for the Stax/Volt label. That by itself is enough to label him as one of the planet's coolest people, but this collection doesn't even bother with his career as a songwriter for others. Instead, it picks up at the point that Hayes decided to become a solo performer on his own, and the diversity of his career is nothing less than mind-boggling. With no sign of strain, he seamlessly incorporated stone cold experimental jams, psychedelia, orchestral soul and funk, inspirational music, jazz reminiscent of the Ramsey Lewis school, and `love-man' R&B.

"Hot Buttered Soul" was the kick-off for a career that eventually came to define mid-seventies soul music, and it still stands as an all-time classic. It is amply represented here by standout extended jams like "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Walk On By". It also moves through eleven subsequent albums, with mixed results that are nonetheless continually fascinating. At times, he sounds like a spitting image for Barry White, but with an unconventional flair for going further than any other funk soul brother would risk. Photos show Hayes wearing clothing that would make the king of the pimps jealous (head to toe in fur, or head to toe in leopard skin...you get the idea), while being referred to as `Black Moses'. It was a singular, unforgettable image that suits every track on this disk.

As a visual aid, Disk One represents the sound of mink pants and an open-chested shirt while cruising in a gold-tinged Cadillac with pink naugahyde interior. "The Theme from Shaft," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Hyperbolicsyllabic-Sesquedalymistic" and "Never Can Say Goodbye" all capture Hayes at his glorious, over-the-top peak. Disk two, meanwhile, is the aural equivalent of carelessly discarded chain mail, crushed velvet sofas, red light bulbs, and a bottle of Mateus Rose. "Walk On By," "If Loving You Is Wrong", "Baby I'm-A Want You" and "Let's Stay Together" all stress the love-man vibe like burning incense. Far from consistent, though, there are a few mis-steps. Like everything else here, though, even the clunkers are spectacular in their badness. "Three Tough Guys" and "Come Live with Me" are both trite, incredibly overwrought, and poorly written - clunkers of astounding proportions, and all the more fascinating for it. The videos on the DVD disk are fabulous, though, both musically and historically, featuring three great songs/visuals from the often out-of-print film "Wattstax", plus the incredibly funny and ridiculous "Chocolate Salty Balls" video, from the `South Park' cartoon. Inconsistent but always fascinating, this is one CD collection that should not be missed.

B+ Tom Ryan

This compilation distills the clever genius of Isaac Hayes into two audio discs, covering the whole range of his early career. It contains pure unadulterated emotion, clever humor and incredible smoothness all at once in a very unique style. Isaac is one of the few artists who can make you feel his genuine emotions right with him. The remastered tracks sound better than ever. Packaging is good and there is a bonus DVD with some rather inspiring concert footage from the 70s. I'm pretty sure this is the best compilation set ever from "the Sinatra of soul."

Ultimate is the word... 30 combined studio and live tracks, plus a DvD you could not ask for more. The DvD contains Live footage of 4 songs and a small clip from South Park,with isaac hayes singing as Chef. Mr Hayes was an extremely talanted musician who's work is properly represented within this 2 CD set.. Well worth the Money.

Look, we all know Isaac Hayes from his "Shaft" theme and the voice of Cook on "South Park." And we've heard that he was influential with the Stax recordings of the 1960s. This album reminds/refreshes/reteaches that this man was GREAT! I'm a white guy not particularly into soul and R&B, but this is great music! Isaac Hayes has a solid voice, far more versatile than "Shaft" ever indicates -- and he is a fantastic arranger. Hell, Burt Bacharach and a dozen other songwriters from the '60s & 70s should bow to Isaac Hayes for the way he took their sugar-coated pop and gave it heart. This album doesn't cover everything Isaac Hayes did - and some of the takes are shortened versions of longer songs - but for me it's a good, broad-based starting point for a future of some fun music exploration. (P.S. Make sure you listen with good bass speakers or earphones - 'sounds a lot richer.)

2 cd and dvd all excellent. you will not be unsatisfied. all the songs are beautiful and thorough. includes his best from the sixties and seventies and later hits.hayes was allways good and this is a good collection.

The look of love is only a mere 3 minutes. An absolute tease!

But, don't let that stop you from getting this masterpiece. Luckily, I have the track on another CD but it would've been nice to have ALL my Ike favorites on one CD.

I have been a huge fan of Isaac Hayes ever since I heard the soundtrack to the film "Dead Presidents" at the age of 11 (now 13 years ago). For big fans , this CD has some nice gems. Four in particular come to mind. First is Hayes rendition of the great Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" which fuses Hayes' and Green's styles so well. There is also a song, "His Eye is on the Sparrow", which gives us a glimpse into Hayes' gospel/church influences. And I can't forget, "Brand New Me", Hayes' beautifully sung rendition of a Jerry Butler song. Two great Burt Bacharach songs are on this disc as well. As a huge fan of Bacharach and his own style, I think Hayes did an incredible job at fusing his style with Bacharachs'.

All in all this is a good CD for anyone new to Isaac Hayes, as it has many songs from a number of his hit albums. However, I do suggest another complication first.Greatest Love Songs. While this CD has less songs, I believe the choice in songs for the complication, will have a greater impact on you and hopefully guide you into becoming a loyal fan.

As for the DVD, this was actually my first time to ever see Hayes on stage and for the fact that this complication gave me that, I am happy. However, there are only 3 very short songs and the picture is grainy. "Chocolate Salty Balls", the third song (which is from South Park) is still as disgusting and yet hysterical as I saw it the first time it aired on Comedy Central.

From the original version of "Shaft" to that funny video of "Salty Chocolate Balls" from Comedy Central's successful "South Park", this double CD + DVD is a must for any serious Soul music collector. The sound quality is very good indeed!

I was in the city of Memhphis, Tn and we went by the 'Stax' Museum and I purchased this CD right there in the store. As I have said before, there will never be another 'Isaac Hayes'.....Never! and I do mean never. I have no idea as why the T.V. motion picture business figured that Sammuel L. Jackson could protray the role as Isaac Hayes. Sammuel L. Jackson is by all means a super-star. But It was a Very Stupid dumb Idea and completely off track to think that he could protray the role of Isaac Hayes......Whatever or whoever Idea that it was. They were wrong. It is not a matter of opinion, It is what I call 'BCS' Bacis Common Sense.

It does not take the eye of someone not in show business to see that this was the complete wrong role for Mr. Jackson to play.The songs on this CD are super great, It brings back all the great times of Mr. Isaac Hayes greatest songs I have played it some, But being a collector of just about everything Mr. Hayes has ever made I really try to preserve this one CD. Due to the fact that it did in fact come straight out the Stax Building in Memphis........But it is great I mean real great that is if you like the kind of music Isaac Hayes produces. This was a great time in Memphis, Tn we were on our 1-year anniversity and we had a super great time. I was so glad to get the chance to see and be in the place that a real true legend had been and come from and over the couse of all these years as a kid growing up in small town in 'TEXAS' I finally get the chance to see where 'Isaac Hayes' made all of his great music. I always seen that record label on the end table at one of my Aunts home....'STAX'. and I did not understand what it meant way back then.......But I do now. This CD is among the greatest of them all...........You have to listen and see for youeself to beleive it. I deeply miss Isaac Hayes. I just do not get it in my head that he is gone on now to be with God. And I have no clue what God is going to do with him.....God Rest his Soul.

This is a wonderful CD for Isaac Hayes fans. Transaction went very smoothly and I received it in a very timely manner.