Isaac Hayes Albums (23)
What The Critics Say
After 1975's classic Chocolate Chip and a strong production job for the Masqueraders album Everybody Wanna Live On, Hayes' subsequent work with ABC was often poorly executed and conceived, save for the one or two tracks that properly displayed his melodic genius. With his last ABC effort being a live album with Dionne Warwick that just didn't sell, some changes had to be made. This is the first effort for Polydor and it turned out to be successful partnership. With a new label, Hayes also began to record at Master Sound in Georgia rather than his studio in Memphis, Hot Buttered Soul. Both the label and locale switch seemed to freshen up his musical approach. This album didn't start off on the best footing though. Hayes' ghastly discofied cover of "Stranger in Paradise" shows little trace of his arranging skills or song picking abilities. The other dance tracks are markedly better. "Moonlight Lovin' (Menage a Trois)" has him doing Barry White one better by bringing an extra woman into the mix. With its playful rhythm and sweeping changes, he sang gleefully about the "the rendezvous of me and you and you" and said menage a trois enough times his until his "dates" thought it was their idea. On New Horizons Hayes turns in two of his best ballads. The meditative "Don't Take Your Love Away" has him going for more subtle surroundings in a style that suffered the most on his post Chocolate Chip work. On "It's Heaven to Me" he displays a winning vulnerability, and it is easily one of the prettiest songs he's ever recorded. Although some of the best tracks on New Horizon are available on compilations, the entire album is worth seeking out. ~ Jason Elias, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Instrumentals is just what it says: instrumental tracks by Hayes, from the first half of the 1970s. As could be expected, most of the songs are from soundtracks that Hayes did during the period, with over half of them originally appearing on Shaft or Truck Turner. While this funk is more atmospheric than innovative, it's mood music par excellence on those occasions when you want to simulate the vibe of cruising dimly lit, but not quite menacing, bars in search of a good time. Hayes let some of his jazzier inclinations come to the fore on some of the compositions (like "Cafe Regio's," the B-side to "Shaft"), and his band was tight but smooth. As far as rarities for the Hayes fan who might already have a lot of this, there's not much. But there is a previously unreleased instrumental version of "Type Thang" (which appears on Shaft in a vocal take), as well as an instrumental arrangement of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" that didn't surface until a 1998 compilation. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After about seven years of inactivity on the recording front, Isaac Hayes suddenly burst forth with two albums, the all-new Branded and this curious compilation of new and old instrumental tracks dating back about a quarter-century, we think. There is no documentation to help the inquisitive listener; all David Ritz's otherwise copious liner notes say is that some of these tunes are demos going back to his days at Stax, while others were newly recorded in Memphis. So all one can do is use one's ears to put approximate dates on the material. More often than not, the usual ingredients from Hayes' early-'70s heyday are in place -- the funky rhythm section in various states of arousal; Hayes noodling at the piano, organ, synthesizer, or even alto sax; a symphony orchestra often at hand. Yet most of the time, what one hears is a soundtrack in search of a movie -- one directionless vamp after another, setting the stage for scenes that never materialize. Some vamps are more interesting than others. "Memphis Trax" sounds like an extrapolation of "Grazing in the Grass," a fairly recent hit at the time this might have been recorded. "Soul Fiddle" generates some interest with its varied structure (is that Hayes on vibes in the center of the piece?). "Southern Breeze" comes the closest to a jazz session, though Hayes never does quite let go and burn. "The Birth of Shaft" is exactly that -- a vamp waiting to happen, waiting for the burst of inspiration (specifically, the signature wah-wah guitar riff) that would make the idea take off ("Funky Junky" actually comes closer to critical mass in that regard). Ah, but there is one vocal by Hayes, a deep, sexy rap over the languorous vamp of "You Make Me Live" -- and a female chorus adds some overtly seductive charm to "Making Love at the Ocean." This is minor Hayes in the grand scheme of things, a pleasant background disc -- and as such, it should have been offered at a lower price or as a bonus disc alongside Branded. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With about seven years of downtime on the recording front, Isaac Hayes burst to life again in 1995 with not one but two albums, released simultaneously with cover art that merges together when placed side by side. One was a collection of old demos and new instrumental tracks (Raw and Refined), but the other -- the disc at hand -- was a brand-new package hearkening back to Hayes' old extravagant ways. In a major attempt to restart his commercial engines, Hayes goes so far as to record in his original headquarters, Memphis, gathering around him many old cronies -- most notably his old writing partner from the Sam & Dave days, David Porter, and guitarists Michael Toles and Skip Pitts from the Stax period. Once again, Hayes attempts to transform well-known pop hits into wide-screen spectaculars, and he revisits tunes and ideas from his heyday. In a blatant imitation of the fold-out jacket of the original Black Moses LPs, the CD booklet even folds out in the shape of a cross. Yet there is a noticeable change in emphasis right at the start. "Fragile" begins with a rap that deals not with the usual Hayes topic of love gained or lost, but with a message about preserving the planet, and his treatment of Sting's song has a conga-driven momentum that ranks with many of Hayes' better extended rap/songs of the past. John Sebastian's "Summer in the City" is a tense amalgam of '70s funk and '90s digital synthesizers, a really effective update of the Hayes formula. But Hayes gets down to serious lovemaking business soon enough with new material like "Let Me Love You" and "I'll Do Anything (To Turn You On)." The Porter collaboration, "Thanks to the Fool," is a fine, humorous rap/song that picks up where "I Stand Accused" left off (this time, Ike gets the girl, albeit 25 years later!). The two golden oldies are handled in pointedly different ways. "Soulsville" (from the Shaft soundtrack) is almost unchanged from the original -- itself a comment that little has changed in the ghetto since 1971 -- while Chuck D. grafts a contemporary rap onto "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" -- which doesn't do much for the tune, but doesn't hurt either. Though it came too late for his heyday, and a bit soon for his comeback on the wings of the cable series South Park, this is actually one of Hayes' best albums -- and it holds up under repeated plays. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Isaac Hayes' 1977-1982 stint on Polydor had him often doing strong work that differed from both his efforts at Enterprise and ABC. By the late '70s, Hayes had refined and updated his sound and stopped recording in Memphis. Although this album's predecessor, New Horizon, wasn't a big seller, it certainly helped him adapt to the changing musical landscape. In turn, Don't Let Go has Hayes even more confident and comfortable with his new sound. The title track has Roy Hamilton's jaunty classic all but unrecognizable with Hayes' propulsive and expert disco take. With pushy horns, cooing background girls, and his subdued vocal, he effortlessly attained disco's sense of fun. The song's insouciance seemed to rub off on the rest of this album. "What Does It Take" has Hayes steaming it up with help from a high-pitched bassline and a subtle buzzing guitar. On the best ballad here, the teasing "Few More Kisses to Go," Hayes plays the pathway to adulthood as waits for his "precious moment," singing "girl's gonna be a full-grown woman, before this night is through." The best tracks on this album have Hayes' infallible sense of melody, but there are a few duds. His disco version of "Fever" comes off a little desperate and pointless. The last track, "Someone Who Will Take the Place of You," is a good angry ballad, but clocking in at ten-and-a-half minutes, it's a little too much of a good thing. Don't Let Go is Hayes' most successful effort for Polydor. ~ Jason Elias , All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Long, long past his stellar 1970s heyday, by the mid-'80s Isaac Hayes was foundering. He was certainly still the master of his style, but, thrust out of his era and trying to bridge the gap by updating his sound, much of his 1980s output proved to be a deal-breaker for his fans. U-Turn hit the racks in 1986 and, from the absence of charting singles, apparently stayed there. Leaving behind the funky grooves of yesteryear but promoting their sweet soul undercurrents to the very fore, Hayes contemporized his sound on the perky opener "If You Want My Lovin', Do Me Right." The title was comforting, but the synth pop sonics must have been a shock to die-hard fans. There are some excellent turns, most notably his wrenching cover of the Freddie King classic "Hey Girl," which itself follows the latest installment in Hayes' "Ike's Rap" series of messages. This time, upset by the rampant drug use building during the decade, Hayes imbibed "Ike's Rap VIII" with a strong anti-crack message. Also of note is Hayes' take on the Four Seasons' "Can't Take My Eyes off You," which emerges as a quiet ballad orchestrated à la the Isaac Hayes Experience. At the end of the day, however, and despite the precious nuggets to be found on the album, there are far better ways to sample Isaac Hayes' delicacies than U-Turn -- which leads, of course, to the inescapable truth that this isn't Hayes' best period -- period. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This odds-and-sods disc gathers nine cuts from a variety of non-LP sources -- including 7" 45 RPM-only releases and seasonal offerings, and kicks off with a quarter-hour-long reading of "Ain't No Sunshine," Isaac Hayes' contribution to the Wattstax (1973) Original Motion Picture soundtrack. As there are only a few vintage archival live recordings to feature Hayes' early-'70s work, every one is worthy of, at the very least, a cursory listen. The 112,000 gathered for Wattstax benefit can witness to the righteously funkified the Isaac Hayes Movementas the Black Moses of Soul headlined the day-long charity event. Prior to the release of his complete performance on the thoroughly excellent Isaac Hayes at Wattstax (2003), this show-stopping rendition was all that was available from that historic concert. Hayes includes a trademark spoken rap building up to the lyrics. His remarkable falsetto vocals during Sidney Kirk's (piano) solo take the track to another level, building in intensity, and is essential listening. Although Lee Hilderbrand's liner note essay claims that the redo of the Main Ingredients' "Rolling Down a Mountainside" is also from the Wattstax benefit, all aural evidence indicates that, while it may have been used in the documentary film and subsequently issued as a single, it is most likely, in fact, a studio recording. It features a four-on-the-floor pre-disco groove with a punchy horn and smart string arrangement. The achingly tender reworking of Hank Williams' "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)" -- featured on the flip side of "Never Can Say Goodbye," from the Black Moses set -- is worth the price of admission alone, as Hayes turns it into a rapturous, orchestrated tale of longing and unrequited love. This set takes it name from the chart-topping side "Wonderful," from the spring of 1974 -- which makes its debut on a Hayes' CD here. The seasonal single "The Mistletoe and Me" backed with "Winter Snow" is also nice to finally have in the digital domain. While Wonderful (1994) is a must-own for completist and serious enthusiasts, those looking for a definitive primer should point their attention toward Man!: The Ultimate Isaac Hayes 1969-1977 (2001). ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
