Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul

Album Revolution # 1:

After Years of Writing and Producing HITS (along with fellow Writer and Producer "David Porter") for "Stax Records" Artist like "Sam & Dave", "Isaac Hayes" was FINALLY able to become an Artist in his own right by releasing the UNSUNG Classic "Presenting Isaac Hayes".....

Even though it was a POOR seller, and with "Atlantic Records" JACKING "Stax" of their HUGE '60's Catalog, "Isaac" was giving the GREEN LIGHT to continue to become the Artist he wanted to be...In fact, "Stax" was COUNTING ON IT!!!! With that said, "Isaac" wanted to do something OUT THE BOX!!!!!

That led to the ABSOLUTE ULTIMATE Crown Jewel, "Hot Buttered Soul".....

First of all, let's make one thing CLEAR!!!! This was unlike ANY "R&B" Record AT THE TIME!!!! In fact, this was ONE of the albums that made the Genre have to CHANGE from just "R&B" to "Soul & R&B"!!!!!

Also, let's think about this for a second...."Isaac Hayes" was a VERY DIFFERENT Guy....He was VERY spontaneous in how he talked, walked and acted....That's what led to his last album....So taking the cue from "Presenting Isaac Hayes", instead of having anywhere from 10 to 12 songs (like MOST "R&B" albums had), he only had 4 songs here, with the shortest song being 5 minutes....ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Also, to make things REALLY TRIPPED OUT, "Isaac" recruited the Re-Vamped "Bar-Kays"....You know, the group that had to start over because all but 2 of the Original unfortunately lost their lives (along with "Mr. Otis Redding") due to a TRAGIC Plane crash!!!!! The Re-formed Band consisted of Original "Ben Cauley" (Trumpet) and "James Alexander" (Bass); along with, "Harvey Henderson" (Saxophone), "Michael Toles" (Guitar), "Ronnie Gorden" (Organ) and "Willie Hall" (Drums).....

"Isaac" also reached out to 3 VERY TALENTED Ladies for Background Vocals...Those Ladies are Sisters, "Pat and Diane Lewis" and "Rose Williams"...Because of the album being called "Hot Buttered Soul", the Ladies were AFFECTIONATELY called "Hot, Buttered & Soul".....

Now, FINNALLY down to BUSINESS....

The album starts with "Ike's" Vision of the "Songstress Dionne Warkwick/Burt Bacharach, Hal David" Classic "Walk On By"....First of all, the Original is only 2:58....This WHOOPING 12:00 minute Version has a Musical beginning of 2 and half minutes, before "Ike" BREAKS in with his DEEP HUSKY Vocals...In fact, when he jumps in with, "When You See Me Walking Down The Street", I envision a Gangster talking to you (LOL!!!!)....I also get a KICK out of the part when he BELTS out, "You SOCKED It To Me Mama, When You Said Good-Bye"!!!!! After the Verses are through, "Ike" and 'The Bar-kays" BREAK OUT into a FRENZY, along with an Extravaganza of Orchestrations!!!!!! The Strings had such a EERIE sound, that when I was a Kid, I was SCARED TO DEATH (You Guys know me, LOL!!!!!)....Then on top of that was "Hot Buttered & Soul's" Vocals Echoing in the Background...Then toward the end, "Ike" & "The Bar-kays" just SLAMMED, with Drummer "Willie Hall" putting the CAP on the ending!!!!!! ABSOLUTE GENIUS!!!!!!

The 9:55 "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" is just PURE "FUNK"!!!!!! Again, "Ike" and "The Bar-Kays" just GET DOWN!!!! What I really LOVE about this one, is that when the song is about at 3:31, "Ike" just starts BANGING his Piano Keys, again like his Life DEPENDED on IT!!!!! The different Progressions on "Ike's" Piano Visions just make you say WOW!!!!! I feel like in listening to this t, that maybe "Ike" and "Dr. Funkenstein George Clinton" was comparing notes!!!!! I also love the Piano part that INSPIRED "Chuck D." and "Public Enemy" to sample it for their Classic, "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos" from their "Hip-Hop" Classic album, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back"....Now as to the meaning of "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic"? WHO KNOWS!!!!! Maybe its a state of mind or attitude, but ONE DAY I will FIND OUT!!!!!

"One Woman" was CRAZILY done by SEVERAL Artists the SAME YEAR!!!!! Besides "Ike", there was also "Johnny Rivers", "Pat Lundy" and the "Rev. Al Green"....I don't know what "Lundy's" version sounds like, but "Rivers" is a "Folk Rock" t, while "Green's" is "R&B", but VERY AIRY...."Ike's" version is DEEP SOUL!!!!!! So even though I can't tell who did it first (even though I know it wasn't "Ike"), "Ike" could make a VERY GOOD CASE for it!!!!!

Now, Ike's Vision for "Jim Webb's", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix"......

This MONSTER 18 PLUS minute MASTERPIECE is JUST IT!!!! I heard jokes told about "DJ's" playing this late at Night so they could take a LONG Bathroom break (LOL!!!!!)!!!!!! The beginning MARKS the start of the FAMOUS "Ike Raps", this one being about 8 to 9 minutes while the Organ and Drums stay IN THE POCKET....The story was a straight Soap Opera about a Guy from Tennessee going to the West Coast, finding a Lady and falling in Love....The Drama was LAYED OUT by "Ike" in such a way, that you could not help but to be ENGAGED!!!!! Even to the fact that he points out the Guy working "Overtime, Double-time, Triple-time"!!!!!!, to please his Woman....After the story ends, "Ike" FINALLY breaks in the "Jim Webb" Classic with PURE GUSTO!!!!! Again, while "Ike" TEARS IT UP Vocally, "The Bar-Kays" don't MISS A BEAT!!!! The timing of the Music along with the Orchestrations just STUNS you until the Organ finish!!!!! Again PURE GENIUS!!!!!

Ok, I know that seems like A LOT for just 4 songs....But think about it, these songs had SO MUCH TO GIVE!!!!! No, not just the length of them, but the Musical Content.....To me, the only other person in "Soul & R&B" that was putting THIS MUCH detail in the Music was "Norman Whitfield", when he was Producing "The Temptations", during the groups "Psychedelic Soul" era....

Well, "Isaac Hayes" DID IT!!!!! Unlike his first offering, "Hot Buttered Soul" BROKE THROUGH the ceiling!!!! It was what "Al Bell' and "Stax" HOPED for!!!!! "Ike" was another Artist who CHANGED the game on how "Soul & R&B" Records was supposed to Sound and look like...It was a BREATH of FRESH AIR, and the Public was not scared of a Record like this AT ALL!!!! Even the "POP" World ATE THIS UP!!!! So, now, the future was BRIGHT for one "Mr. Isaac Hayes"...He had "Hot Buttered Soul" to thank for THAT!!!!!

No need to state the start of "Ike's" Album Revolution...You Guys know....

The LP-editions of Isaac Hays' music are an absolute artistic artefact for someone like me. Not a great soul-music lover though, I possess quite a number of Hays' LPs due to their valuable artistic and social contribution "in cover" so to speak. Only few actually know, that thanks to Hot Buttered Soul the famous Golden Chain became a symbol for modern Afro-American music. Together with the Shaft album it made Hays the 1st Afro-American-Superstar in the 1970s, not only for the sake of the music! The almost radical esthetics of Hot Buttered Soul's cover (Sunglasses, Chain, dropped gaze and a MIRROR-clean-shaven perfect human head) became of striking importance for the Black-Power-Movement of the late 1960s. These LPs impersonate more than art and music, they are a historical statement.