Best Of The Polydor Years, The - Isaac Hayes

Advantages: classic soul
Disadvantages: not short to listen to

...Before Isaac Hayes was 'Chef' in South Park, he was 'Isaac Hayes - soul prophet'. 'Hot Buttered Soul' is one of the top ten soul albums of all time, and possibly the best ever soul debut album, most acts taking time to deliver their best in this genre. Hayes scores straight out of the blocks with an astonishing 12 minute version of 'Walk on By', the old Bacharach-David staple, except we've never heard it like this - riding in with the strings and choir from an imaginary western, cut with acid guitar and a razor-sharp backbeat. Isaac Hayes is unusual in that the longer one of his tracks is, the better it seems to be. His vocal style starts gentle and works up a head of steam into the middle of the cut, which is followed by an instrumental ending which starts softly and goes into a hammond organ and drum-driven rhythmic freakout featuring... Read review

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Advantages: Superb singing and arrangements
Disadvantages: None

...Isaac Hayes, he of the booming yet sultry monotone, made famous again in the late 90's as the voice of Chef in South Park, brought out this album in 1968. It was a good time to be recording in Memphis; Stax records were revitalised with a new pounding soul sound and later that year Elvis would record probably the greatest album of his career "From Elvis In Memphis" across town at American Studios. With this one album Hayes, previously a staff writer and arranger at Stax, set himself up as a genuine mack daddy, going on to record the theme tune for the 1971 blaxplotation "Shaft" and the later modestly titled Black Moses LP of 1974. Hot Buttered Soul also showed that soul and R&B, normally the preserve of the black musician, could also stretch out a jam and explore new territory, much as the progressive rock bands were... Read review

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Advantages: A good collection of the career of Level 42
Disadvantages: A naff new mix of an old classic at the end of the album

...Okay, so the cool, funky rhythms of a band like Level 42 perhaps doesn't deserve to have a place in my dooyoo Hall of Fame, but, on the other hand, they did have a history worth recording, despite them probably worming their way onto many a 'yuk' list. Around the time of 1980, Isle of Wight songwriter, Mark King decided to embark on a professional, musical outfit along with the help of the Gould brothers, drummer, Phil and guitarist, Boon. They enlisted Mike Lindup to play on keyboards and also backing vocals. Taking the basis of their passion of jazz/funk, they never strayed far away from this genre from beginning to end of the eighties. Whilst other bands were changing their image every year, Level42 remained sturdy and rather boring, like a suburban Library. Deciding that they glittering career was not going to take off so... Read review

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