Masterpiece. Epic. Opera for the broken-hearted. Hayes turns a polite breakup song into a slow-burning tragedy. He talks over the intro for nearly nine minutes, telling a story about picking up his dry cleaning and driving through California. It shouldn't work. It is utterly hypnotic. By the time he finally hits the chorus, you’ve already lived his entire life. Final Verdict Hot Buttered Soul is not background music. It is mood music for people who have a lot of feelings and a good stereo system.
Do yourself a favor. Drop the needle (or open the folder). Skip to the 7-minute mark of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." Turn it up. And bow to the Black Moses. Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul -1969- -EAC-FLAC-
Today, we are looking at the gold standard digital transfer of this masterpiece: the . For those who turn their noses up at compressed streaming, this is the file set that makes your DAC sweat. The "Wall of Sound" Reimagined Before Hayes, soul albums were collections of singles. You had a hit, you threw two or three B-sides on a disc, and you called it a day. Hayes looked at that formula and set it on fire. Masterpiece
October 15, 2023 Category: Vinyl Rip Review / Soul Archaeology Hayes turns a polite breakup song into a
A+ (If your copy is a flat transfer from the original master tape) Mood: Late night. Low lights. High proof bourbon.
An into FLAC preserves the "Bar-Kays" bottom end. You can hear the actual wood of the bass. You can feel the air displacement of the drum booth. If you have a decent pair of open-back headphones or a vintage receiver, the soundstage on "Walk On By" is wide enough to park a Cadillac in.