ISAAC HAYES + HAWKEYE: JIVE ON BY

Isaac Hayes: The Look of Love
From To Be Continued (Enterprise, 1970)

Both available on Ultimate Isaac Hayes: Can You Dig It?.

Isaac Hayes has been enjoying a resurgence in attention lately, and no, not just because of the new season of South Park (the fact that Hayes plays “Chef” is both awesome and bizarre). An anthology of Hayes’ Stax years, where he recorded his best and most influential records, has just come out.

I have to say, I’m a little surprised this album is missing “Walk On By,” considering how monster a song it is and how popular it’s been in other contexts (soundtracks and sampling) but The selection here covers a nice diversity of different sounds and eras within Hayes’ own mercurial career. “The Look of Love” captures the same kind of vibe that “Walk On By” has: take a Burt Bacharach standard, give it a huge symphonic sound, and make it sultry enough to seduce the pants off singles everywhere. God bless Barry White but Isaac’s slow burn grooves were just as good.

“Need to Belong to Someone” sounds a lot like the Originals’ “Sunrise” doesn’t it? Just or Kanye needs to play with those intro horns – awesome stuff. Seriously though, this song, in particular, very much reminds me of Gamble and Huff or MFSB for some reason…the guitars are Memphis but the horns feel really Philly to me. Great song, either way.

If the whole of your Isaac Hayes begins and ends with Shaft, do yourself a favor and check out, Can You Dig It? (Yes, we can).

Bonus Beat:

Hawkeye: Still Jivin’
From Breakbeatraer (Melting Pot, 2005)

Meant to get this up earlier…my wacky brethren at Soulstrut.com have put their music where their mouths are and come up with a quartet of tracks for beat fanatics. Peep how Hawkeye flips on the Co Real Artists’ “What About You” with his funky dance twister.