The sheer tenacity -- albeit undeniably fitting -- of this double-disc set has made Black Moses (1971) one of Isaac Hayes' most revered and best-known works. The multi-instrumental singer/songwriter and producer had been a central figure in the Memphis soul music revolution of the mid-1960s. Along with Booker T. and The MG's, Hayes' wrote and performed on more Stax sides than any other single artist. By the time of this release -- his fifth overall, and first two-record set -- Hayes had firmly established himself as a progressive soul artist. His stretched out and well-developed R&B jams, as well as his husky-voiced sexy spoken "aps" became key components in his signature sound. Black Moses not only incorporates those leitmotifs, but also reaffirms Hayes abilities as an unmistakably original arranger. Although a majority of the album consists of cover material, all the scores have been reconfigured and adapted in such a fundamental way that, for some listeners, these renditions serve as definitive. This is certainly true of the extended reworkings of Jerry Butler's "Brand New Me," or Esther Phillips' "You're Love Is So Doggone Good" -- both of which are prefaced by the spoken prelude to coitus found in each respective installment of "Ike's Rap." The pair of Curtis Mayfield tunes -- "Man's Temptation" and "Need to Belong to Someone" -- are also worth noting for the layers of tastefully scored orchestration -- from both Hayes and his long-time associate Johnny Allen. The pair's efforts remain fresh and discerning, rather than the dated ersatz strings and horn sections that imitators were glutting the soul and pop charts and airwaves with in the mid-1970s. Hayes' own composition, "Good Love," recalls the upbeat and jive talkin' "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" from Hot Buttered Soul (1969), adding some spicy and sexy double-entendre in the chorus. Wisely, the CD reissue also reproduced Chester Higgins' original tongue-in-cheek liner note essay giving the history and mythology of the Black Moses persona.
Ike started his rap back in the early 1960's working for "Stax Records":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stax_Recordsblowing sax as a studio musician and later helping pen classics like "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "Soul Man," and "Hold On, I'm Comin'". Later on though, he found his own voice releasing his first solo album in 1967, _Presenting Isaac Hayes_, and the excellent _Hot Butter...
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following the sad news announced a few hours ago.Isaac Hayes - Nothing Takes the Place of You.Kind of says it all, really.Thanks for all the great music.
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I can't see 50 Cent seeing his way clear to do a Carpenter's cover..But Ike wielded power like fiddy and was able to assert his manhood with the tune.. Abs notwithstanding,I like Ike. I like Ike's mood. They called Mr.Hayes, Black Moses..what did 50 ever deliver for you?
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Ike started his rap back in the early 1960's working for "Stax Records":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stax_Recordsblowing sax as a studio musician and later helping pen classics like "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "Soul Man," and "Hold On, I'm Comin'". Later on though, he found his own voice releasing his first solo album in 1967, _Presenting Isaac Hayes_, and the excellent _Hot Butter...
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This guy always did it for me. He was most known and loved for his "Theme From Shaft", but for me he's always been way beyond that. His versions of "Walk On By" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" are mesmerizing. His co-writes on songs like "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Comin'" are all-time classics and his musical arrangements helped define my priorities as an artist and producer. He was my...
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Stax Records, now part of the Concord Group, will be reissuing two of Isaac Hayes ' classic 70's album on February 24. Up first is Black Moses , originally issued in 1971. This double-CD of Hayes' most critically acclaimed album includes a complete replication of the original album cover which folds out into a cross-shaped image of the artist. New to the set is liner notes by Rob Bowman wh...
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 "Black Moses")
