‘The Best of Isaac Hayes’: The enduring genius of Stax Records’ leading man
Sexual liberation, cultural revolution, and existential turmoil; the 1960s were an era of change in America. The streets of Washington, Chicago, Detroit, and New York were paved with protests, as Black Americans fought for civil rights, and legions of disenfranchised youths pushed back against an unjust war in Vietnam. All the while, these colossal, era-defining events were being reflected in the recording studios. The 1960s were a time of great change, but they were also the era of soul music, which put Isaac Hayes and Stax Records at the forefront of cultural influence.
It was back in 1957 that Stax Records established itself in the culturally-rich region of Memphis, Tennessee–a city which only a few years prior had alerted the world to the rebellious sounds of rock and roll. Soul blossomed alongside rock, sharing the influences of R&B, gospel and blues, and Stax quickly became the premier outlet for soul excellence. Providing a home to the likes of Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Sam & Dave, and The Staple Singers at one point or another, the Memphis label had a colossal impact on the development of the soul sound, and that iconic clicking-fingers logo quickly became a hallmark of unparalleled quality.
Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton were the sibling duo who first founded the legendary record label, but it was the efforts of Isaac Hayes which truly cemented its place within musical history. The Tennessee-born songwriter first entered the world of Stax during the early 1960s as a session musician, often replacing an absent Booker T Jones as a pianist for the label’s house band. Pretty soon, though, it became clear that Hayes’s core talent lay within his awe-inspiring aptitude for songwriting.
So, beginning in 1966, Hayes began writing alongside David Porter for a litany of Stax artists, producing some of soul’s defining anthems in the form of Carla Thomas’ ‘B-A-B-Y’ or the smash-hit Sam & Dave classic ‘Soul Man’. These utterly iconic tracks carved out the soul sound that Stax quickly became synonymous with, making Hayes perhaps the most essential weapon in the label’s extensive arsenal.
Stax Records took a colossal and unexpected hit in December 1967, when a tragic plane crash claimed the life of its defining star, Otis Redding, and much of his backing band, The Bar-Keys. From the label shake-up that followed, though, it was Isaac Hayes who rose to the forefront. He released his debut solo record, Presenting Isaac Hayes, in 1968, kicking off an incredible recording career which saw him elevated to one of America’s defining funk and soul figures.
Now, in celebration of that legendary recording career, Stax Records, in partnership with Craft Recordings, has unveiled the compilation album The Best of Isaac Hayes, providing a captivating introduction to the life and music of the soul star. Ten highlights from across his discography, including his timeless rendition of Burt Bacharach’s ‘The Look Of Love’ and the unwavering coolness of ‘Theme from Shaft’, which earned Hayes an Academy Award back in 1972, are presented on the album, each in glorious remastered audio.
There have been countless compilation albums and ‘greatest hits’ records revolving around the work of Isaac Hayes over the years, but The Best of Isaac Hayes triumphs over them all. Housed in a gorgeous sleeve and pressed on heavy vinyl, the new compilation album provides an exceptional overview of the artist’s work, complete with the high-quality audio that Hayes’s work demands. This is how all compilations, remasters, and represses should be handled, and a multitude of reissue labels could take a wealth of notes from Craft Recordings on that topic.
Capturing the spirit of such an important, expansive artist in the space on only ten tracks is a near-enough impossibility, and there is certainly more Isaac Hayes to explore than this compilation contains. However, Stax and Craft have curated an incredible starting point for those who have somehow escaped the seductive baritone vocals of the Tennessee songwriter over the years. Hayes might have passed away in 2008, but his legacy as a songwriter, performer, and soul master will live on forever, a spirit which the grooves of The Best of Isaac Hayes perfectly capture.
