Ranked #49 in the Soul Strut 200

Not much has to be said about this essential late 60s soul masterpiece by writer/arranger/singer Isaac Hayes. At the time, Hayes was reeling from a failed solo debut, but took to the task for a successful sophomore release after given full creative control by Stax subsidiary, Enterprise.  The result are four epic tunes that would change the landscape of 70s R&B including the most well-known track "Walk On By" with a key psychedelic soul performance by The Bar-Kays, the 18 minute heart wrenching cover of Jimmy Webb's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix,"and the funky jammer "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic".  Hayes' deep, chill vocal approach crossed with genius R&B arrangements helped catapult him to uber-fame with the Shaft soundtrack a few years later.

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