Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul -1969- -eac-flac- -

The Birth of Cool: Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered Soul (1969) – An Audiophile’s Deep Dive (EAC-FLAC)

The shortest track, but no less potent. A traditional soul arrangement that serves as the palate cleanser before the main course. It proves Hayes could write a standard radio hit if he wanted to; he just chose not to.

Note to rippers: The original 1969 Enterprise pressing is notoriously hot in the left channel. A proper EAC log should show 100% track quality with no jitter. If you find a copy with the original "Stax" pressing plant identifiers, hold onto it. 1. Walk On By (Burt Bacharach cover) For the first three minutes, nothing happens. Just a vibraphone, a hypnotic bass line, and Hayes talking to himself. It feels like you’re eavesdropping on a man losing his mind in a penthouse. When the orchestra finally crashes in, it’s a religious experience. This is the sample that the Wu-Tang Clan would mine for decades. Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul -1969- -EAC-FLAC-

The EAC-FLAC rip floating around the usual circles (tracked with cuesheet and full log) is the definitive digital version. It captures the analog warmth without the surface noise of a worn vinyl pressing.

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. The Birth of Cool: Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered

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. Note to rippers: The original 1969 Enterprise pressing

In the summer of 1969, while the world was distracted by Woodstock’s mud and maxi-dresses, a bald, 300-pound former session musician walked into a studio in Memphis and changed the rules of pop music forever. That man was Isaac Hayes, and the weapon was Hot Buttered Soul .