Isaac Hayes - Live At Montreux 2005

The legendary soul man caught on camera in Switzerland

The brown bald pate glistening under the spotlight is unmistakeable. The resonant basso profundo voice is even more of a giveaway. Hail Isaac Hayes, the former meat packer-turned-Stax backroom boy who became a man to reckon with when he dragged soul music into the album age with his landmark 1969 recording Hot Buttered Soul. Sadly, the man who co-crafted some of soul’s most enduring songs and penned the memorable Shaft soundtrack is these days better known for playing Chef in South Park. All that may change with the release of his forthcoming new album on the resurrected Stax label (his first for over a decade), and even perhaps this, apparently his first ever in-concert DVD. The opening numbers come over a tad flat and perfunctory, with Hayes’ voice sounding rusty. Things liven up with the jubilant, gospel-flavoured Blues Is Alright, and strong renditions of the epic Walk On By and By The Time I Get To Phoenix, complete with monologue. Of course, the show climaxes with a spirited Theme From Shaft. The bonus footage, taken from the encore, is worth watching as it reunites Hayes with Stax house band Booker T & The MGs, and includes a combustible version of Sam & Dave’s Soul Man.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Eagle Vision | EREDV 650

Reviewed by Charles Waring
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