Until Isaac Hayes released Hot Buttered Soul in 1969, soul music had been a singles-oriented genre. Hayes, along with Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield gave the soul album a higher purpose, superseding the standard practice of assembling LPs around recent hits and filler. Includes the infamous 18-minute "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and its lengthy monologue which slowly eases you toward the climactic, almost-orchestral finale. A timeless, landmark album, the album that transformed Hayes into a lifelong icon.
File under: Soul, Funk, RnB/Label: Stax/Original Release Year: 1969