js “Shaft” was Isaac Hayes’ first film score and in his effort to impress, dug dip and created one of the finest soundtracks of the 70s. Before being asked to compose this score, Hayes’ career had been on a roll with albums that kept getting more and more artistic while he continued to expand the world of RnB with lush orchestrations and long songs with complex arrangements. With “Shaft”, all of his innovations came together into a sort of “Sgt Peppers” apex in his career. Hayes is not quite as smooth a composer as Mancini and Quincey Jones, and not as adventurous as Herbie Hancock, but you will hear traces of those well known crime jazz composers in Hayes’ soundtrack as well as other diverse influences from Lalo Schifrin, to the jazzy lounge pop of Burt Bacharach and the urban psychedelic rock of early Funkadelic. What Hayes does do on here that the others couldn’t is take the tough RnB funk of Memphis’ Stax label and seamlessly mix it with orchestrations and progressive arrangements that lift the music up without destroying its gritty integrity. The number of different musical styles on here is impressive and much credit should also go to Hayes’ ultra talented back-up band and longtime Stax label mate, The Bar-Kays. During the course of this soundtrack the Bar-Kays take on cool lounge vibes, up-tempo soul jazz, heavy and experimental psychedelic rock and lengthy orchestrated grooves and play every style with burning enthusiasm and instrumental virtuosity.

There are many great tracks on here, but one standout is the extra long version of “Do Your Thing”. This one opens with a delicious laid back psychedelic groove that pre-dates the trip-hop movement by twenty plus years. As the song progresses the band lays into an extended guitar solo and things get more experimental in a dark Funkadelic way. This is psychedelic rock for the urban crowd, totally devoid of any overly sweet pixie dust. As the song rambles on the band breaks into an intense chaotic double time that echoes Miles’ “Dark Magus” album. Finally the band meanders into something that sounds like a cross between free jazz and early Pink Floyd. There is no telling how long the original jam went on because the track finally abruptly ends with the sound of someone ripping a record needle off of the vinyl. Another great track is the high energy horn driven soul jazz of “Be Yourself” which may remind some of the equally infectious “Put it where You want it” by the Crusaders. Closing out the special recommendations, “Soulsville” is one of the most beautiful and moving ballads about life in the big city ever recorded.