ISAAC HAYES — Tough Guys (review)

ISAAC HAYES — Tough Guys album cover Album · 1974 · Jazz Related Soundtracks Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
js
Considering the massive success that Isaac Hayes had with his “Shaft” soundtrack, you would think that a long career in film scoring lay head of him, but surprisingly enough, he only scored two more movies, “Three Tough Guys and “Truck Turner”. Since Isaac had been working in the ‘blaxploitation’ genre, maybe the film industry didn’t turn to Hayes any more when the blaxploitation fad faded. Whatever the reason, it is a shame that Isaac didn’t score more movies as he is one of the best, especially when it comes to crime soundtracks. In this field he holds up well against other big names such as Quincy Jones, J.J. Johnson and Henry Mancini. It’s also odd that these other soundtracks he composed are not nearly as well known as “Shaft”, because these other soundtracks have the same high caliber of creativity as the celebrated Shaft OST.

Confusingly enough, Hayes’ soundtrack to the movie “Three Tough Guys” was released on an album called just “Tough Guys”, and in the vocals of the title track, it sure sounds like Isaac is singing about two tough guys. Opening track, “Title Theme”, has Isaac singing about the tough guys and this track is a bit silly and finds it’s only value in 70s blaxploitation kitsch, after this track though, it’s all serious well composed orchestrated jazz and RnB. The only musician credits are to the ‘The Movement’, which was Isaac’s backup band and probably made up of members of the Bar-Kays. Along with stellar ensemble work, The Movement also supplies excellent jazzy solos on horns, guitars and keyboards.

Side two opener, “Hung Up on my Baby”, has a solemn introspective and downright spooky guitar riff that was successfully sampled by the Geto Boys for their tale of urban madness, “Minds Playing Tricks on Me”. Top track for all out jamming goes to “Joe Bell” with its intense horn charts, driving rhythm and high end trumpet solo. Slow groove funk number “Buns O Plenty” has an almost cartoonish flavor as it depicts human movement of a more comical nature. Elsewhere, “Tough Guys” features instrumentals that mix jazz, RnB and esoteric lounge music all spiced with bits of psychedlic rock and art pop arrangements
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