Shaft

STAX設立60周年の一環で、アイザック・ヘイズの名盤がオリジナル・アナログ・マスターから新リマスタリングで180g重量盤LP化。リマスタリングを手掛けたのは、Elysian MastersのDave Cooley。
本作は商業的にも成功し批評家にも絶賛されたアイザック・ヘイズの最も知られており、STAXで最も売れた作品。1972年のGrammy(R) Awardsも多々受賞、 Oscar(R)でも "Best Original Song." を獲得、さらに全米アルバム・チャートで1位となり60週連続チャート・インを果たした。

Spin (p.70) - "[T]he man's true genius was as an arranger, and his marvelously tricky blend of funk and Bacharach-like sophistication is in perfect balance here." Entertainment Weekly (10/12/01, p.36) - Ranked #40 in EW's "100 Best Movie Soundtracks" - "...A funkafied mama jama..." Entertainment Weekly (10/12/01, p.36) - Ranked #40 in EW's "100 Best Movie Soundtracks" - "...A funkafied mama jama..." Q (10/00, pp.142-4) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...It single-handedly enhanced the reputation of a stylish but dull feature, and helped give rise to an entire movie genre. The potency of that track...highlights Hayes; top-flight skills as a composer....its lasting impact is more obvious..." Q (10/00, pp.142-4) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...It single-handedly enhanced the reputation of a stylish but dull feature, and helped give rise to an entire movie genre. The potency of that track...highlights Hayes; top-flight skills as a composer....its lasting impact is more obvious..." Uncut (p.88) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he ghetto lament 'Soulsville' and the symphonic chill of 'Do Your Thing' endure as exemplars of '70s soul." Mojo (Publisher) (6/02, p.66) - Included in Mojo's "100 Coolest Movie Soundtracks". Mojo (Publisher) (11/99, p.132) - "...boasting Issac Hayes' brilliant score. The main theme proved unstoppable, an award-winner that resulted in countless similar funk fiestas..." Mojo (Publisher) (10/00, p.100) - "...The melodramatic strings, sleazy horns and wacca-wacca guitars are all present, but it still feels as ersatz as an old Top Of The Pops compilation album..." Mojo (Publisher) (6/02, p.66) - Included in Mojo's "100 Coolest Movie Soundtracks". Mojo (Publisher) (11/99, p.132) - "...boasting Issac Hayes' brilliant score. The main theme proved unstoppable, an award-winner that resulted in countless similar funk fiestas..."

Of the many wonderful blaxpoitation soundtracks to emerge during the early '70s, Shaft certainly deserves mention as not only one of the most lasting but also one of the most successful. Isaac Hayes was undoubtedly one of the era's most accomplished soul artists, having helped elevate Stax to its esteemed status; therefore, his being chosen to score such a high-profile major-studio film shouldn't seem like a surprise. And with "Theme from Shaft," he delivered an anthem just as ambitious and revered as the film itself, a song that has only grown more treasured over the years, after having been an enormously popular hit at the time of its release. Besides this song, though, there aren't too many more radio-targeted moments here. "Soulsville" operates effectively as the sort of downtempo ballad Hayes was most known for, just as the almost 20-minute "Do Your Thing" showcased just how impressive the Bar-Kays had become, stretching the song to unseen limits with their inventive, funky jamming. For the most part, though, this double-LP features nothing but cinematic moments of instrumentation, composed and produced by Hayes while being performed by the Bar-Kays -- some downtempo, others quite jazzy, nothing too funky, though. Even if it's not quite as enjoyable as Curtis Mayfield's Superfly due to its emphasis on instrumentals, Shaft still remains a powerful record; one of Hayes' pinnacle moments for sure. ~ Jason Birchmeier