165. Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul

Release Date: 1969
Label: Stax

Comprising of just four tracks, this seminal album from future chef Isaac Hayes (hence the titular reference to butter) is recognised as a landmark record in the history of soul music. The album oozes sex, sophistication and style and contains a monumental twelve-minute version of the Atomic Kitten classic, 'Walk on By.'. Alongside Sly and the Family Stone, this album is proof that soul music was beginning to produce essential albums towards the end of the 60s - something that would continue with the likes of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder in the next few years.

Rating: 8/10
Favourite Track: Walk On By

51. Otis Redding - Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Release Date: 1965
Label: Stax

Otis Redding had one of the coolest voices in soul. He's up there with Marvin Gaye when it comes to pure vocal talent, and it would be interesting to hypothesise on how his career would've developed had he not Buddy Holly'd it back in 1967 (days after he'd finished recording his signature song (Sitting On) The Dock of The Bay. There is nothing speciail about the music on this album, but there doesn't need to be.

Rating: 7/10
Favourite Track: A Change is Gonna Come

32. Booker T & The MGs - Green Onions

Release Date: 1962
Label: Stax

Most people are aware of Booker T & The MGs because of the title-track on this album, me included. And that is a bad thing because it means they're probably not familiar with the rest of the tracks on here (unless they've heard the original/cover versions with vocals. Out of the current crop of instrumental albums that I'm working my way through, this is by far my favourite. At under 3 minutes, none of the songs outstay their welcome and some of them even sound like they belong to the fairground.

Overall: 8/10
Favourite Track: One Who Really Loves You