Funk Brothers Music

The good news here is that there are aisles of Isley Bros. hits in a row.
The bad news is that someone toppled over the banquet table and made a mish-mash of the platters.

There is no time-line, no historical appreciation of the Bros. from the punch of 1962's "Twist and Shout" to the whisper of 1997's "Between the Sheets". The evolution from basic 50's RnB "Shout" (missing here!) to 60's soul "This Old Heart of Mine" to 70's "Who's That Lady" with a Jimi Hendrix guitar line, to '80's "Caravan of Love" the Isley's were hitmakers and poptakers, and few bands have lasted 5 decades of hits.

This Two CD so-called "Essential" is exasperating. It has fine stereo of older hits like "It's Your Thing" (a nice wink at Sly Stone) and plenty of '70's hits (their most proficient peroid) and bunches of the latter day Smooth Jazz emphasis on Ron Isley's crooning.

Until a box set detailing each era, these CDs are a good primer.

There are a number of Isley Brothers complilations out there, but this is the most comprehensive one I have found so far. One glaring ommission - "Hello It's Me" - but this is otherwise a great colelcton of Isley Brothers tunes.

The songs are just what I used to hear on the radio, and still do from time to time. Of the songs that are on this CD, there is little not to like. A lot of vintage songs on this compilation. It covers the group's early days and goes through their latter hits, as a compilation (in my opinion) should.

I really enjoy old school. Some of the songs I never they sung and was pleased.

Sounds like I just heard it for the first time again, except this time I know the words!

always been a fan of the Isley's and always will be. I love all there eras. from the late 50's , the rock and SOul Fusion of the 60's, the Funk of the 70's, the Smooth out Grooves of the 80's and the Mr.Biggs/Rap inspired 90's through now era. I enjoy there many classicss and the Greatness of Ronald "Mr. Biggs" Isley vocals which are timeless. Ernie on the Guitar is badd as ever. I loved the 3+3 era where you had half Funk and half Smooth cuts. so many songs that moved me back in the day til now. I've always been a huge Isley fan. I enjoy there sound and ability to always adapt to Musical change and yet keep there own signature stamped.

The good news here is that there are aisles of Isley Bros. hits in a row.
The bad news is that someone toppled over the banquet table and made a mish-mash of the platters.

There is no time-line, no historical appreciation of the Bros. from the punch of 1962's "Twist and Shout" to the whisper of 1997's "Between the Sheets". The evolution from basic 50's RnB "Shout" (missing here!) to 60's soul "This Old Heart of Mine" to 70's "Who's That Lady" with a Jimi Hendrix guitar line, to '80's "Caravan of Love" the Isley's were hitmakers and poptakers, and few bands have lasted 5 decades of hits.

This Two CD so-called "Essential" is exasperating. It has fine stereo of older hits like "It's Your Thing" (a nice wink at Sly Stone) and plenty of '70's hits (their most proficient peroid) and bunches of the latter day Smooth Jazz emphasis on Ron Isley's crooning.

Until a box set detailing each era, these CDs are a good primer.

There are a number of Isley Brothers complilations out there, but this is the most comprehensive one I have found so far. One glaring ommission - "Hello It's Me" - but this is otherwise a great colelcton of Isley Brothers tunes.

The songs are just what I used to hear on the radio, and still do from time to time. Of the songs that are on this CD, there is little not to like. A lot of vintage songs on this compilation. It covers the group's early days and goes through their latter hits, as a compilation (in my opinion) should.

I really enjoy old school. Some of the songs I never they sung and was pleased.

Sounds like I just heard it for the first time again, except this time I know the words!

always been a fan of the Isley's and always will be. I love all there eras. from the late 50's , the rock and SOul Fusion of the 60's, the Funk of the 70's, the Smooth out Grooves of the 80's and the Mr.Biggs/Rap inspired 90's through now era. I enjoy there many classicss and the Greatness of Ronald "Mr. Biggs" Isley vocals which are timeless. Ernie on the Guitar is badd as ever. I loved the 3+3 era where you had half Funk and half Smooth cuts. so many songs that moved me back in the day til now. I've always been a huge Isley fan. I enjoy there sound and ability to always adapt to Musical change and yet keep there own signature stamped.

THIS ALBUM MARKED A RETURN OF SORTS TO THE OLD TRADEMARK ISLEY BROTHERS SOUND,AND IT'S OFF THE HOOK.JAM AND TERRY,STEVE HUFF,RAFEAL SADDIQ,KELLY AND ANGELA WINBUSH ALL TOOK THEIR TURNS PUTTIN' IT DOWN,AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID.FROM THE TIME MOVE YOUR BODY KICKS IN UNTIL THE VERY END THIS ALBUM IS ABSOLUTELY SLAMMIN'.HIGHLIGHTS IN MY OPINION ARE YOU DESREVE BETTER,JUST LIKE THIS,WARM SUMMER NIGHT AND MOVE YOUR BODY.BUT THE ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT AND(in my opinion)ONE OF THE MOST SLEPT ON SONGS OF ALL TIMES IS THE TITLE CUT ETERNAL.THAT IS ONE OF MY TOP TEN ISLEY BROTHERS FAVORITES OF ALL TIMES.THE SONG KIND OF REMINDS ME OF MAKE ME SAY IT AGAIN,AND EARNIE SHOWED ALL THE WAY OUT ON THE GUITAR SOLO ON THAT SONG.CONTAGIOUS EVEN HAD A BIT OF THE ISLEYS SOUND AND PROBABLY INTRODUCED THEM TO A WHOLE NEW AUDIENCE.AS A WHOLE,I AM EXTREMELY FOND OF THIS ALBUM.

The Isley Brothers are timeless. Their music is enjoyable to every generation. To come all these years and have devoted fans is not luck, it's talent.

Ronald Isley a. k. a. Mr. Biggs is just a Kool Kat. His songs are about relationships of today but portrayed in a tasterful way. He is not ashamed to admit that men get played too and he does this well with the help of my boy R. Kelly.

All the tracks on this album are a treat to listen too. I find myself repeating most of them. This album should be in anyone's collection that enjoys R & B.

Later.....

Look, I love the Isley Brothers; I grew up with 'em, an' I respect them for bringin' new meaning to the term longevity, so for that reason there ain't much bad I can say 'bout this album. I love Ron Isley's voice an' I love smoothed-out R&B, nice hooks, atmospheric an' romantic background music an' this album has ALL of those things. So why is this not an essential album to me? Simple. These lyrics, while charming, sound like they comin' from a young, thuggish R&B loverboy, NOT a mature, elder statesman who knows the game well. I do like the groove on 'Warm Summer Night' an' there are some even more solid songs on the set like the funky, guitar-fueled opener 'Move Your Body' an' the hypnotically soulful 'You Didn't See Me', both produced by the mos' underrated talent in R&B Raphael Saadiq, an' there are some hidden gems throughout like the monumental title track which owes the mos' to their classic '70s ballads, but overall there's jus' not enough of that real, raw emotive grown-folks' music I was in search of.

Maybe Ron is tryin'ta relive his youth with this Mr. Biggs persona, maybe R. Kelly (who, don't get me wrong, I love as a singer) HAS in some ways corrupted them, an' then again maybe I jus' don't get it, but this style jus' don't work for me when it comes to the Isleys' music. I'll admit I like the bluesy flow of 'Contagious', an' I'm a sucker for this whole cinematic 'Down Low' drama that Ron an' Kelly have been playin' out in song for the past few years, but they shoulda stayed on the musical path they were on from their '97 disc 'Mission to Please'. THAT was grown-folks' music, an' THAS' what I'm lookin' for in them; I need my game to be backed up with some serious, uninhibited, classy romantic RELATIONSHIP music, not a cartoon character named Mr. Biggs feedin' his ego an' his appetite for sex.

This album is the main reason, I'm hesitant about pickin' up their most recent album 'Body Kiss', 'cause from what I've heard is' all that this is an' more (or less dependin' on how you look at it), so I guess if you gave this five stars, then you can't go wrong with it. But, me personally, I'm'a stick with their more substantial older stuff.

This is the third purchase of this CD. Everyone who listens to it (male or female) wants their own copy. It's just that great!
The Isley Brothers can sing their behinds off..and over any other group that I can think of in their class. The entire CD
paints a vivid picture of any man and any woman in various situations. Just put yourself there! And learn from the experience. A glass of wine and you're in the moment.

I've been a huge fan of the Isleys for over 30 years, and stuck by them through the early Motown soul and their golden groove-funk period of the 1970s, through to the later stuff right up to the excellent Mission To Please album. But that's when they should have dumped R. Kelly, because it's the last album that had any really decent hook to it. And when you have a blistering guitarist like Ernie Isley, why bury him so far in the mix that his licks sound like they're being played through cotton wool?

R. Kelly's plodding grooves just grind from one indistinguishable track to another, which is pretty much the case on the even more disappointing follow-up to this, Body Kiss. The only track that kicks any ass here is the opener, Move Your Body, which fools you into thinking this might be a return to former glories for our heroes. Sadly, the leaden funk of R. Kelly then comes crashing in like a tidal wave of sludge and we get a whole turgid mess of leaden walking-pace 'grooves' that might sound all right in the background when you're getting it on with the partner of your dreams, but as listening music just gets you all exasperated and reaching for the 3+3 album again.

Come on, Isleys, dump the Kelly glop and get back to what you can do best!

You may be familiar with Chris Jasper. He was formerly a member of the Isley Brothers and Isley/Jasper/Isley, and was the primary songwriter and keyboardist for those groups through the 70's and 80's, earned numerous gold and platinum records and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

After the Isleys disbanded, Chris formed his own independent record label, Gold City Records, and produced his own solo recordings as well as other label artists. After experiencing a spiritual transformation, Chris turned his musical efforts to serving God.

Known for producing and recording beautiful ballads, Chris recently released "Faithful & True" -- a compilation of songs which we like to refer to as "love songs for Jesus." We believe this project was truly inspired (several of the songs came to Chris in dreams). The music has the same R&B flavor as his previous works, but the words are positive messages which we would so much like to spread to the young audience that has been inundated with negative influences, images and messages.

Please visit our newly-constructed website at (website) to hear music clips from Chris's new CD and view the lyrics which should be posted within the next day or two. We would be most interested in hearing your comments so please feel free to post them on here or on our message board.

If you would like more information or would like to speak with us directly, please contact us. Thank you. GOLD CITY MUSIC

The last reviewer is wrong, this is one of the Nevilles best! They are as funkey as ever, maybe even more so. Check out the fast funky workout of Let My People Go, the drummer is really kicking!

Fly Like An Eagle is a standout as well. the Nevilles have never sounded better, get this one now!

Family Groove will not go down as the best Neville Brothers album, but it could prove quite popular nevertheless. While the Nevilles' distinctive New Orleans voodoo funk, such as on Yellow Moon, is slightly diluted here, there is still much to enjoy.

It is a solid and entertaining effort from start to finish and will disappoint few. Family Groove is probably more instantly accessible than their other albums, and it would make a great introduction for those unfamiliar with the kings of the Big Easy.

Take Me To Heart and I Can See It In Your Eyes are stand-out ballads, while the title track and Fly Like An Eagle are well executed cover versions. The bonus of course is Aaron Neville's peerless voice. Good value.

That being said, this is not my favorite of their CDs--and I do have most of them. This is a good intro to folks who've never heard the group before, though, and an excellent add to any collection.

I will never listen to Steve Miller's "Fly Like An Eagle" the same again. The Nevilles took I song I mostly ignored and turned it into something that really does fly. Aaron's gorgeous as always--and as much as I love him by himself, I like him better with the family around.

My favorites are "Yellow Moon" for the intense Nawlins feel to the music, "Brother's Keeper" for the intense social mission, and "Walking in the Shadow of Life" because it's a balance of both the two I mentioned before.

This is the pinnacle of the Neville Brother's New Orleans style. Own this and "The Wild Tchoupitoulas" and you've got their best-all you'll ever need. I am appalled to see this in the cut-out bins...and so few reviews. I got my most recent CD copy at a Pilot Travel Center for $5.

The Aaron Neville syrup aside, the other tunes on this disc are great. Fiyo On The Bayou is worth the price of admission alone. Hey Pocky Way is a great groove as well. This is the Neviiles album for me as it takes me back to the shows ion the late 80s and early 90s when all these songs were concert staples. Turn it up loud- even your neighbors will like it.

Only one song on this CD is good -- and it's very good! Iko is a favorite to anyone with a dance feever!

there are only 8 songs, mildy mediocre ones at best, the total run time is around 25 minutes...on that basis alone it is not worth the 6 bucks.

I bought this album years ago, I believe at the beginning of the '90's when it had been touted as one of the best albums of the previous decade. To look now and see it selling for $6 with only two amazon reviews is a little disconcerting. I can't imagine that the New Orleans R&B/Funk sound has ever been captured more perfectly in a studio environment. Four of these songs (Hey Pocky Way, Sweet Honey Dripper, Fire on the Bayou and Brother John/Iko Iko) are among the most rollicking and intense performances I've ever heard on record. Run Joe is an infectious midtempo rocker and the cover of Jimmy Cliff's ballad Sitting in Limbo is beautiful.

But wait, aren't there 8 tracks on the album? Unfortunately, yes. Aaron's two syrupy ballad covers are atrocious. Regardless of whether you like the songs in and of themselves (I don't), there can be no doubt that they destroy the momentum and pacing of what could have been a perfect album. In the CD era, I couldn't lunge for my remote fast enough to forward through those tracks. But in the iPod era, no problem: slice 'em, dice 'em and leave them on the cutting room floor. For this price, who cares if you're left w/ less than 30 minutes of music? Edited down, this can't be beat.

Buy it and do other potential buyers a service by not letting this go out of print.