Funk Brothers Music

Imagine this: a white Southern cracker who bought this when he was 18 because he liked the album cover. Well, that was me. Vinyl was still around then and album covers had become an art form. My wall was full of album covers while the vinyl discs themselves went into non-scratching, non-shrinking, static proof jackets.

But enough of that.

This is about the music.

I had been a fan for years of black band music from the 1950s and early 1960s but could only get those recordings from K-TEL once I could afford to purchase my music. There was something about the cheezy commercialism of K-TEL that helped my refusal to make the buy.

Hence, the only "black" music I owned were from individual artists such as B.B. King, Bo Didley, Muddy Waters, Miles Davis, et al.

But getting this album opened a whole new world of music to me: Earth, Wind, and Fire; War (arguably not a "black" band); and others.

Give it a try.

Yep. Definitive.

As varied as the Isleys have been over the years, I still stand on my idea that this album is closer to being definitive than any of their others (which are mostly great in their own ways) during their massive string of nearly essential hits and albums.

I feel that way mainly because this is the most efficient Isley record that I own.

6 songs.

Three uptempo songs include their definitive protest jam (Fight the Power), an underrated funk jam (The Heat is On), and a perfect transition jam (Hope You Feel Better Love).

Three ballads. Three of their best ballads. That is saying something. For The Love of You is an essential winner in every way. Sensuality is subtle soul with Ron's heavy love panderings lulling the listeners into some lovemaking. And the nearly-epic Make Me Say it Again, Girl makes for one hell of a closer.

Don't think that having heard these songs on random compilations that you own means that you have heard this album.

Something about these songs being together in this order adds to their quality.

In a music world where folks get caught up over songs/hits/singles, The Heat is On deserves full credit as one hell of an album.

IMO, it is the best Isley work among a collection of greatness.

AP

Fight the power is the theme song of protest in the 1970's. For the Love of you is one of the best love songs of the 1970's. Make me say it again, girl and sensuality are good ballad songs.

The Isley Brothers have gone through many different styles. From the early rock 'n' soul of songs like "Twist & Shout" * "Shout" to the Motown years of "This Old Heart Of Mine" to the funk of the mid 70's, they have constantly & consistently produced great and influential music. The Heat Is On was the band's only number one album and is well deserving of the ranking. From the opening sounds of the fiery "Fight The Power", the album moves into funk, rock and smooth soul. Hip Hop fans may not know their names, but they know the beats as the Isleys are among the most sampled bands. The Isleys always made interesting and well produced albums and The Heat Is On may top the list as their best album.

I was six years old when this album came out so it wasn't until later years when I really got into The Isley Brothers. Of course, growing up we all remember hearing certain songs on the radio and thinking, "WOW!". Such is the feeling I got when I first heard "For the Love of You", which is my favorite song of all time to this day. As years went on I grew to know and love the music of the Isleys and have been expanding my collection of their work ever since.

The Heat is On features the smash hit, "Fight the Power" and "Hope You Feel Better Love" as well as the title track, "The Heat is On". All are hot dance tracks with all the elements of pure seventies funk; bass, acoustic guitar, electric piano, arp and moog synthesizers, slamming drums and ernie's famous 6&12 string.

The mood is mellowed out with the ultimate slow jams, "Make Me Say It Again Girl," "Sensuality", & "For the Love of You".

I love the photography as it captures them live on stage. The dry ice is going and there's the individual name-slash astrological sign-slash birthday center photos, with each member getting his "pose" on.

This is a must have for your collection of REAL music from a REAL band during a time when what you saw on stage was what you heard on the record.

Peace. CLB.

I'm a child of the seventies and I must say, there's no other group that comes close to the super bad Isley's brothers, except the The Temps of course.....me personally give the the Brothers a Five star review....because they are that gooooood thanks

I have always Been a Big Fan of the Isley Brothers&will always be.this Set highlights many of there Slow Cuts like "Foot steps in the dark",Between the Sheets"&then they turn up the heat on "Fight the Power"&showcse there Versatile side on "that Lady".these brothers could do whatever they wanted to do Musically&they always Brought the Slow Cuts&the Funk.this is a Great Introduction to the Music of the Isley Brothers.They are tied with Earth,Wind&Fire&Sly&the Family Stone as my Favorite Bands Ever.

WE'VE BEEN LOOKING TO REPLACE OUR ISLEY'S GREATEST HITS, VOL.1-1984-FOR YEARS. WANT TO PURCHASE A NEW COPY OF THIS CD. PLEASE E-MAIL us as soon as it becomes available. ROCKWITME

The Isley Brothers are one of those groups that should be in everyone's collections. The smooth voice of Ron Isley (aka Mr. Biggs) leads the group. I love the slow tracks, 1-5. The last three tracks are more up beat. Ron Isley has also worked with R. Kelley.

Bought this on tape about 15 years ago and while most of their late 60's-early 70's hits are here it isn't really enough. When will there be a Greatest Hits Volume 2? If you are a true Isley Bros. fan and have most of their albums then no need to bother with this collection.

I'm reviewing this CD, but ANYTHING by the Neville Brothers is worth a try. This band defies description - how do you categorize a band that can do just about anything and really can't be pigeonholed. Not a bad song on this CD and the song Yellow Moon is a pure work of art. A real magical, funky, soulful Bayou song. Absolutely love it and I can listen to these guys anytime.

The Neville Brothers have yet to make the album I hunger for. 'Yellow Moon' is close: one of Dan Lanois' finest efforts. And it provides the template, the benchmark for my appetite. But it's a compilation entitled,'The Neville Brothers' from the Master series on Polygram from 1996, that strikes even closer. Doesn't seem to list on Amazon! Perhaps it's the selection, pulling from their most commercially productive, accessible collections, the very finest work. It's not that these albums, in themselves, lack judicious selection. The playing is uniformly excellent, the range and degree of accomplishment in various genres is impressive. Possibly the brothers collective gifts are too sprawling to capture my 'perfect' Nevilles. I have to admit that its Aaron's voice that cuts the band from the ruck of other groups purveying the New Orleans sound. It's always been his divine register that elevated the most mundane texts to the quality of hymns. 'Fearless','Will The Circle Be Unbroken',the Dylan and Cohen covers, are rendered here in ways their authors wouldn't even have prayed for. And supremely, there is Sam Cooke's and my own anthem,'Change Is Gonna Come'. Until Aaaron, only Richard Manuel's take on,'Rock n' Roll Joint' could bring me to the verge of tears. Of course, one could pursue the solo Aaron outings. For me, this has fallen into another syndrome: too much saccharine song selection. In lieu of that elusive Neville's album, for which time is rapidly diminishing, this compilation is as good as it gets.

You know when you buy CD and then get tired of it in a couple of months? THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE CDS

This is a typically fine album by these New Orleans legends. It contains a good mix of originals and cover songs. Several of the songs are "message" songs, inluding great covers of Sam Cooke and Bob Dylan songs. Another great cover is the Carter Family's "Will the Circle Be Unbroken". This is an all-around solid album, and fans of the Brothers should enjoy it.

I had the pleasure to get up close and person with Aaron Neville when he sang for us at a New Orleans Navy base. Believe me it's overwhelming! This beautiful, angelic voice comes from a very BIG, muscular man. The Neville brothers have always been one of my favorite groups. This is one talented family. I got this CD recently when I heard it being played at a Barnes & Noble store. I could hardly keep my feel still when I heard "Yellow Moon," and bought the CD immediately. Terrific harmony, vocals and music that are an absolute joy. I only have one problem...I can't play it when I'm driving! I just get too caught up in it when I hear "Yellow Moon," because my feet want to go. Each selection has New Orleans spice, like a delicious gumbo.

I bought this CD after hearing "Harvest for the World" on the radio. I love that song to death. I like the fact that it sounds so funky and free. The song came out in the seventies, but it made me want to take out my bells and my peasant shirt, put some flowers in my hair, and spin around outside in the flowery fields like the black neo-hippie that I am! It only gets 4 stars because I really only dug one song, but they're the Isley Brothers, so it's automatically good...

The Isley Brothers have always been an underrated group from the 60's & 70's. Yet when you listen to this incredible collection of hits (It's Your Thing), (Fight the Power 1 & 2) etc., you will smile and rememeber . . . And more importantly realize how dynamic a group the Brothers Isley were. R&B has progressed nicely over the past 40 years thanks in great part to these talented performers. Thank you Isley Brothers. You are appreciated, trust me!

The Isley Brothers makes a very strong comeback on "Between The Sheets" after putting out rather lackluster albums in the early 80's. Sadly, this album is the swan song to the 3+3 run of albums by the Isley's with the group splitting into due to creative differences. "Choosey Lover" puts you in the mind of previous love ballads from the 70's, while the title track brings the Isley's into a different, yet Isley Brothers trademark sound. Had these guys not split, there might have been another solid 4 or 5 more albums by this group.

"Between the Sheets" was a fitting comeback for the 3+3 model of The Isley Brothers after three rather lackluster albums ("Grand Slam," "Inside You" and "The Real Deal"). Unfortunately, it was also the last album of the legendary, two-generation group; Ernie and Marvin Isley plus Chris Jasper would leave by the end of 1983 and form their own group, Isley/Jasper/Isley.

IMO, this was a tremendous half of an album -- the ballads. Generally a group that typically had two ballads per album, The Isley Brothers realized its uptempo stuff had become an anachorism. Apparently inspired by the sounds of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" (which was released months before this album), the guys came back with several killer ballads ("Between the Sheets," "Choosey Lover," "Touch Me" and "I Need Your Body") and the bouncy mid-tempo "Let's Make Love Tonight."

For the first time in several years, The Isley Brothers sound inspired. Ronald Isley's vocals are vibrant and the songwriting is particularly strong on the aforementioned tracks. Moreover, the music production is lush and elaborate without sounding as forced as it was on the "Inside You" album. Ernie Isley's work as a drummer and percussionist are more of the forefront than his guitar playing (save for "Choosey Lover").

Unlike some others, I never got into the other more uptempo tracks, such as "Ballad of the Fallen Soldier" and "Slow Down Children" that showed how dated their other sound had gotten. The success of "Between the Sheets" paved the way for the act's reputation as bedroom balladeers for the next 25 years.

The Isley Brothers hae been putting out quality, classic material for several decades, and this album, which came out in 1983 is still on hit today! Of course, there is the silky smooth R&B classic, "Between The Sheets" that rapper/producers like Jermaine Dupri sampled on Da Brat's "FunkDaFied," and like Sean "Puffy" Combs did on Biggie's "Big Poppa." But this album is more than just the title cut. There is a nice mixture of styles, like the fast paced party funk tracks like "Way Out Love" and "Rock You Good" make you want to dance or lowride with the top down. There are other silky tracks here as well, like the slow tempo "Choosy Lover" and "Touch Me." The Isley's vocals are among the best of R&B past and present, and they showcast them extremely well through the album! The mid-tempo track "I Need Your Body," is smooth and fun to just chill to! Overall, the album is just pure acoustic and lyrical fun (feel good music!). This music is also a good romantic mood setter to play when on a date!

After releasing some lackluster albums in the early 80's (The Real Deal, Inside You and Grand Slam) the Isleys came back with this, their last #1 R&B Album for 18 years. The best thing about this album is that everyone in the group is front and center. Rudolph's and O'Kelly's backing vocals are the best they've ever been. Too often in the previous albums they would be drowned out by the burning funk cooked up by the younger 3. This is a nice change as the Isleys once again sounded like a vocal group while still being a band. The first side is all love songs. "Choosey Lover" and "I Need Your Body" are the best of the bunch, the latter just being just short of perfection as Ronald provides stellar lead vocals, Chris goes into Barry White mode as he does a little "rap" at the end, Ernie's guitar and the backing vocals convey the urgency of the song and Marvin's bass keeps rumbling along as usual. But the second side is filled with killer funk and protest songs. "Slow Down Children" and "Ballad For The Fallen Soldier" burn with as much anger as "Fight The Power", "The Pride" and "Livin' In The Life". They cap things off with the rockin' instrumental "Rock You Good".

This album was the most cohesive the Isleys put out in their 3+3 era. It seemed they had finally recaptured their sound and updated it for the 80's. Too bad this was to be their swan song as the younger 3 bolted to form Isely Jasper Isley. This album only makes you wonder what could have been.

This album is a true classic. I don't even know where to start. I was turned on to this LP after hearing Notorious BIG's "Big Poppa", which sampled the title track "Between the Sheets". Since "Between the Sheets" was great I decided to get the whole album. I was amazed.

Between the Sheets is the perfect title for this music because it's most convinient when you're in the mood to get "Between the Sheets". Though every track on this album is great, my favorites have to be "Choosey Lover", "I Need Your Body", and "Ballad For the Fallen Soldier". Those are the ones I play most often. Great production along with great vocals by lead vocalist Ron Isley make this album a masterpiece. If you're a hip-hop fan like myself then you'll find that many artists have used samples from this album. Nas used "Choosey Lover" for his "Street Dreams Remix", Jay-Z & Too Short used "Ballad For the Fallen Soldier" for "A Week Ago", and of course BIG used "Between the Sheets" for "Big Poppa". The latter of those was more along the lines of copying/biting rather than actual sampling. I blame that on Puffy.

I recommend you purchase this album as soon as possible. $9.98 is an excellent price for an album this good. It's easily worth 5 times that much. This, in my opinion is the Isley Brothers greatest work. You'll enjoy this much more than one of their collection albums.

Every old school collector needs to have this one in their collection. Not to collect dust but to share with the world.

All of the Isleys early work without the younger Isleys is just as good with them. But these early workouts are more raw-stripped down and pop-oriented. Ron Isley has a way of making country, and rock remakes sound like they were never before recorded. Not too many black artists can do that. To get a taste of the "Real Isleys" before the "Mr. Biggs" persona, get this with "Get into something", and "Givin' it back"

This album was a change of pace from all of the other soul albums of that day (heavier emphasis on lead guitar, covers of songs made famous by pop and country artists). It is awesome, especially their remake of "It's Too Late." A must for any true Isleys fan!

A completely good listen from beginning to end. The remakes of "Put a Little love in You Heart" and the title cut are pleasantly moving, as well as "Lay Away" and the better known "Work To Do" (this original version beats the Vanessa Williams remake by a mile)! An unknown classic is the haunting conclusion "Love Put Me on The Corner" which I defy anyone to listen to just once!

BROTHER BROTHER BROTHER is an album in which the Isleys soon-to-be platinum 3+3 formula really gels. Ernie, Marvin & Chris made appearances on previous T-Neck albums, but their talents were used to recycle way too many "It's Your Thing" riffs. This album blends the right amount of covers (the title track, "Sweet Season") and great original material ("Work To Do", "Layaway"). The 10 1/2 minute bluesy take on Carole King's "It's Too Late" is lively due to Ronald's soaring vocals and Ernie's wailing guitar. And the beautiful closer "Love Put Me On The Corner" is perhaps the first great original Isley ballad, and a huge improvement over the insipid ballads on the GET INTO SOMETHING album. BROTHER BROTHER BROTHER gave the Isley Brothers the sound that was used in full effect on their breakthrough album 3+3.

I HAD THE ORIGINAL ON VINYL BACK IN THE EARLY 70'S. THIS IS NOT IT. I RECOGNIZED A COUPLE OF SONGS. THE REST IS JUST FILLER FOR ME. DIDN'T CARE FOR IT. WILL PROBABLY USE THIS AS A MIXER FOR TO BURN MY OWN CD. WILL USE THE BEST AND LEAVE THE REST.

I hear the music on radio
so I said i like this group
I wonder if the made more
then little hit's on the radio.

"Too Late to Turn Back Now" is difficult to find. Get this CD now!

This CD is a good addition to your 70s Soul collection if you also like The O'Jays, Spinners, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Isley Brothers and/or The Main Ingredient, Four Tops, The Dramatics and any other of those wonderful Soul bands that ruled the "classic" Philly and Motown sound.

I was only 7 years old in 1972 when CB&SR were in their short lived hey-day. But even at 7 years old the sounds of R&B and Edward's voice was the icing on the cake for my love for great soul music along with Stevie Wonder, The O-jays and many more. Having this CD in my collection now not only brings back great memories but makes me appreciate the soulful sound and great lyrics written by the Cornelious Brothers. I only wish they were still going. I recamend getting this collection it is truly a great album and edwards voice is one of a kind even for a 7 year old kid in 1972.