This sumptuous 23 disc box set covers all of the albums that were released by the long lasting and entertaining Isley Brothers. Not only are the “normal” releases included here, but you get for the first time in its entirety the famous “Wild In Woodstock: The Isley Brothers Live At Bearsville Sound Studio (1980)) and the obligatory rare and previously unreleased bonus tracks, which numbers up to 84 on this opus.
As with all groups that last through eras ranging from doo wop, rock, soul, disco and funk, the Isleys were able to adapt to each era and style and still keep their unique sound and vision. Look, EVERYONE knows by heart, and has danced at a wedding, to “Shout,” and The Beatles covered “Twist and Shout,” but that was ten Presidents ago! Their songs such as “Footsteps In The Dark” and “It Was A Good Day” are still sampled these days by Ice Cube The Notorious BIG’s respectively.
You get them doing material with Jimi Hendrix on ”Testify” and “Move Over and Let Me Dance” and of course mega hits like “Who’s That Lady” and “It’s Your Thing.” If you can sit still on the latter, you must have major osteoarthritis in your hip joint and need to see a chiropractor, cause it is a MOVER! “Who’s That Lady” mixes wonderful soul with one of the most wild guitar solos that would make even white head bangers scratch their lice-ridden scalps. Ernie, Chris and Marvin were able to make chart toppers with their own material or on covers from folkies such as “Lay Lady Lay” and “Love the One You’re With” and appeal to both sides of the color spectrum, making their music and style a unifying factor, rather than the current mode of creating music to divide. This Rock Hall of Fame group shows they did it with style and substance.
Legacy Recordings