A collection of two legends get together on this fascinating album of soul stirring; Ronald and Ernie Isley of the famed Isley Brothers create a summit with Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana along with other family members Kandy Johnson Isley and Tracy Isley on vocals while Carlos adds percussion and rhythm guitar to his patented lead. The song selection is a mix of black life, ranging from the spiritual to secular and political, all with pleads for peace between man on earth.
Ron Isley is in vintage vocal form, preaching from the pulpit with the secular/gospel hand claps and synthesized groove and Santana’s patented searing guitar on “Are You Ready.” Santana’s acoustic guitar through the exotic mood and B3 on a caravan’d mood on “Gypsy Woman” while going electric and ravenous on as Isley gets thunderous on “I Just Want to Make Love to You.” The team sounds urgent as Isley mixes preaching with a rap cadence on “Total Destruction of Your Mind” and pleads with piano and voice on a thoughtful and yearning “Mercy Mercy Me.”
Vintage and tasty soul strutting on “Let The Rain Fall on Me” grabs you by the throat, but nothing gets you ready for the version of “God Bless The Child” that opens with gentle voice and piano to lead up to a dramatic climax. The final “Let There Be Peace On Earth” mixes all parts of the 60s soul movement, asking for a change of heart with choir and world sounds begging for unity of minds. If only man could have achieved it, it would have happened by now, but as (at least) the Isley Brothers know from their spiritual roots, it can only come via the Prince of Peace, and not of ourselves.