It's Your Thing: The Story of The Isley Brothers (3-CD) - CD Box Sets (1999)

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Product Description:

The Isley Brothers: O'Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley (vocals); Ernie Isley (acoustic & electric guitars, bass, drums); Chris Jasper (piano, electric piano, synthesizer); Marvin Isley (bass, percussion).

Additional personnel: Jimi Hendrix (guitar); Motown House Band.

Producers include: The Isley Brothers, Holland, Dozier & Holland, Bert Berns, Hugo & Luigi, Angela Winbush.

Compilation producers: Leo Sacks, The Isley Brothers.

Recorded between 1957 & 1996. Includes liner notes by William C. Rhoden, Leo Sacks and Nikki Giovanni.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

The Isley Brothers capture the history of soul music from the late '50s to the early '80s all by themselves. Starting off as a mildly obscure vocal group who eventually struck gold with 1960's delirious "Shout" and the swinging original version of "Twist and Shout," the Isley Brothers changed with the times while staying clear of simple bandwagon jumping. First they added youngest brother Ernie Isley (who had been heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix during and after the guitarist's tenure with his siblings, documented on two impressive tracks here) on acid-tinged lead guitar. Then the Isley Brothers became brilliant interpreters of other peoples' songs (check out what they do with Todd Rundgren's "Hello It's Me") and impressive songwriters on their own, with smashes like "That Lady" and "It's Your Thing." Semi-chronologically assembled (each of the three discs covers a specific period in the band's development, but the songs are arranged with a bit more fluidity within those confines), featuring lots of rarities and lovingly packaged, this definitive box set represents a case history of R&B at its finest from doo-wop to disco.

Entertainment Reviews:

Rolling Stone - 10/14/99, p.124

4 stars out of 5 - "...The stunning 3-CD box full of soul IT'S YOUR THING [captures the Isley story in all of its intermittent glory] brilliantly, including all the obvious hits...and lots of material that fell between the non-crossover cracks..."

Spin - 12/99, p.230

8 out of 10 - "...ragged beauty....a brood of calculating chameleons with a stylistic agility that, given the dictates of niche marketing and modern radio formats, will likely never be seen again..."

Entertainment Weekly - 9/10/99, p.153

"...represents the Isleys' evolution from rock sensations to soul troubadours....A brilliantly arranged collection, including exceptional alternate takes and unreleased tracks, and a neccesity for anyone yearning to do their own thing." - Rating: A

Q - 1/00, p.138

4 stars out of 5 - "...an aptly garish package given their barking '70s apparel, with a sentimental sleeve note and a satisfying track choice..."

Uncut - 1/00, p.100

4 stars out of 5 - "A colossal, combustible fun-fest; enough for a throbbing theme-night in your very own living room....The Isleys remain titans..."

Vibe - 10/99, p.189

"...any one of the three discs here would be a formidable compilation in and of itself....But as famous as the 'songs' are...the 'styles' that the band perfected, popularized, or foreshadowed are even more significant....[proves] that while time can wear rock down, it has no effect on solid-gold soul."

The Source - 11/99, p.236

"...chronicles the breadth of the Isley experience....[They] infused everything with a balance of elegance and grit, creating a brave new musical world in the process..."

Mojo (Publisher) - 12/99, p.126

"...a stylishly packaged way for those less familiar with their work to get to know and love an amazing act whose recording career spans 4 decades..."