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THE ISLEY BROTHERS: US Def Soul, 2006 You’re My Star – Blast Off (Ft. R KELLY) – Just Came Here To Chill – Gotta Be With You – Pretty Woman – Forever Mackin’ – Show Me – Give It To You – Beautiful – Heaven Hooked Us Up – You Help Me Write This Song This album is less Homeboy than I had feared, which is a real plus, but I fear the pathetic Mr. Biggs persona is still the favourite modus operandi. Another plus is that Ernie Isley has more input than his piffling few seconds on "Body Kiss". The problem is, his playing seems rather distant on most occasions. It's subdued to the point where I think that his appearance was an accident! Maybe he was jamming in another room, and the recording room door was ajar and the faint sound of his genius happened to get caught up in the recording session! LOL. Anyway, I for one am glad he is here. This set should please both old and new fans alike, but still I fear my heart goes back to the days of "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Lover’s Eve". Much of the writing on this album is aimed at the younger end of the market and this is a major flaw. To hear the likes of Ronald Isley talking about "Giving It To You" and "Forever Mackin’" does little for me. Lyrically there are some real shining moments, but a lot of the time the content is more akin to a horny 17 year old than a seasoned soul singer whose career spans back to the late 1950s. I will not dwell on such matters and instead cherry pick for you. I would recommend the first song for starters which is a classic example of both new and old styles merging effortlessly. I think, though, that if some featureless cookie-cutter vocalist had done this instead then it would have been consigned to the dustbin of throwaway R&B. There is a slightly 80s feel to this which sure impresses me. The hand-clap beat is reminisce of Chris Jasper’s influence and Ernie’s guitar is a boon in itself. I would also point you towards the R Kelly contribution that is quite a clever little metaphor for making love. Back in 2003 he gave us the massive hit, "Ignition", which was quite clever and now he provides a better quality Isley-fied framework for Ronald to work on in tandem with himself. This was not an immediate hit with me, and took a few plays, but it does work very well, and I especially was drawn to the quirky keys in the background. The current single "Just Came Here to Chill" has to be the greatest traditional Isleys effort on display. Troy Taylor penned this along with Gordon Chambers. It is, incidentally, Chambers who arranges the vocals. The melody is a relaxed retro Isley affair; homage also paid to R Kelly’s own Isley-like groove of "Your Body’s Callin’". I hope this does well for Ron and Ernie; it certainly deserves to. My final pick is the haunting and eerie "Pretty Woman". Very modern and R&B it may be but very strong in the Isley tradition it is to boot. There is a haunting Oriental lilt to it too with the delicate synth constantly present in the background. This is almost worthy of something on a more edgy Hiroshima set. Alas, there is no "Take A Ride", "Prize Possession" or "Superstar" on here, but I think that those aforementioned songs will cater for the more educated and trained ear. But yet again I plead with Ron to ditch this mack daddy image! Go on, just for me! Pleeeeeeease! -Barry Towler Other Fresh CD Reviews Albums of the Month in 2006 Albums of the Month in 2005 Albums of the Month in 2004 Albums of the Month in 2003 Albums of the Month in 2002 Albums of the Month in 2001 Albums of the Month in 2000 Albums of the Month in 1999 Albums of the Month in 1998 Albums of the Month in 1997 |