3 + 3

Didn’t realize so many of their songs were remade by other artists

Funky, fun album

Noisy

4/10

3+3=3 Bit boring but also good here and there. Who's that lady tho?

That Lady Pt 1&2 is a perfect song to start an album with in my opinion. The jam during the last half of the song had me almost hitting the back button just to listen to it again. I didn’t do that because I remembered that Spotify are assholes and only pay the artist if you listen to the song completely. The thought was there though, that’s how much I appreciated that song. This is a great album for the genre. I wouldn’t hold it up to an album like Radiohead - Ok Computer or different genre 5 star albums but this is perfect for its class Choice cut: That Lady pt 1&2

Good

This is buttery smooth and all of the covers are great. The Isley Brothers were cool before cool was a thing and this is no exception.

Listened to it more than once, was awesome and the range of the tracks was wiiiiide but they pulled it off well

Fine, but uninspiring/unoriginal for me. 2/5

Oops all bangers. Super funky with some serious rock riffs throughout. Fav Songs: That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2, Listen to the Music, and Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2.

I had no idea what this album was first, but when I listened to the first song I realised that “That Lady” was sampled by one of my favourite artists Kendrick Lamar in his song “i”. I love the grove the album brings with it, very uplifting and cheerful songs. 8/10

Sexy

im not sure why they needed a full album to figure out 3+3 but it was really good so im not complaining 4.7/5

This was the album where the original 3 Isley Brother officially recruited their two younger siblings Ernie and Marvin, plus brother in law Chris Jasper to play a variety of instruments, and the result is gloriously funky with some amazing guitar work on show. If you have the means to play it, then the quad mix of Summer Breeze is an absolute highlight.

Nice funk album, very entertaining. Some songs are a bit too cheesy though, but that was overall nice to listen to.

this album bumps. i think anyone our age would know 'That Lady' from like commercials, but man what a good song it is to listen in entirety. this album just washes over you, and its really so stinking good. i think the one thing that was annoying, was this this remastered version includes all of the interviews at the end. cool to have, but wished i didn't "have" to listen to them for this project. all in all, solid album.

Fun groovy Isley bros album.

Eh, it was fine but covers just aren't my jam, and I didn't dislike but didn't like it. Cool artists and objectively good I suppose, but I didn't feel it outside from That Lady and that's only cuz of the Swiffer commercial from '07.

Better than I expected. One massive hit. The two cover songs were god. Plus there was some decent jamming on some of the others.

✅

That Lady is GOATED

Great record!

Opening track was so cool to immediately hear the sample for “i”. The album definitely gets weaker as it runs until the end, but it held really solid throughout and I’m definitely adding it to my favorites.

The guitar playing alone on this album can easily replace a dozen or so of the psych/prog rock albums that needlessly litter this list, and that's before we even get to the singing! 4 jack of all trades out of 5

solid album. Lyrics sort of sounds like an incel wet dream, but generally a good grove

Nick Lowe said the Beatles ruined pop music, because after them everyone felt like they had to write their own songs. The tradition of covering songs is largely forgotten, it seems, and I like that the Isley Brothers covered songs from outside their genre.

Enjoyed the album. Some really good hits.

Surprisingly recognisable.

I like the album very much. A great soft sound. Sometimes very soft, then funky again. Good vocals. 4/5

Kind of a sleeper. It’s almost too smooth to really keep my attention and rarely has anything catchy or interesting lyrics to make me want to keep listening. 4/10

At first this just seemed like sex jams, albeit really good ones like opening with Who's That Lady. You Walk Your Way really opened up to its true cadence, in my mind. Great versions of Listen to the Music, Sunshine (Go Away Today) and an actually bearable version of Summer Breeze with that little bit of guitar having me do the metal claw.

No lie I love me some '70s soul. Right out of the gates this album is COOKIN' with an updated That Lady. Even when they slow things down and get sexy it still rocks. Heavy metal guitar tone (arguably before heavy metal existed) is a weird choice that mostly works. It does get a little comical in their cover of Summer Breeze. Solid album whose only downside is sometimes slipping into that "sounds too much the same" area.

5/5 - so THIS is what I heard periodically in my childhood! Awesome

Not 100% my thing. Feels a little cheeseball compared to some of the similar stuff I like. Mouse dug it :)

Awesome album! It's something I'll definitely play for some placid lovemaking.

Vibesssss. Hayley kept saying "what's with all these different versions of songs" Highway of my Life is my shit.

Jolly and easy to listen to

Quite good. I’d imagine this band was an inspiration to Prince, as they blend R&B with Rock & Roll.

This is ok. Not my usual but it had a vibe

A pretty fun album with some great guitar playing. I enjoyed the covers too, very good interpretations.

Very very very good funk, some classics and some great covers on here. 4.5 rounded up.

OK, aber keineswegs überragend

Really enjoyed this, I need to listen to it again but I think it's a 3.

Still sounding fresh and vibrant after 50 years. Excellent

Hits

Groovy and funky af

Loved the album

Nice songwriting/ good vibes.

This took me by surprise. So good. Great guitar work.

This is an OK album - the musicianship is great, and the big songs are good, but it's not exciting, and I won't be listening to it again. Background music at best.

Really lovely soul music. Surprised by the songs and covers these must have inspired.

No m gusta mucho el soul, es increible q haya salido en el 73 esto, sunshine es un temon y alguno mas zafa, le pongo 3 estrellas mas q nada pq salio en el 73

Ok

Should be considered one of the greatest bands of all-time. Will need a biopic for people to realize how amazing they truly were/are.

This goes hard as hell, funky and smooth as fuck.

I like the O'Jays a lot and I'm trying to figure out why I don't like this album as much. I think I like the voices in harmony?

That was a super solid album.

4*

Really good album

Great. Extra points being in the Anchorman soundtrack.

Like, all covers. Pretty disappointing.

Really great rhythm and bass lines throughout.

funky good

Holy shit this rocks! Who's That Lady is all I knew well coming into this review--what a psychedelic soul jam. The Doobie Bros. never sounded so groovy. Searing, grooving, but somehow smooth too. All the covers here rebrand the originals into Isleydom, Summer Breeze going from a soft rock staple to soulful introspection punctuated by searing guitar. This album is great.

It was nice to have an album that wasn’t unpalatable or maudlin. Much as I don’t actively choose to listen to the Isley Brothers I recognised every song and the lyrics rose from a semi-dormant state in my subconscious. I think most of these songs have permeated the global subconscious anyway. It’s fairly comforting. 3 + 3 - 3 Woa-oh - listen to the music!

Although I like a lot of these songs better when done by other artists, the originals are very solid. As with the Jethro Tull album yesterday, the Spotify version of this album also included an interview. I wish every album came with an interview of the band,

There were some standout passages on this album, and a couple of covers that made things fun, but there was something about this that felt stuck in neutral. The performances blend, each song has a similar sound—vocally, musically— it's like everything gets fed through the same grinder and you get an Isley. I really don't know anything about the band other than they've been around in some incarnation for an age, and I have a vague understanding that they are influential, but I wasn't swept away by magic on this listen.

Cool, though inessential. I did like their cover of Listen to the Music.

Loved the funk and the groove.

Smooth jamz all the way through. About half of the tracks are covers, and arguably those stand out a little bit further than the originals.

Some good songs but overall the album doesn't completely convince me.

Pleasant and forgettable. The most memorable parts were the guitar solos, they were cool. Gee, 3 is too high, it feels...

Can't believe this album singlehandedly ended segregation

This is a great album, but the original songs are so much stronger than the covers. Aside from "Summer Breeze," I actually think the cover songs are the weak points. Obviously the vocals and stuff are still good on those, but they pale in comparison to the original songs (and their original versions). "That Lady," "If You Were There," and "You Walk Your Way" are the best songs on the album. Still, though, the album is so good. Definitely some of the best from The Isley Brothers all in one place.

There are some staples of the genre on this album, and they're a little different than the most popular versions of the songs, but they still slap hard. Some of the singing is off-putting, but it's only brief moments of a couple songs. The instrumentation is incredible, especially for the time. It's honestly a really incredible album from beginning to end. I did skip all the alternate versions that were at the end of the Spotify album, because I didn't really want to "re-listen" to songs with minor changes to them.

Excellent covers. Great harmonies

A wonderful album and display of talent. The only thing stopping me giving it a 5 is that it’s not really my personal style and I probably wouldn’t revisit it very often.

Undoubtedly a great feel good album evoking thoughts of sunny summer days chilling. A great album.

Okay.

ANOTHER 'omg I know this song' moment! more than one, in fact! a lot of these songs are the kind that, done by anyone else, I would probably be bored. but there I was, fully dancing over my pot of rice. 10 stars

love the isley brothers, they make some amazing music

i already knew Who’s That Lady, and now realize that the guitar part was sampled on the B-Boy Boullabaise by the Beastie Boys. i also heard their version of Summer Breeze on wxpn many years ago, and have always loved it. a lot of great guitar playing on this album, and overall very enjoyable. would be great to bang to.

They really don’t make music like this any more. Which is such a daft thing to say … but they really don’t. Who is making silky soul jams for making sweet love to? No one. That aside your kicking off with Who’ that lady and finishing with Summer Breeze. So it’s hard to mess that up.

Isley Bros are pretty solid. That Lady is such an amazing song, and I rather enjoyed the rest of the album. 4/5

What's not to like about the light summery tones that The Isley's produce. Uplifting. Great listen.

Interesting choice of album to showcase The Isley Brothers. Not really the songs from their heyday, but just some tepid covers of others' hits. Love the group, but not crazy about this particular album.

I’d only heard Summer Breeze and That Lady before, and I was pleased to find that all the songs matched both their quality and their feel. The whole Album is pleasant and relaxing. I imagine some people would find the guitar solos too long, but I’m not those people

3’s all round. Simpsons: No

This was very pleasant listening. But not something I'd probably ever choose to listen to, so just three stars from me.

Threes all round, it's good but it kind of just melts into background music

Oh man this list is firing on all cylinders at the moment. That Lady is a banger, I first heard it sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s i and I’ve been hooked ever since. Some of the sexiest guitar I’ve ever heard. Summer Breeze opening gives me a chubby. Vocals are just smooth. Will stick on a load more.

classics

there's nothing wrong with the isley brothers but certainly don't think they're the best of their genre.

This is a good listen. Get at it.

Espero tremendo grooove viendo los panas. EFECTIVAMENTE TENEMOS EL GROOVE MY PEPS ta fino i suena to black people en los 70-80 que soles pensen en anterrar la nutria pero teu diuen a lo smooth. Encara que per les pintes no sabría dirte on volen enterrar la nutria. Anyways, ta fino.

Oh hi Kendrick, I see you samplin' :D Sublime. That guitar is WILD and spacey but funky as hell all at once.

Know them and like the music.

Pretty good stuff.

Amazing album

Possibly America's tightest band, ever, at the peak of their powers. What an album.

You can definitely hear the Hendrix influences from his time touring with them on this psychedelic soul album. lot's of covers so everything is recognizable

pure vibes

I really like this as chill background music for work

Very good album. Especially on beautiful day. I all ready knew most of the songs

I love some old-school soulful R&B. Great stuff.

Fun album

Hell yeah brother. 4.5/5

Fun and funky album that forces you into a good mood. Soulful vocals and some really fun riffs that will be stuck in my head all day.

..(.

This is alright. At times a little too disco-y, at times a little too quiet stormy, at times a little too 70’s soft rocky, but overall not bad. The band sounds great but I wish they had stronger material to work with. Still not a bad album.

I know a pretty decent amount of the isleys' hits from listening to a lot of old pop/r&b music so i figured this would be in line with a lot of my music taste. boy howdy, i think that was an understatement. this is a fantastic album! the big hit off this one, 'that lady' is an all time banger, but all of the album cuts are great too. i especially enjoy the covers on here - in particular, their cover of 'listen to the music' is an awesome funk version of the doobie brothers classic. not a dull moment on this and the musicianship is top notch! excellent stuff!

Favorite track: Listen to the Music

Timeless album, impacting multiple genres of music to many years

That Lady and Summerbreeze have some great distorted guitar. The second song is a slow ballad that I didn't like as much. The rest is pretty solid funk/soul. I gave this a few goes but there's not enough standouts for me to call it better than good.

clearly good! but not my cup of tea :(

Classic.

I think I'm going soft for these funky albums boys. This album is another feel good, groovy record that is meaty and straight to the point. I love how much variety we get here- I can here the blues, I can hear Beatleseque pop as well- and whilst pulling from different influences, the album itself remains cohesive. Really love the opener here (Did Kendrick sample this?) and I also love Sunshine and Don't let me be lonely tonight.

I don't have much to say here. groovy beautiful iconic and influential. I love the funky and grooves here it just was not perfect to me. I love I LOVE the isley brothers and this album makes me love them more. Sunshine has a synth and guitar solo which makes me so happy because I love the beautiful noises they provide. Okay nothing else.

Funky

Great music, but too many covers of songs I liked better by original artist.

Groovy.

Honestly flabbergasted that I didn’t know of this band (just their music) I swear every song is incredibly recognizable and timeless, just fantastic. 4.0

Not for me

Who’s that lady?! lol I loved listening to this album. Fun upbeat. Amazing vocals.

some good songs on this one

Funky, tight, sounds fresh 4.6

I really liked it, but why are some of the songs on here three times?

These guys are good.

Unkomplizierter Soul, nett anzuhören, ohne Wiedererkennung

Psychedelic gitaar en fuuuuunk

This is not really my cup of tea. A little too 70s funk. Not really anything to latch onto or get excited about.

I love the guitar and bass work, and the vocal performances and production sound great. A landmark soul and funk record. Highlights: That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2, Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, If You Were There, Sunshine (Go Away Today), Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2

Dated. Still good. Did not know Jimi was in this group!

I absolutely love this album. Ron CC Isley’s voice can make you want to kick it up, romance the night away or just go with the summer breeze. Who’s That Lady is a classic/ I can still hear it streaming out of the student housing in my college years. Never knew Jimi Hendrix played with the Isleys. Funk and vibe and dance at it’s best,

Lots of covers but delicious soul

Some memorable ones on there.

Hard to believe the output of this band over the decades. This album contains some of the best hits as well as some really cool covers (which admittedly I had to look up to see who did it first).

Some super fun riffs and tunes but way too long, weird interview was weird and I swear it was just like three songs on repeat

3 + 3 = 3 (stars)

Ripping guitars, flawless vocals, and a "Summer Breeze" cover? 5 stars all the way

Slapped. Some tasty guitar in there too

is this where funk was born

Wasn't bad, not a fan of the interview tracks

I never quite knew about this band. I have, over many years and snippets of radiio and such, heard several of their songs, but never did I have a name to the music, nor listen to multiple songs (in a row) by this band. I have now, and I was right blown away by it! These guys are amazing!

The definition of the phrase, “This fucks.”

The Isley Brothers are an institution - they recorded music over an almost 50 year career, through a few lineup changes and styles of music. 3 + 3 is from the height of the soul/R&B phase of the band's career. It opens with "That Lady," a song that is one of their biggest hits, and one that sounds like a snapshot of the 70's. Their polished vocals add a gospel sound to their version of bass-driven funk. They include a few interesting covers on this album, like "Sunshine (go away today)" and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight."

Not what I expected...for the better. Funky and 3 covers that work better than the originals.

I enjoyed this. I like songs like That Lady where it’s some woman minding her own business and a man going Woaahhhh this lady is giving me a lob on, what a sexxxyyy laddyyy

Really like this album

Good listen, have to check out more of their music. Liked the 1st half a bit better. The covers were all fun

These covers are really good.

Very fun. Liked the covers on side 2.

Could have done without the add on interview and song versions, however the main album section was very solid and relaxing music. Enjoyed the JT cover very much and had not heard it before. Definitely a very talented musical family.

Would be a 3.5 but the interviews. I like being able to listen to an interview about the album, but these were interwoven in an interesting manner. I think the music being mixed with it was smart, but it also seemed to take away from the overall thoughts. The instrumentals were good

I'm gonna give this a 4 but that's only because I thought the music was so good. I could understand a 3 because it just kinda repeats. Over, and over. Didn't love that. They sound so, so good but seriously why repeat the songs? The different versions do not sound any different. It was kinda cool to have the interviews at the end to get some of their story that was neat. Again, sounded superb (loved the guitar and vocals) but I really feel some more thought could have go into the actual production of the album, that's the only thing holding this back from being a 5.

it was a nice background listen. could have done without the 3 or 4 different remix/versions of same songs toward end of album

Good album, surprised at how many tracks I knew

It's always great when you're given an album by people you've never heard of but the songs you've definitely heard of. Great album. 4/5 for That Lady alone

Not my favorite genre, in fact I don’t like Disco at all. But I went in just listening to the lyrics, and it had some great songs :) not sure if I’d listen again, or even recommend, just cause I’m not a fan of the genre. But overall, it was a good album

Nice to hear all those covers of some of my favorite rock/folk artists done by a legendary RB band.

Ja hoor es, moet ik nou het zoveelste soul-funkalbum hoge cijfers gaan geven? Maar ook deze is weer om door een ringetje te halen. Geen nootje ernaast, lekkere solo's en je kan 'm rustig keer op keer opzetten. Dus tja.

Kwalitatief sterk gezongen plaat vol ziel. Het is alleen iets te gelikt. Het mag een stuk meer schuren. Dat geldt vooral voor de eigen nummers. De helft van de plaat bestaat uit covers, die iets fijner zijn. Ze hebben de originele nummers wat meer peper gegeven. Al kan je niet zeggen dat ze uitgeschoten zijn met die peper. Zo is Listen to the Music best prettig gezongen. De grootste uitzondering is de hit. That Lady onderscheidt zich, maar juist niet door de zang. Het is vooral de gitarist die het nummer maakt. Ik lees dat hij zich liet inspireren door Jimi Hendrix. Dat hoor je! En dat is precies wat dit soort nummers nodig hebben.

Tegenwoordig is het groot nieuws dat Beyonce met een country(achtige) plaat komt, maar blijkbaar was het in de 70s heel normaal dat men over genres en kleur heen keek. Op dit album van de Isley Brothers staan meerdere covers van oa (witte) soft rock iconen als Doobie Brothers en Seals & Crofts. De Isley Brothers geven hun eigen kleur aan de muziek met hun stemgeluid. Veelal uptempo, vol effecten van de elektrische gitaar, af en toe een orgeltje. Soul en funk uit met name de 70s, ik vind het eigenlijk altijd verschrikkelijk lekker klinken. De ballads hoeven van mij niet altijd, maar soms horen ze erbij. Mix het dus met soft rock krakers als Summer Breeze en Listen to the Music en je hebt een verrekte lekker plaatje om naar te luisteren. Druk ik toch gewoon weer op de 4 sterretjes

I quite liked this one

wasnt really my thing

good listening, very groovy

i really enjoyed every song on this album

I thought I might give this 5 halfway through but I don't think it's quite perfect, a few songs dragged a bit. As others have said the funky guitar work is great, especially on the opening track, and some of the covers have become definitive versions especially Summer Breeze. Love the vocals too, good stuff

Enjoyed it! 4/5

Amazing guitar playing right from the start on this one. The solo on Summer Breeze especially is absolutely fantastic, just really great soulful playing. I had a lot of fun listening to this record. It would be a great album for like hour 4 of a long road trip. Picks you up and gets you in a happy mood. 4/5

Started off very strong but I felt it lost energy as it went along. Still very funky.

I don’t feel like this plays well if you listen to the entire thing straight through but it contained a few really good songs.

There’s a few classic songs on here.

Lovely album. So many good songs.

This rules.

Baby making music. Gotta respect the Isleys. They made the Billboard 100 every decade from the 50s to the 2000s.

this is a vibe and a half

Pretty good. Who's that lady a classic. Love the call and response. Ernie apparently was watching Hendrix a lot when he played with the boyz in the early 60s and it shows some hot psychedelic (not over/misusing this as so often seen) guitar leads here.

Easy, breezy listen. Super tight, absolutely heavenly vocals, and some top notch guitar work on "That Lady," and "Summer Breeze." "The Highways of My Life" is a phenomenal closer. Warm, wise, soulful.

Would not have been something I normally gravitate towards, but a very easy and fun listen. I always find soul to be so relaxing. Top tracks: That Lady Pts 1&2, Summer Breeze Pts 1&2, The Highways of My Life

Gorgeous vocals. Mostly covers, but covers that are done really well, changed to suit their style. I love their funk, will listen to this again, but can’t get a five with covers.

Another great funky, soulful, and passionate 1970s album...love that decade so much! Insanely good synthesizer/keys throughout the album and killer guitar work as well. A great Doobie Brothers cover as well. Excellent album. Favorite tracks: That Lady, Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, Listen to the Music, What It Comes Down To, Sunshine (Go Away Today), Summer Breeze.

A mix of classics and really fresh, creative covers. 10/10

A lot of covers (4/9 songs?) but I enjoyed them well enough.

Seems a dated and I found it a little boring. Two best songs are covers of better versions.

I think this was almost a perfect album. Beautiful and melody driven. I love the vocals and instrumentation. Every guitar solo is amazing!

Some good stuff there, but not my cup of tea.

Funky, cool, easy. Great music here.

d lo mejor q he escuchado. no tenia mucha fe por el año pero m comi mis palabras. Espectacular. Todas son totalmente diferentes unas a otras, todo lo q rodea a la letra, espectacular, cada beat, armonia o sonido adicional es diferente entre canciones y lo q mas me gusta es q no tienen la misma estructura, no sabes por donde va a salir. M encanta

2/10 not for me, stopped listening half way through. couldn't even bother scrubbing through all the tracks. It was on in the background and I was still bored 3-19-2024

I love the Isley Bros - they are great players and I bet they put on a helluva show back in the day - but the songwriting is a bit inconsistent on here.

A fun listen, although I have no idea if this is one of their greats, or just another solid album? It's certainly quite a progression from their days of "Shout" or even "Testify", and I particularly enjoyed this album's version of "Listen to the Music", as well as the great opening bass (and track) on "Sunshine". And nice that they added a few more brothers to the Isley clan with this album!

I'd kind of forgotten about the Isley Brothers until I heard this--so much fun. I love the guitars and the extended version of Summer Breeze.

Good stuff

• That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2 Iconic. Guitar rips. • Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight Slow jam carried by sweet vocals. • If You Were There Keys are fine, tone is a bit cliche. Vocals highlight again. • You Walk Your Way Keys highlight. Heartfelt amicable split-up track. • Listen to the Music Hell yea, Stevie Wonder cover. Bass highlights. • What it Comes Down To Solid. Key and guitar solos are gnarly. • Sunshine (Go Away Today) Enjoy how bass and tone on keys reflects grumpy lyrics of the track. • Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2 No wayyy, this is the sample on the one lofi-type album Ben showed me way back (All in My Mind?). This song is incredible. Guitar soars with that gritty tone. Man does 4:20 on hit. • The Highways of My Life I love the tone on the keys in this one. Very good closer track with lyrics describing love for one who has fundamentally changed. Overall, no true skips. Vocals, keys, bass, and guitar all had tracks to stand on their own. Favorite tracks: That Lady, Listen to the Music, Summer Breeze, The Highways of My Life (Cool little interviews on Spotify too.)

Good old school R and B. Would rate it three most like but the quality of the opening track brings it up to a four for me.

Solid funk and soul record by a legendary group.

Wow, fantastic, soup to nuts 🤯

Really loved that. First time hearing these guys, great bit of funk n soul. Definitely gonna put this on the rotation.

#160. Some pretty good stuff on here. I dig it. Some pretty solid covers too. 3/5: yah Song added to playlist: Summer Breeze, Part 1 I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

Relaxing

It's a vibe

O funk é muito bom, as partes da entrevista são legais mas não o meu estilo

Its extremely fun to know the studio versions of all these songs having absolutely face melting guitar parts left off the singles.

Seeing the cover was my first impression was that I was going to hate this. Put it on and it actually started off okay. But by the second track it was already descending into hotel-cover-band that are asked to play quietly, so they don't annoy the people who are here to have a good time and don't want to listen to the awful music. Background music for weddings, maybe good for sampling on 90s hip-hop albums? One good thing is that Spotify scared me into thinking I would have to listen to this for over an hour, but it turns out half the tracks weren't on the original album, so I only had to endure 9 from 18. If this was the eleventh album for this band, just how bad were the first ten?! I'm running out of things to write about this album as rapidly as it runs out of steam. I'm going to give it a 1 star rating.

With the exceptions of “Shout” and “Twist and Shout”, this album contains all the best music that the Isley Brothers ever recorded. It’s a re-invention of the Isley Brothers as a funk group, as opposed to the more straightforward R&B music they were making in the 50s and 60s. About 15 years into their career, the Isleys proved how versatile they were.

Would be rated higher but was not a fan of the interview in the middle - 6/10

I thought all the songs were pretty good, enjoyed the production.

I was hungry when I listened to this and traffic was bad but it was good. 8/10 capa#10

Didn’t listen to all the bonus tracks, but pretty enjoyable! 7.5/10

7/10 - I feel like a lot of these songs have been sampled or covered and made more popular because of the sample or cover. Overall sounded great.

Enjoyable, some good songs for sure 7.5/10

Every song just makes you happy. Dude on the guitar shredded. So enjoyable 9.5/10

LOOOOOVE

Listened 3/9/24. Some interesting cover choices. I thouroughly enjoyed this.

3 + 3 = 5 A straight up feel-good album. So funky, soulful, and smooth. Some might knock it for being very cover-heavy but those covers are seriously great.

I wanted to like this album, and ‘That Lady’ was a great start. But it just devolved into covers that I’d rather hear the originals, some other instrumentally decent songs that were forgettable. 2.5/5

Muy interesante!

An amazing album!

A prototype 70's soul album with no flaws. I don't find the music particularly moving so I can't rate it any higher, but it deserves its accolades.

Loved it. Might be a 5. Majority of the songs were awesome and have been sampled in a lot of songs I love.

Awesome stuff. Not much more to say. Don't know much about the band, or it's impact on the wider musical scene. Enjoyed listening to it!

Hey not bad!

What a fuckin' banger.

This is exceptional, except for Summer Breeze >:(

“that’s lady” is so incredibly funky with a fantastic riff but is lacking lyrically 4*, “summer breeze” is a incredible piece of music 5* and “the highways of my life” which is a good song but lacks a little impact 3.5*. There’s also a gem in “you walk your way” and “sunshine go away today” Overall every vocal is fantastic as are many of the riffs, whilst the lyrical content might be lacking the sheer amount of funk carries this through. A album perfect for sunshine

Hot take: Earnie Isley may be a better guitarist than Jimi Hendrix🔥

Wonderful relaxing R&B album. Great grooves!

Jag är ju ingen soulgrabb direkt.

yet another funky funk album that's on this massive list, and it's another that i really enjoyed listening. some of it love-makin' music, some of it smooth sailing and chillaxin' to the max...in. my descriptions suck, but this album is awesome. greatly written, greatly mastered. love it love it love it! funk me up daddy.

Enjoyed the album.

funky

Short but Sweet - so many hits!

Decent A few classics on here. 3.1

Fun & funky. Didn’t like all the songs.

Not much to say other than this is a real chill album that’s very pleasant to listen to. I definitely favorited a few of these tunes and will be listening again.

It’s not my favourite style of music but I’d need a brain of stone to listen to the music on breezy, summery numbers like Listen to the Music and Summer Breeze and not receive a sweet dopamine hit. Also, great to learn that they are actually brothers. No idea why I thought it was just a name… 3.5

A smooth and funky set. Some of the covers outshine the originals.

First time knowingly hearing them. Recognized so many great songs on this album.

Not bad, the songs that I have heard are pretty good but the others are just alright. Might listen to this again if I am in the mood for summer breeze

Pretty good

Lange nicht gehört - ein vergnügliche Scheibe. Aufmunternd.

Glorious

3.5/5

Really fun record 4/5

Classic Motown Amazing sound and legendary groove 4.5

Summer Breeze is a lovely song (at least the first time it appeared on this album), but the rest was in the best that 70’s soul has to offer

This was great. The guitar brother rips.

Nicy

This is very good. The first few times I listened to it I was distracted and it faded into the background, but with perserverence I have learned that it's high quality throughout.

Great guitar but not sure I’d listen to again. Recognized many songs

favorite song: That Lady least favorite song: Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight rating: 8.5/10

Give me the funk!!! There’s zero doubt these guys can jam. As I had said, every song on here is either a cover or has been covered. The unfortunate thing for me personally is that except for don’t let me be lonely, I like the other version of the song better. Which I was surprised by as their groove is right up my alley. Don’t hate me Mr Isley brothers for my 3

Great album. Starts off going ham and carries it throughout. Odd with the different remixes/radio versions and interviews being included on the album though. What I thought was an interlude ended up being a 6 minute interview. Either way, original songs that have been heavily covered mixed in with covers. Good stuff.

I absolutely loved listening to this album. Between the original tracks that have been the inspiration, some being straight up samples, for other great songs and the covers, I thought it was fantastic. Who would have thought you could improve on a James Taylor classic? Excellent melodies and lyrics, great musical techniques, and just the right amount of funk. The only critique I can give it is that I couldn’t tell much difference between the regular tracks and the different versions offered on the back half of the album. But, I do think the commentaries are a pretty cool addition. I haven’t given out many fives, but I think this is deserving.

Did anyone else know "That Lady" has a sick guitar solo in it? Half of the songs on this album are covers, but The Isley Brothers make them their own. They don't do what a lot of bands do with covers which is making them sound exactly like the original. It's only half way through the songs that you realize wait a minute I know this. The original songs on here are great. I would probably have given this album 5 stars if they were a couple fewer covers and some more original hits.

p311. 1973. 3.5 stars. Quality early 70s soul, let down by filler, redundant covers and the usual 70s excessive wankage - but when it's good, it's brilliant. Ernie Isley is an unsung guitar legend, and Summer Breeze may be one of the greatest songs ever.

That Lady, pts1 & 2 is een lekkere binnenkomer. Beetje jazzy, beetje funky, heel veel soul, lekker man. Vrij zeker ook dat het gesampled word door Kendrick op een nummer? De muziek is heel bekend eigenlijk. Is deze versie van Listen to the music het origineel? Geen idee, maar het klinkt wel erg lekker. De muziek klinkt gewoon heel erg bekend en je kan de invloed van The Isley Brothers op andere muziek en muziekanten ook echt terug horen. Lekker album, niet te lang, en echt pure pure soul FAVO: That Lady, Listen to the music, Summer Breeze pts1&2

I'm not real familiar with the Isley Brother's catalog, so I can't say where this ranks among the rest of their albums. They're good, but the album seems a little lazy. It's 9 songs and I think 3 of them were covers. Otherwise, I don't have any real complaints. It's fine.

Too saccharine for my tastes by and large. There's some moments that hit, especially when it approaches more rock territory. Summer Breeze is a classic song.

Solid! 4

Nice, funky, fun to listen to! Really good funky record. Loved listening to it. Not boring at all. Could become a new favourite.

Now that's what I'm talking about. Funk, Soul, R&B. Nice album with a good mood. I love the bass lines and the guitars here, and it all just grooves. Definitely gonna listen to it more often.

Good Album, Isley Brothers always make me nostalgic to when i was growing up.

Im not a fan of soul music. I don't own a single soul album, nor do I actively seek out soul music elsewhere. However, I quite enjoyed this album. All the songs were good, no skippers, however only "Summer Breeze" was really great, which makes it a solid 3/5. Positively surprised!

Bangin, pure samples

funky

loved it!

Smoooooth. I’ve listened to “i” by Kendrick Lamar so much that it’s hard not to hear that with the opening track. This is a relaxing, vibey, summer breeze of an album.

iconic

it was a vibe for sure, but I don't think I'm gonna listen again. Stroong 3

I enjoyed this

This was pleasantly funky and fun to listen to. I enjoyed the interview at the end of the extended version.

This album is awesome. Killer bass and vocals throughout

Groovy as fuck. The heights that this record reaches are so high that you feel like you're being transported to another plane of existence. The Highways of My Life is so good and smooth that you never want the song to end. Summer Breeze (which I had no idea that The Isley Brothers had a version of) just became the definitive version of the song in my mind, and Don't Let Me Be Lonely tonight oozes with soul, funk, and sexiness. Besides those tracks are a few ups and downs throughout the record (including the unfortunately subpar version of Listen to the Music - sorry, I prefer the original by The Doobie Brothers!), but overall it's oh so very strong. Reminds me to listen to these guys more often. It's been a minute since I last listened to Between the Sheets.

Need to order this on vinyl.

Smooth and easy listening, not my favorite genre but smooth voices and groovy beats and clearly pioneers of doo-wop and soul and so much more.

Sexy.

Banal-o-rama…

So fun! What an incredible career this group in its various incarnations has enjoyed for so long. This album has a handful of familiar songs on it, and it's enjoyable. They are superbly skilled, and I like the grooves. It's all very 70s sounding, and in this case, that's not at all a negative.

Decent album, and was pleasantly surprised to see where the sample for Kendrick Lamar's "i" comes from. I don't think this is a worldbeater, but it has some nice grooves. Best Songs: That Lady, Summer Breeze Worst Songs: Sunshine

4/5

The up-tempo funk/RnB stuff with a full band is great, lots of intricate interlocking parts, Stevie-Wonder level textures/instrumetnation and loads of melodic energy - they jam some of the songs out with a borderline psychadelic flavor to go with the James Brown style rave-up. Their covers really bring their own thing to enliven what are originally some pretty bland soul RnB pap. Fuzzy wahwah guitars over basically a disco song is a surprisingly good combination, I'd never heard the full version of That lady, but it rips! Same for What it Comes Down To & Sunshine & Summer Breeze. The slow smooth ballads are kind of nauseating though - needs some acidic tang to go with the molasses!

I was going to do a 3. But there are so many classics on here. Can't do a 3. Doesn't do the classics justice.

3 + 3 = 3 stars! *** I do not expect to be the first to make this joke or the last. Record was fine, plenty funky.

This was quite good.

8/10

Had a blast with this one

Agradable, sin más.

Funky

Great 60s album

Funky, sultry, smooth. This is a really fun album, and a great display of musicality. I feel like this would make an excellent evening walk album, where you can just vibe and relax to the killer tones being played for you. The "Part 2" sections on the couple tracks really let the guitarist show his chops and were an excellent addition. Excellent vocals and chemistry with the group too. Awesome album and a great find in this experiment! Fav tracks: Summer Breeze, Pts 1 & 2, That Lady, Pts 1& 2, What It Comes Down To

Fuuuuuuuuunky groovy soul.

Too much funk!

After having a Stevie Wonder album last week, I have to say that this reminds me of that quite a lot but is just straight up better. I ran through this album once, then did a second playthrough and then it stuck to me quite well. I especially like 'Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2' which is a very nice song. I think this has been in quite a lot of travel commercials as well if I'm not mistaken. Had a hard time putting a score for this, but I think I'll give it a weak 4. I don't think there are any weak songs really, and the good ones are quite good actually.

Was hooked from the get go when I recognised the intro to "That Lady" as the sampled used for "i" by Kendrick Lamar. I really enjoyed this, it had the right balance between soul, funk and even some disco for me. A great mix of songs that never really got boring and towards the end the excellent "Summer Breeze" closed the album out. Solid 4.

I loved listening to this album. The cover of "summer breeze" is great. I had never listened to this album, but will again.

summer breeze 👌🏻

Interesting to hear familiar songs done differently!