If they didn’t always set the trends then they were certainly adept at embracing them in their own way. Still, it marks the start of what would be a long and prosperous run during which the Isleys were never less than worth watching. Although there’s not really a bum track in the lot it’s hard to make the case that it’s an out-and-out brilliant album. That year’s It’s Our Thing featured hard-hitting pieces such as “I Know Who You Been Socking It To”, “It’s Your Thing” and “Somebody Been Messin’”. Atlantic and Motown both failed to really ignite Isley material and so the 1969 landing on the Buddah label and a full-blown dedication to T-Neck saw the band come into its own. By 1964 the band had formed its own T-Neck imprint and bounced labels the way an out of work actor bounces checks. The group did strike it big with “Twist and Shout” but consistent greatness remained elusive as did sustained success. The RCA experiment didn’t generate much in terms of chart success and some of the material-probably chosen more by producers than the Isleys themselves-shows a band that’s sometimes saddled with material that’s not in tune with a great artistic vision. It was probably talents such as that that buoyed the Brothers as they bounced from label to label in the coming years. The Isleys could have slipped into anonymity-and very nearly did-but there are hints at their greater talents on this first collection, including a jaw-dropping reading of “That Lucky Old Sun” and the self-penned “Respectable”, with Ronald, Ruldolph and O’ Kelley showing exactly what they were made of: sensitivity to arrangements, lyrics that were smart but memorable, and emotions that were evident with each syllable uttered. It’s become a centerpiece of high school dances, weddings, and the like with probably few realizing who wrote and sang it. The titular track is a song that’s really little more than a rave-up with a couple of phrases repeated and a steady, insistent rhythm, but what a rhythm it is and what a persistent part of American musical history it is. The idea of a well-made album was still close to a decade in the distance, but it does provide evidence of the group’s eclecticism and sheer talent. The 1959 RCA collection Shout! is little more than a collection of songs. That’s where this new box set begins, taking listeners all the way to 1983 and through some impossible twists and turns that found the band touching on soul, gospel, psychedelic rock, disco, and funk, among just about everything else along the way. They racked up regional hits and finally broke into the national scene in 1959 with “Shout!” As ubiquitous as that song seems today it only climbed to 47 on the Billboard pop charts and didn’t bother the R&B world at all.
Coming to life in Ohio, Isleys showed promise in their earliest days and quickly left the Buckeye State behind for the promise of New York City. Formed in 1954, The Isley Brothers isn’t just one of America’s longest-running bands, it’s also one of their best and most eclectic.