Don't kid yourself.Your just not going to be able to listen to this album in any setting and not feel joy.It's obvious the Isley's are in a positive state of mind at this point.There smash hit intro into the wonderful world of funk It's Your Thing.On this their second album in that style,from later the same year really gets you to understand how,while it's clear the Isley's influenced Jimi Hendrix while he backed them up earlier that considering his newfound stardom that it worked both was. 1969 represented year one of the psychedelic soul movement and along with the Temps,The Chambers Brothers,Isaac Hayes,Santana and yes Hendrix it was clear the Isley's were heeding the call.And the best part is they were INNOVATIVE too. The slower,more rhythm directed funk styles of James Brown were also heavy in the mix along with the rock and Stax influence.From the deep,punchy sweat of "I Turned You On","Vacuum Cleaner" and "Was It Good To You" it was clear the Isley's were part of a movement laying the ground work for the "united funk" explosion several years later.Another important factor for that is a sense of positivity that comes from achievment and drive rather than want and need.You can do no better at that sort of thing than "Black Berries" where Ron narrates a metaphoric tale about his brothers berry picking preferences.It really brings to mind the age old blues and R&B tradition of story telling and fables within the black community that spoke directly of experiences within the culture.And from which there was an implicit lesson to be learned. In this case,it happens to be about breaking into music.On "I Got To Get Myself Together" and "Feels Like The World" you have the two slower cuts on the album.Both have a place in the 60's soul style but that pychedelic element in both of them almost creates a futurist kind of mentality. Sure it's very much a 60's type of attitude but with these brothers you know it's always honest and from a very learned possition. "My Little Girl","Get Down Off The Train" and "Holding On" are the more poppy numbers,in the context that they have those strong melodic pop hooks. Still there's not point in spoiling this album for new listeners too much-probably already have here. This is very musically and personally meaningful and is almost so funky you can barely take it!So it's more than worth going on this trip with The Brothers:Isley.

At the end of 1968, the Isley Brothers were a well known singles band. They, of course, had their mid-60s hits-"Shout" "Twist and Shout," and "This Old Heart Of Mine." They floated into the late 60s without much direction. They drifted, doing some mediocore work for Motown.

But these guys were far too smart, and far too good, to surrender to obscurity. in '69, they formed their own labal, T-neck.

They came out with "It's Our Thing,' an absolutely amazing album of hard driving, stripped down, Stax influenced funk. "It's Your Thing," the single, raced up the charts, and a whole new Isley Brothers was born.

This record continues in the same vain. The music here is bare bones-guitar, panio, bass and drums-but the playing is increadible. The band sets hard, hooky groves. They lock tight, with the bass playing amazingly articulate, synopated runs, and the result is a deep, meaty, fantastic groove. You'll know this the second you start the opener here, "I turned you on,' a salvo of late 60s sexual freedom.

Like the one before it, this album is top of the line, romping fun, charged with free love attiatude and energy . The Isleys rode this wave into the 70s, later adding phased guitars and glossy production, to make some of the most compelling funk around.

The pitfall with collecting the Isley's is that you are tempted to buy one of the countless hit collections. Don't short change yourself: all the material from 1969-80 is worth having on the origional albums

This is where it all starts, and you can't do any better.