Most listeners are probably familiar with only one or the other of the Isleys' soul and funk sounds of the '60s and '70s, or their "Quiet Storm" R&B of the '80s and onward. For those few whose interest spans the group's entire career, this is an interesting single-disc, made possible by the on-going consolidation of record labels. Fans of only the early- or late-period, particularly the early period, will find this disc disappointing. Compacting a long career made of two disparate portions onto a single disc inevitably led to missing essentials, including the seminal radio and chart classics "It's Your Thing" and "That Lady (Part 1)." The former redefined the Isleys as harder and funkier than their turn at Motown, and the latter recast one of their earlier songs into an influential rock-funk style. The absence of these tracks alone makes this collection anything but definitive.

A better bet for those interested in the Isley's soul and funk era is the 2-CD "Essential" collection. Not only does the "Essential" set flesh out the longer "Part 1 & 2" versions of the classics ("Shout," "That Lady," "Fight the Power," etc.), but it includes lesser-charting hits like "Pop That Thang" and album tracks like "Work to Do" (later covered by the Average White Band). Better yet, search out Rhino's 1990 two-volume "Isley Brothers Story" for even deeper helpings of their early and mid-period years. It's hard to imagine there's a huge audience for a set that covers both ends of the Isleys' career, but for the few, the proud, the loyal, here it is. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]