Review by Ron Wynn
Despite getting three more hits, including one Top 10 R&B song, the bloom was definitely off The Isley Brothers' rose. Stagnation and internal bickering were taking their toll, and the innocent, energetic air that sparked their '70s albums was gone. It had been replaced by a calculating, indifferent attitude that clearly affected their music.





But Lawwd the whole SIDE 2 of this album is FUNK!!!!




Tonight Is the Night (If I Had You)


2 I Once Had Your Love (And I Can't Let Go)

3 Hurry Up And Wait


4 Young Girls


5 Party Night


6 Don't Let Up


7 Who Said?




Is this album underrated? This will probably be the next Isley album I pick up..they have a lengthy discography....When I bought Between The Sheets years ago..I still didnt really get into them until Way Out Love came on the record player a few weeks back....and then..it happened

paisleypark4 said:

All of the Isley's early 80's albums except "Sheets", never get talked about 'cause after "Grand Slam" they "pulled a Chicago" and went Quiet Storm....
[Edited 3/16/09 13:50pm]

I agree. Grand Slam is a really good album. My favorite Isley album is

1. Pride, Parts 1 & 2
2. Footsteps in the Dark, Parts 1 & 2
3. Tell Me When You Need It Again, Parts 1 & 2
4. Climbin' Up the Ladder, Parts 1 & 2
5. Voyage to Atlantis
6. Livin' in the Life
7. Go for Your Guns

2nd Favorite:

1. Fight the Power
2. Heat Is On, Pt. 1-2
3. Hope You Feel Better Love, Pt. 1-2
4. For the Love of You, Pt. 1-2
5. Sensuality, Pt. 1-2
6. Make Me Say It Again Girl, Pt. 1-2
7. Fight the Power [Live][#]

diamondpearl1 said:

WHYYYYY???

paisleypark4 said:

This is my theory:
The brothers had gotten old and were in touch with their "sensitive" side. Not to mention what was going on (musically) in the 80s. They went straight "quiet storm" after Between The Sheets. I didn't mind it because they released some really good slow songs, they just lost the "funk" by that time. Don't even get me started on the Rod Stewart collaboration.

paisleypark4 said:

lol Ya know every band back that were large in the 70's did this....They either got a Jerri Curl, Fingerwaves,or believed when their cocaine,record company or management told them they were only as young as their bank account, and got gumby's and high top fades...lol

diamondpearl1 said:

The album does indeed sound like some unreleased material...especially the way they are kind of painted on the front...I dont know...looks fishy

daPrettyman said:

+ Ernie, Chris and Marvin departure didn't help the cause...

The two T-Neck releases 'Grand Slam' and 'Inside You' in'81 were not great, but the final two on T-Neck 'The Real Deal' and 'Between The Sheets' were good. The WB years were not so great. From Masterpiece ,and Ernie's return, They managed a hit or two..like 'Smooth Sailin'' during the WB years.

...I don't know to much 'bout the "Mr.BIG" era.

StarMon said:

Im kinda going backwards slowly from Between the Sheets to see how things go..Im taking it SLOWLY because their career is so expansive...I think i found a new group to love but I have to take it in album by album

paisleypark4 said:

Well, if you think it's great now, you are really in for something fantastic!

Why didn't you start with 3+3 and go forward?

AlexdeParis said:

Because ..I dont know..I like to find out by suprise..then when i get a album sometimes i get affected by they hype and its not what I thought it would be....Ill get there..but Grand Slam is my next purchase (it was only $3)

paisleypark4 said:

I can get to that...jus' relax and enjoy the ((((sounds)))).

daPrettyman said:

True that. Example: Masterpiece and Smooth Sailing Lp's

I thought Grand Slam was a good album that was underrated but it's a
case of all good things must come to an end and by this time other
funk bands had gotten into everyone's ear like the time, cameo,
barkays, midnight star, and Zapp and the isleys weren't keeping pace
and started to sound derivivative as far as their uptempo music was
concerned.

StarMon said:

The Mr. Big era was not all that great in the long run so you're not really missing much on that department.

StarMon said:

Didn't isley jasper isley fallout after chris got a solo deal?

Timmy84 said:

All I can recall are a couple of songs that sound similar, and that they were produced by R.Kelly.

phunkdaddy said:

They sure did. Ernie & Marvin were deeply upset that Chris did this. I don't know if Chris is close with any of the Isleys today.

phunkdaddy said:

I'm not sure.

StarMon said:

IJI split up in 1988, the same year Chris put out "Super Bad".

Timmy84 said:

StarMon said:

i did enjoy Bady kiss..but after that I thougth they would change..but they just did it again with Baby Makin' Music

Ugh....I cant wait to go back to the record store and pick up Grand Slam.

And who is the Isley that was tall and lightskinned with a beard? I always thought he was the cutest.
[Edited 3/17/09 7:11am]

StarMon said:

The only hits they had during th WB years were thanks to Angela Winbush. She wrote all of the songs for them. I don't think the brothers had any input into anything. Masterpiece was pretty good, but it was a slow fest also, but nothing fantastic.

Now, I did enjoy Inside You. It was not a GREAT album, but had some good songs on it. Now that I listen to it in sequence with the other projects, it sounds like the songs may have been outtakes.
[Edited 3/17/09 8:14am]

paisleypark4 said:

yeah i enjoyed all this mr biggs era.

it was entirely conceived by R. Kelly, he wrote, produced and arranged 90% of all there music at this time, hell, the Body Kiss album is all done by kelly bar 1.

it was all good but nothing on the origin

This was my first album from The Isley Brothers and it's one of my favorites from them.

After the "Between The Sheets" album, other than the Isley Jasper Isley tracks, the next time I heard from them under the name "The Isley Brothers" was in the late 1980s. By then, little miss goodie goodie had made her horrible mark in the R&B world. If they had recorded some funk during this time, it wouldn't have sold too well because a lot of folks' taste had changed for the weaker thanks to you know who.

Actually, inbetween those two albums you mentioned, they had "Inside You" and "The Real Deal". I don't have those two albums but I do have those two 45s. The song "Inside You" is decent and the song "The Real Deal" is hard jammin' ass funk. I'm curious how the other tracks on those two albums are.

vainandy said:

Here is the Isley's WB catalog:
Masterpiece, 1985


Smooth Sailin', 1987


Spend The Night, 1989


Tracks of Life, 1991


Live!, 1993

From this album,I really like the first single "Hurry Up And Wait" I was surprised that this jam wasn't a bigger hit.

vainandy said:

You don't have the Inside You album?

That's a real shocker. It has kind of a disco feel to the album. I really like Love Merry Go Round, Baby Hold On, and Don't Hold Back Your Love.

I think you would like The Real Deal also.
[Edited 3/17/09 14:17pm]

daPrettyman said: