Search - Isley Brothers :: Showdown/Grand Slam

A Great Isley Two-fer

John L. Hughes, Jr. | Nashville, TN | 02/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This Two-on-One Isley cd from the UK label BGO collects two popular Isley albums that have never been released on cd in the US: The multi-platinum album SHOWDOWN (1978) and the gold album GRAND SLAM (1981). A slick booklet featuring liner notes retelling the Isley Brothers story and sparkling remastered sound enhance this package.



SHOWDOWN (1978) represented the Isleys at the top of their game when their formula of mixing funk with hard rock was still fresh and exciting. It included the #1 r&b hit "Take Me To The Next Phase" and the mellow "Groove With You". The wailing hard rock tunes "Rockin' With Fire" and "Love Fever" feature crunchy guitar chords and slashing guitar solos by the underated Ernie Isley, while on "Coolin' Me Out" and "Fun And Games", the Isleys go pop without losing their funky edge.



By the time 1981's GRAND SLAM was released, the Isleys clavinet-guitar solo-mellow funk formula was getting a little stale. Thus the entire album sounded like studio outtakes rather than a unified piece of work. It was the first Isley album that failed to produce at least one top-10 r&b hit since 1970's GET INTO SOMETHING. The highlights on this brief album are the beautiful "I Once Had Your Love (And I Can't Let Go)", the inspirational "Don't Let Up" and the top-50 pop hit "Hurry Up And Wait". Ernie's scorching guitar licks save the lame "Young Girls", while "Party Night" and "Who Said", the album's first single, are strictly filler material."