It's Your Thing: The Story Of The Isley Brothers [Box set]

The Isley Brothers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 24, 1999
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000K29F
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,326 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Building up to Shout [Live at the Yankee Stadium]

2. Shout, Pts. 1-2

3. Shout (Live from the TV Show Shindig) [Excerpt from the TV Show Shindig

4. Twist and Shout

5. Who's That Lady

6. Time After Time

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. That Lady, Pts. 1-2

2. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

3. For the Love of You, Pts. 1-2

4. Brother, Brother

5. Work to Do

6. Cold Bologna

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Harvest for the World (Prelude)

2. Harvest for the World

3. Groove With You [#]

4. For the Love of You, Pts. 1-2

5. Mission to Please You

6. Between the Sheets

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

The history of black American music is a story of self-reinvention, and nobody but James Brown has started afresh as many times and as successfully as the Isley Brothers. It's Your Thing is the first time their entire 40-year career has been surveyed in one place, including 29 (!) chart hits. It spills over with innovation: rock & roll ("Twist and Shout"), tough R&B ("Shout"), rich Motown soul ("This Old Heart of Mine"), furious, hard funk (the original "Fight the Power"), and even the mellower lover-man crooning that occupies a lot of the third disc. They integrated guitar into their soul like few others, and not only on the tracks here featuring Jimi Hendrix--after brother Ernie comes into his own as a guitarist on disc two, he gives the Brothers' singles a distinctive, prickly edge. And the gospel singing traditions they inherited come out in their fraternal harmonies, in the very spiritual hope that powers their songs from the rawest to the sweetest. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, May 20, 2000

By 

sensor "sokaer" (Europe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Your Thing: The Story Of The Isley Brothers (Audio CD)

I think this is a bit disappointing, considering, the great catalog of music, this has been taken from. Quite a few of the numbers are alternative versions. Also the playing order is a bit weird, for instance on the first disc, it starts out with some of their late fifties hits, then goes on to some of their late sixties funk stuff, and then at the end of the disc, suddenly some of their late fifities numbers like 'Rockin McDonald' and two other early numbers, crop up again. The same is true on the other discs, where for instance, late nineties tracks, are followed by late seventies tracks, that soundwise really clash. So with this one it's like the chance to make a really great compilation have been missed.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great compilation, but not quite the whole story, August 31, 2001

By 

Jeffrey Harris (South San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It's Your Thing: The Story Of The Isley Brothers (Audio CD)

Not many groups that got their start in the 1950's have continued to have a successful recording career into the new millenium. The Isley Brothers are the exception to the rule. Entering their fifth decade of hitmaking, the groups track record proves that talent can truly transcend time. The 50 songs spread over three CD's cover the years 1959 to 1996. Career highlights such the Isley's first hit "Shout"(pts 1&2), "Twist And Shout", "This Old Heart Of Mine", "It's Your Thing", as well as 70's classics like "That Lady", "For The Love Of You", and "Fight The Power" are included. This set does have it's drawbacks however. Even with three discs there's a lot missing, particularly from the 70's and 80's period. Key singles and album tracks such as "Choosey Lover", "Livin' The Life"/"Go For Your Guns", "It's A Disco Night(Rock Don't Stop)", "Hurry Up And Wait", "Inside You", "I Wanna Be With You", "The Winner Takes All", aren't in this package. On top of that hits such as "Groove With You", "Voyage To Atlantis", and "Don't Say Goodnight(It's Time For Love)" are not the original album versions but alternate versions cut live in the studio in 1980. In my opinion it would have been better to make this collection a four disc set instead of three. On the positive side, the collection is well packaged with a silver foil slipcase, a nice booklet, and has been nicely remastered. Now that the Isley's classic 70's albums "The Heat Is On" and "Harvest For The World" have been remastered, hopefully the folks at Legacy will be doing the rest soon. Good box set, but not definitive.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgic blend of everything, September 25, 2000

By 

Seville L Bates (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Your Thing: The Story Of The Isley Brothers (Audio CD)

I am a collector of R&B music. This is definitely one of the best Isley Brothers compilations; however I agree with an earlier reviewer that the arrangement of this compilation could have been more in synch within each individual decade of music. It is obvious that the tracks clash. Overall, it is a very entertaining and rich blend of pop, rock, soul, jazz and doo wop!