Winner Takes All

The Isley Brothers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 19, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000025GR
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #301,451 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Underrated greatness..., July 23, 2003

By 

ArthurPraytherII (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winner Takes All (Audio CD)

I hate to throw the word 'underrated' around, but it applies here.

I'll go further.

This is one of THE underrated double albums of the 70s.

People will now shower praise on Songs in the Key of Life and Here, My Dear, but Winner Takes All tends to be unmentioned or passed over.

Maybe it is the few disco-esque dance jams that throw people off. Era biases aside, the uptempo songs on this album are generally winners.

And the Isleys don't lose when it comes to their 70s ballads and midtempo jams. This may be the smoothest set of those songs to appear on any Isley album even if they aren't the most celebrated.

The 1-2 punch that is the loosely-combined "You're the Key to My Heart" and "You're Beside Me" is undeniable goodness.

And "Let's Fall in Love" is one their second-tier beloved jams that is only on the second-tier because there was no room on the first one!

"Let Me In Your Life" is such a solid but unknown song that I want to tie people up and make them listen to it so that they can appreciate it (and being untied afterwards).

"How Lucky I Am" is another underloved slow piece.

Most double albums from any era are slagged for one of the following reasons:

- Too much of a departure from the artist's normal sound
- Too many songs/too long/too self-indulgent/etc
- The album gets boring
- Bad sequencing

IMO, Winner Takes All suffers from none of those problems.

In addition, buying this album will introduce most casual Isley fans to several good songs that they probably didn't know of before.

It is 2nd or 3rd on my list of favorite Isley albums. (I sometimes think Harvest for the World is better and Heat is On is my choice for THE best)

AP

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dust off the platforms and bell bottoms!, July 9, 2001

By 

Clarissa Bolding "clbzone" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Winner Takes All (Audio CD)

This album JAMS! Plain and simple. "I Wanna be With You" kicks off the party with an infectious bassline, crisp cymbal crashes and sudden pauses. "Winner Takes All" is another jam followed by "Life in the City" (The extended breakdown w/the hand claps and fast guitar riffs is AMAZING!) and "It's a Disco Night". Those are my personal favorites off this album and I'm glad they are back to back. There is so much energy on those tracks and Ernie is ripping it on the guitar too. Man!

The ballads "Youre Beside Me", "Let's Fall in Love," & "You're the Key to My Heart" smooth out the intense dance numbers nicely. Who can resist the silky vocals of Ron Isley.

You will find yourself singing along with Ron Isley's rich falsetto and grooving with the fast-paced rythym guitar and deep basslines. Its a shame the Isleys have not been fully recognized for the pure musicianship they contribute to the music industry. They are legendary and their music is timeless.

This is a great and necessary addition to your Isleys collection. Peace. CLB.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Unheralded R&B groups, July 4, 2000

By 

Thaddeus H. Phillips III "DMDMD" (Ruthweiler,Rhineland-Pfalzs,GE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Winner Takes All (Audio CD)

Considering how long these guys have been out, there are no words to thank them for what they have given the world with their music. Now I am completly partial to this double album set or single 8track. The memories of this music in the background while my girl and I fogged up the windows of a '72' Buick parked in Reservoir Park. Ronald Isley singing "Let's Fall In Love", "How Lucky I Am","You're Beside Me","Let Me In Your Life",and "Love Comes And Goes"-the progression of balads is UNMATCHED by ANY R&B artist.If you have to pay less than 25 US dollars then you have gotten away with more than a bargin, maybe a crime. One day others will wake up and honor the Isley Brothers with a life time achievement Grammy.