The Isley Brothers is an institution within American soul. Its history goes back to the 1950s when the group scored exuberant rhythm & blueshits with Shout and Twist And Shout. Eventually she managed to grow into an influential funk and soul formation in the seventies and eighties. The line-up has been supplemented over the years with a new generation of Isleys, but lead singer Ronald Isley is
… still the eye-catcher. Eternal is a project by Ronald and guitarist Ernie Isley who are assisted on this record by some greats of contemporary soul: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (known for their work with Janet Jackson), R. Kelly and Jill Scott. The result is anything but a superfluous repetition exercise. Due to the subtle production of the aforementioned, the album sounds completely contemporary. The voice of Ronald Isley, which is somewhat reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield's, has more soul than that of many a younger competitor and his past works for him rather than against him. We hear here someone who carries a rich soul history and still knows how to use his craftsmanship in an admirable way to make relevant music. Hats off to these old soul frogs. (MS)more
