Album: The Isley Brothers, Winner Takes All (SPV)

Sporting what must be the most unfeasibly elaborate – and retrospectively embarrassing – costumes ever worn by men of a certain age and girth, The Isley Brothers nevertheless managed to reinvent themselves following their Sixties Motown heyday by expediently augmenting the original vocal trio with Ernie Isley’s squalling psychedelic guitar, Marvin Isley’s funk bass and cousin Chris Jasper’s rhythmic keyboards – still keeping it in the family, but taking it in another direction as soul mutated into funk.

There are moments to treasure here – the lovely metallic slap-bass groove of “I Wanna Be With You”, the popping timbales of the title track, and the way that “Liquid Love” is drenched in Ernie’s lead guitar, for three.

But compared to the seminal 3 + 3, this later, indulgent double-album is lacking in lyrical heft, and frankly, just too long and repetitive.

"I Wanna Be With You (Part 1 & 2)" from Winner Takes All features in this month's Independent Audio Player. to listen. (Track used by permission of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) LIMITED).

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