The Isley Brothers: The Heat Is On : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

The Isley Brothers have always been a discotheque band. Their "Twist and Shout" was the seminal early-Sixties dance record and the addition of younger Isleys to the group over the years hasn't changed their initial orientation. The Heat Is On is something of a departure in that the second side features ballad material, crooned with relative restraint over Chris Jasper's layered keyboards. But side one is crunching Isley energy all the way. "Fight the Power," the single that's had the word "bullshit" bleeped out by many radio stations, is here, along with two other lengthy excursions into heavy funk territory that are tailor-made for the dance floors.

The star of the show turns out to be Ernie Isley, a more than adequate drummer in the fatback vein and an increasingly virtuosic electric guitarist. Taking as the basis of his style the innovations of ex-Isley picker Jimi Hendrix, Ernie has blossomed into one of the most consistently exciting exponents of whining, distorted, stops-out soloing, and the other brothers have wisely turned most of "Hope You Feel Better Love" over to him. It's the album's best cut, from the power chording at the beginning through a rousing series of solo choruses that builds and builds, and dancers will love it. The Isleys may not be the intellectual giants of disco funk but Heat hits a high groove from the first second and maintains it with remarkable consistency throughout; it's some of the best body music around.