Eternal
The platinum success of 1997'sMission to Pleaseand frequent sampling of the likes of "Between the Sheets" speak to the ongoing viability of the Isley Brothers' name. Despite a 40-plus-year discography including church-bred R&B;, proto-Latin soul, Motown hits, and blinding funk rock (the three-CDIt's Your Thingbox is a terrific crash history course, an instant-party kit, and the best buy for newcomers), leader Ronald is considered first and foremost a quiet-storm seduction master.Eternalaims to unite both factions with a steady midtempo flow, undiminished vocal power, and guest shots by admirers on the order ofR. KellyandJill Scott. Though the unvaried approach ignores a number of their strengths, such as guitarist Ernie'sHendrix-like screams, it's a success on its terms. More tuneful than the average early 21st-century soul make-out session,Eternalscores even with a sweaty remake ofChicago's "If You Leave Me Now." Ronald Isley's lyric references to his popular video alter ego, "Mr. Biggs," rub the wrong way, but such missteps are few here.--Rickey Wright