Love Songs

Album Review

It's hard to believe that Ronnie Isley collaborated with Dr. Dre and the departed Tupac Shakur on some of the late 20th century's most hardcore hip-hop music. Isley, of the renowned group the Isley Brothers, has his roots firmly placed in '70s R&B and soul music. D'Angelo, Maxwell, and R. Kelly, among other bedroom-music artists, all owe a bit of thanks to the Isley Brothers, the original slow-jam crooners. The trio's sexiest and most sensual moments have been captured on Love Songs, an ongoing series of CD collections of the same name on Columbia Legacy and Epic Legacy Records. (Other Love Songs sets for 2001 include recordings from Frank Sinatra, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, and Duke Ellington.) And as far as thematic compilations go, this one is a winner. The 13 selected tracks on Love Songs don't skip a beat, and the sexy boudoir fare remains consistent throughout the album's 70-plus minutes. There is a certain sensitivity inherent to Isley's falsetto voice that sets him apart from other singers in this category of music. It's a vulnerability and tenderness that Barry White, and others of the like, do not have. Such Isley Brothers greats as "For the Love of You," "Voyage to Atlantis," "Sensuality," and "Between the Sheets" are included on Love Songs. The CD is a treasured example of the original bedroom music, and arguably more potent than its contemporary counterparts. No amount of pheromones, love potions, or "spells" can come close to the romantic rendezvous that is the Isley Brothers' Love Songs. Play this album at your own risk — and expect to call in "sick" to the office the next day.