Freed from their Motown contract, in charge of their own label, and indeed destiny, Cincinnati’s Isley Brothers had a flurry of releases at the end of the ’60s before dropping this funk-soul collection in spring 1970. The album opener/title track is quite something, a seven-and-a-half funk epic that sets up a JB’s style superbad rhythm full of bluesy piano licks, lolloping brass stabs and chicken scratch guitar and then heads off into an almighty drum break before the band gradually slow down into a psychedelic low slung down-tempo coda. Other standouts include the excellently wah-wah’ed guitar-funk of If He Can Do It, the choppy, intense horn-fest of their Keep On Doin’ and the Mayfield-ish Take Inventory. A successful mix of fiery, rough-edged guitar-led funk and sentimental soul balladry.

– Harold Heath