Every ten years
the Isley Brothers reinvented themselves and managed to snatch as many consumer dollars and generate enough chart action to remain contemporary.
Go for Your Guns was a further attempt by
the Isleys to broaden their fan base; earlier in the decade they redid many
rock standards to expand from the
R&B base they were mired in.
The Isleys shoot for the moon and never make it, but they always land among the stars. This seven-song set got played to death on
urban radio.
"Living in the Life" rocks so hard it makes cheap speakers pop;
"Go for Your Guns" is an instrumental jam featuring the second generation
Isley Brothers:
Ernie,
Marvin, and
Chris Jasper (
Rudolph Isley's brother-in-law). The lovely, mystical
"Voyage to Atlantis" is a staple of their live concerts, its opening strains acknowledged by deafening, enthusiastic applause. Like many
Isley tunes, the loping, mid-tempo love tale
"Footsteps in the Dark" has been sampled silly;
"Pride" is a steady beater with uplifting words for the downtrodden. Nothing dull, no filler. ~ Andrew Hamilton
