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Records of the UK (part of Cherry Red) have a huge number of CD reissues
focusing entirely on quality versions of Seventies and Eighties Soul, Funk,
Disco and Fusion albums. I’ve reviewed over 30 (see list below) and each has
been a revelation in terms of sound quality, presentation and bonuses - all top
class. And this overlooked funky gem of an album from 1977 by the mighty Isley
Brothers is no exception. Let’s gun for the details...
UK released 24
October 2011 – "Go For Your Guns" by THE ISLEY BROTHERS on Big Break
Records CDBBR 0086 (Barcode 5013929038622) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster
of the 1977 T-Neck Records LP with Three Bonus Tracks added on and plays out as
follows (47:13 minutes):
1. The Pride (Part
1 & 2)
2. Footsteps In
The Dark (Part 1 & 2)
3. Tell Me When
You Need It Again (Part 1 & 2)
4. Climbin' Up
The Ladder (Part 1 & 2)
5. Voyage To
Atlantis
6. Livin' In The
Life
7. Go For Your
Guns
Tracks 1 to 7
are the album "Go For Your Guns" released March 1977 in the USA on
T-Neck Records PZ 34432 and April 1977 in the UK on Epic Records EPC 86027. It
reached Number 1 on the US R 'n' B charts (Number 6 on Pop) and hit Number 46
in the UK albums charts too.
BONUS TRACKS:
8. Voyage To
Atlantis (Alternate Version)
9. The Pride
(Part 1) (Single Version)
10. Voyage To
Atlantis (Single Version)
The album
produced 3 singles in the USA (2 in the UK) at the time of release and this CD
(along with its predecessor "Harvest For The World") will allow fans
to sequence those tracks as follows:
1. The Pride
(Part I) b/w The Pride (Part II)
(USA – February
1977, T-Neck ZS8 2262
UK – May 1977,
Epic S EPC 5105)
2. Livin' In The
Life b/w Go For Your Guns
(USA - May 1977,
T-Neck ZS8 2267
UK - March 1974,
Philadelphia International S PIR 2178)
3. Voyage To
Atlantis b/w So You Wanna Stay Down
(UK – July 1977,
Epic S EPC 5443
USA – October
1977, T-Neck ZS8 2270
Note: USA B-side
is "So You Wanna Stay Down" from the "Harvest For The
World" album (1976), but the UK B-side is "Tell Me When You Need It
Again (Part 1 & 2)" which is on the "Go For Your Guns"
album)
The 12-page
booklet has an informative interview conducted by SHELLEY NICOLE with Ernie and
Ronald Isley featuring recollections by the late Marvin Isley. There is a
track-by-track breakdown and the text is peppered with pictures of US 45's on
T-Neck, colour photos of the band and a discography/credits section at the
rear. It's very well done and the jewel case is one of those new rounded-corner
affairs - very tasty. But the really great news is the SOUND...
As with other
BBR releases - this remaster uses the 'original tapes' and has been carried out
by WAYNE A. DICKSON at the BBR Studios with STUART WEST assisting in the Audio
Research. The results are wonderful. Everything on here sounds amazing.
To the album
itself... It's predecessor "Harvest For The World" from 1976 was all
mellow and Soulful and even Gospel in its overall feel – "Go For Your
Guns" basically wanted to boogie – party a bit – and then make its way
back to your shagpad afterwards for a serious session between the sheets. So as
a long-playing record "Go For Your Guns" has everything fans love
about the band – great loverman ballads combined with funky floor fillers.
It opens with
the Rock-Soul bass-slapping Funk of "The Pride" and it's irresistible
(topped the R&B charts in the USA). Having had your dancing shoes
scuffed, they then hit with the real deal – the nugget on this album – the
gorgeous slow groove of "Footsteps In The Dark" (lyrics above).
"The Pride" opener sounds huge – but its on "Footsteps"
that you begin to really notice how good the remaster is – everything so clear
– warm and properly soulful. It amazes me to this day that T-Neck didn’t
release it as a single at the time – surely a Top 5 if not Number 1 contender?
It finally turned up in 45-form in the US and UK - but as a B-side to
"Groove With You" in 1978. Speaking of 45s…
As with so many
of these expanded BBR editions – the inclusion of the 7" single edits are
a genuine bonus. I often feel that too many Seventies Soul LPs had songs on
them they knew to be winners – so they’d stretch them to seven, eight, nine,
ten minutes…often overstaying their welcome. The single edits gave you the
concise version – and delivered a far better punch. Though in honesty with both
"The Pride" and "Voyage To Atlantis" – BOTH the album
versions and single cuts are superb. You can also hear why the 'Alternate
Version' of "Voyage To Atlantis" was canned – it's very good – but
the released cut is far better – especially with Ernie's stunning guitar intro
more pronounced.
To sum up – this
is a superlative release and I can only hope that BBR tackle more on the
T-Neck, Philly and CBS labels output – especially when they add on those
7" edits for collectors...
(BBR) Big Break
Records CD Remasters I’ve reviewed to date:
1. Is It Still
Good To Ya – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1978)
2. Stay Free –
ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1979)
3. Central
Heating – HEATWAVE (1977)
4. Hot Property
- HEATWAVE (1979)
5. Candles -
HEATWAVE (1980)
6. Turnin' On -
HIGH INERGY (1977)
7. Harvest For
The World - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1976)
8. Go For Your
Guns - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1977)
9. In The Heart
– KOOL & THE GANG (1983)
10. I Hope We
Get To Love On Time - MARILYN McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (1976)
11. I Miss You - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE
NOTES (1972) [known as "Harold Melvin The Blue Notes" in the UK]
12. Black &
Blue - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES (1973)
13. Love Is The
Message - MFSB (1973)
14. Universal
Love – MFSB (1975)
15. All The
Faces Of... - BUDDY MILES (1974)
16. For The
First Time – STEPHANIE MILLS (1975)
17. I Can See
Clearly Now - JOHNNY NASH (1972)
18. In
Philadelphia - O'JAYS (1969)
19. Back
Stabbers - O'JAYS (1972)
20. Ship Ahoy -
O'JAYS (1973)
21. Down To Love
Town – THE ORIGINALS (1977)
22. Ebony Woman
- BILLY PAUL (1970 and 1973)
23. 360 Degrees
Of Billy Paul - BILLY PAUL (1972)
24. War Of The
Gods - BILLY PAUL (1973)
25. Platinum
Hook – PLATINUM HOOK (1978)
26. Love For
What It Is - ANITA POINTER (of The Pointer Sisters) (1987)
27. Live:
Stompin’ At The Savoy – RUFUS and CHAKA KHAN (1983)
28. Summernights
– SILVER CONVENTION (1977)
29. Smoked Sugar
- SMOKED SUGAR (1975)
30. Spinners –
SPINNERS (1973)
31. Soul Master
– EDWIN STARR (1968)
32. Involved -
EDWIN STARR (1971)
33. Switch -
SWITCH (1978)
34 Watercolors –
THE WATERS (1980)
35. Just As I Am
- BILL WITHERS (1971)
36. Heartbeats – YARBROUGH
& PEOPLES (1983)
