Can't you see the soldiers?
I see them marching.....
1. Ohio/Machine Gun (Young/Hendrix)
2. Fire And Rain (Taylor)
3. Lay, Lady, Lay (Dylan)
4. Spill The Wine (War)
5. Nothing To Do But Today (Stills)
6. Cold Bologna (Withers)
7. Love The One You're With (Stills)
In many ways this record has fallen through the cracks. Released by the hugely successful Isley Brothers in 1971, it is an album solely made up of covers. The Isleys had, until this point, been a relatively straight soul group with hits like 'Shout', 'Twist and Shout' and 'This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You). The group had left Motown just a few years previously through frustration, and were hitting their stride with their new funk-based sound when they released this wonderful oddity. Covering so many white artists was a particularly brave move in these times where black and white audiences were still very much defined. Perhaps this is one of the elements that makes this album so special; with acoustic guitars, plenty of Latin percussion, emotive soul vocals and some wonderful soaring guitar solos from the newly inducted Ernie Isley, this album transcends genre stereotypes.
Ohio/Machine Gun is epic, a big undertaking, although this is a passionate and emotional reinterpretation which hits equally as hard, in my opinion, as the originals. Fire and Rain is beautiful and mournful. Lay Lady Lay is soothing and gentle. Spill The Wine is awesome Latin soul. Nothing To Do But Today gives a funk groove that completely transforms the Stills original. For Cold Bologna, the band were joined by the song's writer himself, Bill Withers, on guitar.
Love The One You're With has always been a favourite song of mine, and I had previously thought that Aretha's version recorded live at the Fillmore was my favourite cover, now I'm not so sure.....
Anyway, do listen. It's a wonderful and rare thing to find an album you can listen to all the way through and love every second, and I have certainly found that with 'Givin' It Back'. I hope that you might take a shine to it too.
Love The One You're With
Fire and Rain
Spill The Wine
A live version of Ohio/Machine Gun from 1973
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