Muscial Selection:

Go All The Way (1980)

The Isleys were really running their formula into the ground at this point - the only thing even approaching a new idea is occasional distracting electronic percussion crashes (title track). Worse, this time the riffs aren't great ("Pass It On"), and there's not much soloing from Ernie and Chris (Ernie does turn in a sterling performance on "Say You Will"). And how many times can you listen to Marvin play the same bass line (cf. "The Belly Dancer"), anyway? The record is redeemed by two elegant Ronald ballads, the extended "Here We Go Again" and "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love)," which became the group's last hit single for a few years; this was also their last Top Ten pop album.