Eternal (Isley Brothers album)

Last updated
Eternal
Isley Brothers album Eternal.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 7, 2001
Length75:37
Label DreamWorks
Producer
The Isley Brothers chronology
Mission to Please
(1996)
Eternal
(2001)
Body Kiss
(2003)
Singles from Eternal
  1. "Contagious"
    Released: July 24, 2001
  2. "Secret Lover"
    Released: 2002

Eternal is a studio album released by The Isley Brothers on DreamWorks Records on August 7, 2001. Now popular again with audiences, almost single-handledly for Ronald Isley's "Mr. Biggs" persona, Eternal included production from not only R. Kelly who gave the Isleys their biggest hit as leading artists in over two decades with "Contagious" but also from Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq and Ronald's wife at the time, Angela Winbush.

Contents

Based on thesuccess of lead single "Contagious", Eternal peaked at number on the US Billboard 200 chart, while also topping number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, eventually going Platinum. The first album the Isleys released as a duo in over a decade (the first as Ronald and Ernie), Marvin Isley left the group after suffering a bout with diabetes, which later caused both of his legs to be amputated), Ernie Isley also showcase his talents as a guitarist in songs like "Move Your Body" and the aptly titled "Ernie's Jam" while Ronald was still as vocally strong on this album as he had been throughout the Isley Brothers' legendary catalogue.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Blender critic Dan Epstein wrote: "For this album, the two bring in friends R. Kelly, Angela Winbush, Jill Scott, Lucy Pearl’s Raphael Saadiq, and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – with lively results [...] The oldest hit machine in R&B still has it. [2] AllMusic editor Liana Jonas found that while "there is nothing groundbreaking on this recording, the longtime R&B legends prove they're still very much worth their salt and can keep up very well with the Joneses. Indeed, the Isley Brothers are eternal." [1]

Tamara Harris, writing for The Detroit Metro Times , concluded: "A hardworking track record of solid sounds and everything needed to call all fans of rhythmic blues is here; that is why they call this CD Eternal." [3] PopMatters editor Mark Anthony Neal found that it "is understandable that Eternal often lapses into contemporary black pop drivel. Perhaps it is a tribute to Ronald Isley that he can do so when others of his generation have long moved on the senior Circuit. Despite some shortcomings, Eternal is a fitting testament to the longevity of [the] group." [4]

Commercial performance

Eternal debuted and peaked at number US Billboard 200 in the week of May 24, 2003, with first week sales of 225,500 copies, [5] becoming the Isley Brothers' highest-charting project since their 1975 number one album The Heat Is On . [6] It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 10, 2001. [7] By May 2003, the album had sold 1.2 million in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan. [6]

Track listing

Eternal track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Move Your Body"5:15
2."Contagious"Robert Kelly R. Kelly 5:46
3."Warm Summer Night"
  • Winbush
  • R. Isley
4:54
4."You Deserve Better"Steve "Stone" HuffHuff4:02
5."Just Like This"HuffHuff4:18
6."Secret Lover"HuffHuff4:23
7."You're All I Need"4:49
8."Settle Down"
  • Harris
  • Lewis
  • Wright
  • Tolbert
  • Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
  • Wright [A]
6:29
9."Eternal"
  • Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
  • Wright [A]
8:30
10."If You Leave Me Now" Peter Cetera
  • Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
  • Wright [A]
7:02
11."Said Enough" (featuring Jill Scott) Dre & Vidal 5:08
12."You Didn't See Me"
  • Saadiq
  • R. Isley
  • E. Isley
  • Saadiq
  • Jake and the Phatman [A]
4:26
13."Ernie's Jam"
  • Saadiq
  • R. Isley
  • E. Isley
  • Ozuna
  • Standridge
  • Saadiq
  • Jake and the Phatman [A]
4:49
14."Think"
  • Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
  • Wright [A]
5:00
Total length:75:37

Notes

Personnel

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Eternal
Chart (2001)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [8] 3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [9] 1

Certifications

Certifications for Eternal
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [7] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Isley Brothers</span> American musical group

The Isley Brothers are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, the group has enjoyed one of the "longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raphael Saadiq</span> American contemporary R&B singer

Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a vocalist for the R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, which he formed with his brother D'Wayne and cousin Timothy Christian Riley in 1986. Along with his groupwork and solo career, he has produced and written songs for other R&B artists, including Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Total, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, TLC, En Vogue, Kelis, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi, Whitney Houston, Solange Knowles and John Legend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Winbush</span> American singer

Angela Lisa Winbush is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who rose to fame first in the 1980s R&B duo René & Angela, also scoring hits as a solo artist. To date, Winbush has sold over 10 million albums and singles worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald Isley</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1941)

Ronald Isley is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Isley is the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.

Isley-Jasper-Isley was a splinter group of the Isley Brothers formed in 1984 by brother-in-law Chris Jasper (keyboards), Ernie Isley, and Marvin Isley (bass), due to creative differences that arose among the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contagious (song)</span> 2001 single by The Isley Brothers featuring R. Kelly and Chanté Moore

"Contagious" is a song by the Isley Brothers. It was released as a single from their 2001 album Eternal. The song was written and produced by R. Kelly, who was also featured on the song, and also features vocals by R&B singer Chanté Moore.

<i>Angela Winbush</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Angela Winbush

Angela Winbush is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Angela Winbush, released on March 15, 1994, on Elektra Records. The album features two versions of the Marvin Gaye classic "Inner City Blues"; the album version and a radio edit.

<i>The Heat Is On</i> (album) 1975 studio album by the Isley Brothers

The Heat Is On is the thirteenth studio album by American soul and funk group The Isley Brothers, released June 7, 1975, on T-Neck Records and Epic Records. Written and produced entirely by the group, the album was recorded in 1975 at Kendum Recorders in Burbank, California. The Heat Is On features musical elements of rock, and is divided between uptempo funk songs and soul ballads.

<i>Showdown</i> (Isley Brothers album) 1978 studio album by the Isley Brothers

Showdown is the sixteenth studio album by the Isley Brothers, released on April 22, 1978, on their T-Neck Records label. Singles released from the album include the #1 funk/disco hit, "Take Me to the Next Phase" and the top 20 R&B slower, "Groove With You". The album became another platinum album for the Isley Brothers. It was remastered and expanded for inclusion in the 2015 released CD box set The RCA Victor & T-Neck Album Masters, 1959-1983.

<i>Grand Slam</i> (Isley Brothers album) 1981 studio album by the Isley Brothers

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<i>The Real Deal</i> (Isley Brothers album) 1982 studio album by the Isley Brothers

The Real Deal is an album by the Isley Brothers, released on August 7, 1982. The album is notable for the group's decision to alter their trademark funk rock sound in the 1970s with the then-current early 1980s electro funk scene dominated by Rick James, Prince, Zapp and the Gap Band.

<i>Smooth Sailin</i> (Isley Brothers album) 1987 studio album by the Isley Brothers

Smooth Sailin' is an album by the American musical group the Isley Brothers, released in 1987 on Warner Bros. Records. It was the first album that the group released as a duo of Rudolph and Ronald after the untimely death of eldest brother O'Kelly, who died in 1986 due to occlusive coronary artery disease. Hooking up with R&B singer-songwriter Angela Winbush, the Isleys scored with the top 10 R&B title track and "I Wish", also an R&B top 40 hit.

<i>Tracks of Life</i> 1992 studio album by the Isley Brothers

Tracks of Life is an album by the American musical group the Isley Brothers, released in 1992. The group was made up of Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley backing up brother Ronald. The album peaked at No. 140 on the Billboard 200 and No. 19 on the Top R&B Albums chart. "Sensitive Lover" was released as a single.

<i>Mission to Please</i> 1996 studio album by The Isley Brothers

Mission to Please is a studio album by the Isley Brothers. It was released on May 14, 1996, on Island Records and group's own label, T-Neck Records. The last Isley Brothers album to feature youngest brother Marvin Isley, who left the group in 1997 because of complications from diabetes and died in June 2010, it was a return to commercial glory for the group in the years following their platinum-certified album Between the Sheets (1983).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Work to Do</span> 1972 funk song by the Isley Brothers

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References

  1. 1 2 https://www.allmusic.com/album/r546021
  2. 1 2 Epstein, Dan. "The oldest hit machine in R&B; still has it". Blender . Archived from the original on February 10, 2003. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  3. Harris, Tamara (October 10, 2001). "Eternal". Metro Times . Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  4. Neal, Mark Anthony (August 6, 2001). "The Isley Brothers Featuring Ronald Isley aka Mr. Biggs: Eternal". PopMatters . Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  5. Mayfield, Geoff (May 24, 2003). "Over the Counter". Billboard . Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Hot Productl". Billboard.com . May 5, 2003. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  7. 1 2 "American album certifications – The Isley Brothers – Eternal". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  8. "The Isley Brothers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  9. "The Isley Brothers Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2020.