Get into Something

Another T-Neck release to receive reissue through Sony's Legacy division in the late '90s, Get Into Something boasts six Top 30 R&B chart hits. The first side serves up horn-inflected party jams, including the rousing title track and "Freedom," the latter of which sums up the record's overall uplifting theme of independence. The record isn't without its missteps -- the sexist lyrics of "Take Inventory" are highly questionable: "Don't be so loyal and don't be so true/ 'cause if you are boy, they'll run over you." "Bless" is an obvious re-write of "It's Your Thing"; the Isleys would have been better off leaving that classic alone. A trio of ballads are offered up on the flip, including "I Got to Find Me One." A song of devotion, it pleads for "one girl who believes in me and wants to marry me." Call me crazy, but wouldn't marriage render the taking of inventory an impossibility? Though not revolutionary or trailblazing, Get Into Something is every bit an excellent and vibrant funk/soul record.