“3+3” by The Isley Brothers

A 70s standout from one of the era’s great R&B outfits, offering up laid-back soul and funky grooves in equal measure.

Because the Isleys were nearly 15 years into their career when this album was released, it’s a potentially tough sell to call this their breakthrough. “Shout” and “It’s Your Thing” had already been massive hit singles for them, showcasing their chameleon-like ability to fuse rock influences with Motown best practices. But, if you trace the sound they’re best known for—psychedelia-tinged R&B and soul—back to its origins, that trajectory begins with 3 + 3*.*** It was their first record with Epic, the new home for their T-Neck imprint, and, as the title suggests, also the debut of the group’s newly-formed sextet, which notably introduced lead singer Ronnie Isley’s younger brothers Ernie and Marvin on lead guitar and bass respectively.

Those two make an immediate impact on opener “That Lady,” the hit single that’s surgically attached to images of 70s pop culture nostalgia at this point. The driving bassline, working in tandem with the keys and drums, provides a strong backbone over which Ernie’s swirling, Hendrix-adjacent guitar stylings can tether themselves to. “If You Were There” uses the same basic formula, bolstered by a Ronnie vocal that evokes a bit of Memphis soul, to elevate what would otherwise be pedestrian R&B pop. Interestingly, the real showstoppers here may be the covers, including a funky-with-a-capital-F interpretation of the Doobie Brothers’ “Listen to the Music” and an absolutely gorgeous rendition of “Summer Breeze” that outdoes the Seals & Crofts original.

Though this album isn’t their 70s apex (that honor goes to 1975’s The Heat is On), 3 + 3 is a linchpin of the era’s R&B sonics, one that gave birth to a new guitar hero who’s still shredding a half-century on.

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