Masterpiece / Smooth Sailin'

Digitally remastered two CD set containing a pair of albums by the soul legends. Masterpiece was originally released in 1985 and was their first for a new label (Warner Brothers) and featured the original three man line up of Ronald, O'Kelly and Rudolph Isley, after their two younger siblings and brother-in-law had formed Isley, Jasper, Isley. The album was a new direction for The Isley Brothers, with only one track written by the band 'May I', and more cover versions feature including Phil Collins' 'If Leaving Me Is Easy' and Charlie Rich's 'The Most Beautiful Girl'. Smooth Sailin was the first album that the brothers released as a duo of Rudolph and Ronald after the untimely death of eldest brother O'Kelly, who had died in March of the previous year of a heart attack. Hooking up with R&B singer-songwriter Angela Winbush for this album, the Isleys scored with the top 10 R&B title track and I Wish, also an R&B top 40 hit.