It's fitting that the cover of Volume 2 of the Isleys' "Beautiful Ballads" series pictures a rose in close-up view. Few groups have zoomed in on the essence of romance quite like the satin-tongued R&B men. Gentle percussion and slinky keyboards put the finishing touches on their seduction.
BEAUTIFUL BALLADS, VOLUME 2 by THE ISLEY BROTHERS (Epic/T-Neck/Legacy), follow-up to their original Beautiful Ballads slow-jams set of 1994, this new 12-song collection, co-produced with Chris Jasper, revisits the Isleys’ T-Neck years at CBS, 1972-83 ("For The Love Of You (Part 1 & 2)," "Groove With You," "Between The Sheets," "Here We Go Again (Parts 1 & 2)," "It’s Too Late"), and Isley-Jasper-Isley’s Insatiable Woman" from 1985;