Wednesday, May 11, 2016

40 Year Itch : Tarnished By Our Greed


The Isley Brothers : Harvest for the World


   Here, in three minutes of multi-tracked acoustic guitar strumming, hand claps, and Ronald Isley's vocals, is one of 1976's most transcendent singles - a call for peace and brotherhood in a world at war:

All babies together, everyone a seed 
Half of us are satisfied, half of us in need 
Love's bountiful in us, tarnished by our greed 
When will there be a harvest for the world 

A nation planted, so concerned with gain 
As the seasons come and go, greater grows the pain 
And far too many feelin' the strain 
When will there be a harvest for the world 

Gather every man, gather every woman 
Celebrate your lives, give thanks for your children 
Gather everyone, gather all together 
Overlooking none, hopin' life gets better for the world 

Dress me up for battle, when all I want is peace 
Those of us who pay the price, come home with the least 
Nation after nation, turning into beast 
When will there be a harvest for the world 




   The Isleys were in the same pocket that made 3 + 3 , Live It Up and The Heat is On so great. Of course there were ballads on Harvest for the World, but one deep cut of note is the ultra funky "People of Today", recorded with the T.O.N.T.O. super synthesizer and a talk box.

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