"Shout" is like a tent revival gone haywire, with the merest scraps of a song -- a groove and a few phrases -- igniting a soul explosion the likes of which had never been heard on record. The song was only a minor hit, but has been granted immortality for its exuberance and influence. The album of the same name,
the Isley Brothers' full-length debut in 1959, shows what a gulf existed between
the Isleys and their old-school producers. The menu of standards and white rock & roll songs like "Rock Around the Clock" may have worked well for someone like
Brook Benton, but
the Isley Brothers' signature raw-edged soul is fully formed here and comes on like gangbusters.