Winner Takes All

AMG Review of Winner Takes All

Craig Lytle
All Music Guide

Winner Takes All was originally released as a two-album set, which reflected how popular the Isley Brothers were during this period of time. It features some rather lengthy but entertaining pieces. Ronald Isley's silky tenor remains untarnished throughout the album. "I Wanna Be with You" made its claim on the Billboard R&B charts, peaking at number one. "Winner Takes All" and "It's a Disco Night" followed in that order and only managed to reach numbers 38 and 27, respectively. Decent songs they are, but not as explosive as some of the Isley Brothers previously released up-tempo numbers. And as danceable as they, they come closer to good-listening songs. However, there are three solid allads: "Let's Fall in Love," "How Lucky I Am" and "You're the Key to My Heart." Not one ever made a chart appearance, but all three remain popular to radio.