Givin’ It Back, released in 1971, has a brilliant concept. After years of hearing other artists cover their songs, The Isley Brothers simply turned the tables and gave something back. For the album, they recorded nothing but other people’s songs, transforming material by Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, James Taylor, Stephen Stills, and Bob Dylan into their own blend of soul, funk, and rock.

Dylan’s «Lay Lady Lay» was released in 1969 on Nashville Skyline. The original is a short, understated country folk song. The Isley Brothers, on the other hand, stretch it out to more than ten minutes.

They turn the simple folk song into a beautiful, deeply emotional soul number. There’s plenty of space, plenty of feeling, and that unmistakable Isley intensity, making «Lay Lady Lay» sound as if it had always been meant for soul.

Givin’ It Back is a beautiful album that, thankfully, isn’t hard to find and regularly finds its way back onto my turntable at home.