I have never been into Robert Palmer. "Johnny & Mary" from 1981 was the highpoint for me (a great mainstream song).
To me he was just an up-tempo Bryan Ferry … though that possibly comes from the fact that they both mined various areas of American soul, dressed like lounge lizards, exuded English ex-patriate lying in the sun charm, and had sexually suggestive record sleeves.
Check out this sleeve – the bikini in the foreground implying a girl somewhere naked outside the photo frame. But wait there are two bikinis … hence the album title I suppose … "Double Fun".
After half an album side all I can say is "At least someone is having fun".
Background to Palmer (1949 – 2003) from allmusic: "Born Alan Palmer on January 19, 1949, in Batley, England, he spent much of his childhood living on the island of Malta before permanently returning to Britain at the age of 19 to sing with the Alan Bown Set. A year later he joined Dada, a 12-piece, Stax-influenced soul group which soon changed its name to Vinegar Joe; after three LPs with the band — a self-titled effort and Rock'n'Roll Gypsies, both issued in 1972, and 1973's Six Star General — Palmer exited to mount a solo career, and debuted in 1974 with Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley, recorded with members of Little Feat and the Meters".
allmusic also succinctly summarise his popularity (hey I couldn't be bothered):
"The career of blue-eyed soul singer Robert Palmer was a study in style versus substance. While the performer's earliest work won praise for its skilful assimilation of rock, R&B, and reggae sounds, his records typically sold poorly, and he achieved his greatest notoriety as an impeccably dressed lounge lizard. By the mid-'80s, however, Palmer became a star, although his popularity owed less to the strength of his material than to his infamous music videos: taking their cue from the singer's suave presence, Palmer's clips established him as a dapper, suit-and-tie lady's man who performed his songs backed by a band comprised of leggy models, much to the delight of viewers who made him one of MTV's biggest success stories".
This album accurately reflects the allmusic comment … and unfortunately this is a music I have never had time for. It's bad enough when this Caribbean influenced crossover pop is done by Caribbean types like Billy Ocean but when it's done by whites like Palmer it's almost unforgivable. From there it's a slippery, short slope to the most evil of all music … white reggae.
The only time I can handle Caribbean music is when it's "authentic" and traditional (every one should have at least one steel calypso band in their collection) or when its taken, shaken, stirred and mixed with something else and then given back as something different a la Jimmy Buffett.
That said this is 1978 and the Caribbean loose (but slick) vibe was popular (think bits and pieces of Rod Stewart, Bryan Ferry, The Police, Chris Rea* and most of The Rolling Stones "Black & Blue" album). What is it with the English that they have to go afar for inspiration? Can't you write sexual, seductive, soul songs about sunny London afternoons whilst hanging out in Hackney?
When the Caribbean thing is turned down the music leans to up-tempo cocktail jazz reminiscent of most of the awful 80s albums aimed at "adults" … remember "adult contemporary rock" … that music reserved for drunk salesmen with small dicks and smaller brains and drunk secretaries in taffeta ball gowns waiting to be rammed by the said small dicks before indulging in subsequent smaller conversation. The types of people now comfortably middle aged who go to Bali for their holidays (an Australian cultural reference).
Interestingly, Palmer, who does his fair share of covers, writes most of the tracks here and the lyrics are either sexually suggestive or "thoughtful". It's all very well played, smooth and slick, but …
Tracks (best in italics)
- Every Kinda People – written by ex-pat Englishman Andy Fraser (bass player, formerly of Free (he co-wrote "All Right Now") and he also wrote and sang the song, "Obama (Yes We Can)", to support the campaign to elect Barack Obama as the next president of the United States). This is very much like later Jimmy Cliff, which is not the best Jimmy Cliff era. The song was a hit though and a lot of people have covered it … it's message is peace and multiculturalism …
- Best of Both Worlds – yawn.
- Come Over
Oh you run my motor
You make me think it over
We've got the rug from under us
Let's stay off it till we had enough
You make me think it over
We've got the rug from under us
Let's stay off it till we had enough
You tease my monkey
You make my knees feel funky
I ache for you when you're not here
I can't bear it when you get too near
You make my knees feel funky
I ache for you when you're not here
I can't bear it when you get too near
Nothing quite like someone who writes their own material.
- Where Can It Go? – awful late 70s black soul rip off.
- Night People – a Allen Toussaint song ….
- Love Can Run Faster –
- You Overwhelm Me –
- You Really Got Me – wtf? The Kinks were riding high in the US charts around this time which perhaps accounts for this cover … Van Halen also covered this on their first album from 1978. This version may be ill conceived trying to make it into a slow burning groove rather than the piece of angst it was but it's not the first time the song has been slowed down – Ray Burgess and the Kinks themselves have done it slowed down.
- You're Gonna Get What's Coming – the closest to a rock song and this looks towards Palmer's 80s hit making period like "Addicted to Love". Pretty boring regardless.
And …
Might tape a track or two … well I have to tape the Kinks cover at the very least … and then off it goes.
Gimme a Trinidad steel band and a pina colada instead … seriously
Chart Action
Singles:
Every Kinda People: #16US, #53UK
Album:
#45 US, no chart UK.
Sounds
Every Kinda People
live
Best of Both Worlds
live 1983
You Overwhelm Me
You Really Got Me
attached
You're Gonna Get What's Coming –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgIebIQLiiQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgIebIQLiiQ
Review
Bio
*thanks Sive for the Chris Rea and the taffeta
(originally posted: 02/05/2010)
