I'm starting to take a new approach as to how I review music on this site, ironically beginning this process with one of the most obnoxious artists in the world (Mariah Scarey, anybody?) It's interesting to listen to an artist directly through from start to finish, beginning with the loose and fun debut album to the slick recent release-- I keep meaning to finish Mariah, but she just...makes me so damn angry. This has been the reviewing style of a few members on Epinions, and I'd like to give it another crack myself, and, obviously, I've chosen Robert Palmer as my next artist to concentrate on, beginning with his 1974 debut record Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley. Robert is best known for his mid-80s contributions, popular for his stylized music videos and suave appearance. He had those eyes that made him look like a player and a voice that takes a bluesy cue from Huey Lewis, but with a softer twist. I'm hoping that, if the man had to leave this world so early, he left behind some truly great music.


THE GOOD

Robert's debut album is an interesting one. Previous to listening to Sneakin' Sally, I didn't know very much about the man. In all actuality, I chose to review his music because I liked what Mariah Carey's did with one of his 80s dance tracks. What I get from this album, though, is entirely different from what I expected from this man. The album cover eludes to a new wave twist, while my minimal knowledge of Mr. Palmer extends to 80 pop music. Sneakin' Sally is a blues album. Robert sounds young and full of spunk on this album that crosses blues with funk with that classic rock and roll sensibility. The best part about this record is the quality in Robert's vocals. His voice is youthful, yes, but it's got real soul and a nice smokey stylization to it. Get Outside takes a strong cue from the nightclub scene, with its clean and dark production. Robert gets down and jazzy on this slow track that creates a strong atmosphere. This record experiments with what some call "black music" for the most part. We go from jazz to funk on songs like Hey Julia, that makes use of a metronome sound byte. The guitar flourishes and bleeps and bloops make for a very pleasant diddy of a song that I hope to hear a lot from Robert on this next few discs. By mid-record, I was already impressed with how tightly designed the album was. It's a very consistently paced LP and a great introduction to his music. The chorus of girls who provide back-up give off great energy behind the rasp in Palmer's voice-- the mannequin-models from Addicted to Love these women are not. What I certainly like about this record is how it sounds exactly like what Bruce Willis was going for in the mid-80s: soul, power, energy, funk, reggae, jazz, classic, sex. Robert achieves all of these themes and attributes from start to finish. How Much Fun is a dancey soul song that showcases how versatile Robert's voice truly is, exuding more soul than anything, say, Beyonce has ever tried to release.


THE BAD

I'm very happy to report that the worst thing about Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley happens to be that it's just a little one-note. Consistency is a great thing that I cherish, but the liberal use of the bouncy piano can get very homogenous very quickly, especially by the time From A Whisper To A Scream starts, as great as a song that is. Robert Palmer was always a great singles band, but I feel like he still needs to prove to me he can make an album that doesn't exhaust or bore me, which this one tends to do mid-play-time. I recommend picking and choosing songs to listen to rather than listening from track one straight through the eigth. Through It All There's You, which closes this album, falls into the same trap that Cyndi Lauper's High and Mighty did; that being that by the time it starts, you're more relieved that you're getting something a little different than you are happy to hear it based on its own merit-- and this is a shame, because it's playful vocals make it to be one of the more enjoyable songs on the album.

JUDGING
Robert's on a great start with this 1973 debut. The sound is cool, and his voice is impressive throughout. The playful musical experimentation is interesting, and I'm looking forward to 1975's Pressure Drop.

Sailing Shoes (4 Stars)

Hey Julia (5 Stars)
Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley (4 Stars)
Get Outside (4 Stars)
Blackmail (3 Stars)
How Much Fun (4 Stars)
From a Whisper to a Scream (4 Stars)
Through It All There's You (4 Stars)


OVERALL SCORE: 4 STARS (Exact)


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Cleaning the House