Robert Palmer Pressure Drop CD

Before he moved to Nassau and became a carefree, laid-back expat who craved sunshine, Robert Palmer lived in New York City, hired Little Feat for a backup band, and released the all over the place yet still solid Pressure Drop. Named after the massive reggae hit from Toots & the Maytals and the excellent cover version Palmer performs here, Pressure Drop is sometimes wrongly sold as the singer's first island-styled album. Past the title cut, Feat and the New Orleans funk of the Meters are much bigger influences, along with smooth, dated disco ballads smothered in strings. The latter numbers are what make the album too blue-eyed and polished for fans of Palmer's more gutsy moments, but the soft songs are well written and convincing, especially the opening "Give Me an Inch." Better still is the loose and feel-good funk that has long made this effort a fan favorite, with Palmer delivering full-bodied vocals over bright horns and popping basslines. Since compilations and Palmer's own live set lists increasingly ignored the album over time, Pressure Drop has grown into the great overlooked album in the man's discography, and it's much more rewarding than the unfamiliar track list displays. ~ David Jeffries
On his second solo release, Robert Palmer remains close to the musical territory he had covered on his first outing, SNEAKIN' SALLY THROUGH THE ALLEY. Like its predecessor, PRESSURE DROP is a loose, groovy combination all of the most backbone-loosening elements of ska, reggae, African Juju, New Orleans funk, rock, and blues. This is head-bobbing music, flavored with tinkling piano and languorous slide guitar licks, with Palmer's rough-and-ready vocals on top of a percolating backbeat.
On hand once again is Lowell George--this time with his band, Little Feat--and the Meters, perhaps the cream of all crack session bands. While the first record had an overriding flavor of New Orleans gumbo, PRESSURE DROP shows Palmer trying his hand at a wider array of styles. The straightforward pop balladry of "Back in My Arms" and "Which of Us is the Fool" indicate the singer stepping away from pure Little Feat-style rock, while one of the strongest cuts is his faithful cover of Toots And The Maytals' immortal "Pressure Drop." Palmer contributes more of his own compositions than on his first outing, and again covers another fine Lowell George song, "Trouble."