Pressure Drop, the follow-up to 1974′s Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley would find Robert Palmer at an interesting crossroads in his career as despite the great craftsmanship on his previous LP he was still vastly unknown outside of the NYC music scene. As a result, Pressure Drop was not as cohesive as an album due to the desire to be more commercial. Unfortunately for Palmer, 1976 was a time where schmaltzy and breezy arrangements were in high demand and despite his best efforts this makes the album quite dated. However, the highlights on here stand up along with the best of Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley, from the title track (a cover of the famous Toots & The Maytals tune), to the slow burn of “Fine Time” as well as the rollicking “Riverboat” and “Trouble”,it’s quite clear (even from the album cover) that Palmer and his crack session band of Little Feat and the Muscle Shoals Horn Section and even James Jamerson (the bassist of Motown fame) have a whole lot of fun.
Robert Palmer’s Lost Oeuvre Part I: Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley (1974)
To many people, Robert Palmer represents the power of MTV when music videos were in their heyday, a man whose sartorial talents were the great substance behind numbers like “Simply Irresistable” and “Addicted To Love”. Both numbers are products of their time and suffer greatly as a result, propelled by the videos of attractive women peddling instruments as sex machines and little else. But that was before I discovered Robert Palmer, the same Robert Palmer whose fame was a product of the badly aged MTV generation, had a much more compelling career before ever making it big.
One of the most amazing facts of stumbling upon his 1974 release Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley is the fact that this little known expat managed to lock down both The Meters and members of Little Feat, along with session greats like Cornell Dupree and Bernard Purdie to back him through an extraordinarily funky trip down NOLA inspired, hot-laced grooves. Palmer oozes charisma, and he makes clear right away that he is an excellent interpreter of other’s songs, feeling comfortable handling everything from Little Feat drug odes to Allen Toussaint R&B, mixing in his own songs with nary a change of pace.
Summertime
It’s been a while but Art of The Mixtape is back in action with a mixtape for these good old summer days whether its lying on a beach, grilling dinner, or just relaxing in your own home, these grooves should put you in the perfect mood for the summer months. This mixtape features classics from artists like George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen, Warren Zevon, Little Feat, Bob Marley, and Miles Davis, as well as some artists you may not have heard of. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the tunes.
A Mixtape Monday Presentation: Cars and Trains, Boats and Planes
Introducing the themed mixtape, more music, word free. This week concerns those means of transportation. The mixtape after the jump.
Another (Belated) Mixtape Monday: 5/20 Blues and a Funky Gritty Case of the Mondays
Smell that, smells like freedom, that’s right I’m finally free from the yoke of college (for the summer at least) so thanks y’all for the patience on this mixtape but the finals were calling and I couldn’t have them leave a message. I’m excited for this one to drop ladies and gentleman, high hitting, in the pocket funky grooves and outstanding performances, new and old and definitely fresh.
Rhyme for the Summertime: An Art of the Mixtape Summer Compilation
School’s almost out and the weather keeps getting nicer, the sun brighter, what better way then to celebrate with a summertime mix. This time around, Mixtape Monday truly is a mixtape, the playlist is meant to be listened to in track order and I hope you enjoy. Here’s looking forward to Summer ’10.
Hey Hey
A new one for you all, this is a light hearted good jams kind of mix
Robert Palmer-Addicted to Love
Suave meets power rock, awesome combination
This is a super group of Jim James, M. Ward, and Conor Oberst, Say Please is a Beatlesque tune, the guitar solo is a nice touch
The Shaky Hands- The Sleepless
Nice bouncy groove on this one, fans of Modest Mouse will like this one
One of the prettiest acoustic melodies you will ever hear, if gold had a sound it would be this
Great melody and drumming on this one and the singing is in fine form too
Donovan Frankenreiter- These Arms
Just a nice light-hearted acoustic tune, nice touches with the organ
Geto Boys- Straight Gangstaism
I could swear Tupac was on this, great sample, great flow
Harper Blynn- Centrifugal Motion
It’s like E.L.O. and Billy Joel decided to have a musical baby and this was the result, catchy melody, great vocal performance and great bridge
Most of the time, Beatles covers are like heresy in my book, but the laconic way he delivers the lyrics brings the song to a different place, dreamy and wistful, perfectly conveying the feeling Harrison was getting at by not being sure.
Great vocal performance, great arrangement, a new band that more people should know about
London Calling is a fantastic album for a number of songs, and this is one of the best, fantastic arrangement, snide vocals, a powerful song through and through
Just a sunny day tune, a happy song, good backing harmonies and easy going arrangement
Liam Finn & Eliza Jane- Honest Face
Tight harmonies with a wild arrangement
The Generationals- When They Fight, They Fight
Great homage to beach boys/ motown girl group style, this song is amazingly catchy and it is hard to believe it was recorded this year
Oasis meets Dispatch, these guys have a great sense of dynamics and melody and they’re a pleasure to listen to
Pete and J- No More One More Chance
This song could easily have been straight out of the CSN &Y songbook, great acoustics and singing performance
Very nicely done arrangement on this one
The Explorer’s Club- Do You Love Me
The Beach Boys 2.0, catchy, strong harmonies and a summer melody
The Dutchess and the Duke- Reservoir Park
Similar to House of the Rising Sun but good in its own right
Dean Martin- Gentle on My Mind
Great upbeat country arrangement and Dean Martin shows his considerable vocal chops on this one, this is a hard melody to get off your mind.
Real Love
When The Beatles came together for the Anthology series it was easy to assume it was just another cash in (after all the band had been gone 25 years and Apple was still making money off their one band, and they still are). Real Love was the second Lennon demo that they had been given access to master and do what they please. But it comes off great, George’s guitar work is fantastic, John sounds fresh and alive, a quality sorely lacking in Free as A Bird, and the harmonies are there along with Ringo’s steady backbeat.
G. Love and Special Sauce- Crumble
G. Love has been around an awful long time with his hip-hop/blues genre, and while that is no longer novel, G. Love has a knack for production that is the show piece of this song. Starting with beautifully played piano interwoven with upright bass, it blossoms into nice syncopated drum and acoustic guitar work, the melody is shimmering and the music surrounds you, its not so much his words that have the flow on this song, its the music, though the words are good too.
Slow Club- It Doesn’t Have to be Beautiful
Slow Club is an English folksy rock duo in the She and Him style, except they’re much more bright in their melody and harmony, this song chugs along at a frenetic pace and the singing is wonderful and catchy too.
This song bursts out of the gate with a Motown drum roll but keeps itself low-fi, the melody is insanely catchy and the whole thing sounds like it was recorded on one take, full of life and energy, you can just hear the fun the band is having playing this song.
Q-Tip defied common belief when he continued to have a quality career after the fallout from A Tribe Called Quest’s breakup. This song has swagger but in ways that Jay-Z wished he had, the back track is funky and D’Angelo’s backing vocals are beautifully arranged, try and hate this song, go ahead I dare you.
Boasting a Simon & Garfunkelesque harmony as well as a feel for Elliot Smith melody, Pete and J (now known as Harper Blynn) are a great up and coming group fashioned in the old style melodies and classic rock production.
Hall and Oates- You Make My Dreams
Sure its old, sure its cheesy, but can anybody hate this song? Its just so damn happy and the harmonies are great
Prince is never conventional, and the cello violin arrangement thrown into this song is a perfect example of his eccentric genius, and no song about this subject matter should be this catchy and the bridge is fantastic. Favorite line thunder chimes out when the lightning sees her kinda makes you feel like a movie star. Wonderfully done all around song.
Sammy Davis Jr- These Foolish Things
Some songs just put you in a mood, overcome with love and memory, this is one of them, the arrangement is sparse and the lyrics are beautifully poetic, and Sammy Davis Jr.’s performance here is fantastic.
Beat poetry meets funk, in the best of marriages, the bass line is fantastic, the arrangement creative, a very underrated song.
Another great new band to watch out for with the members hailing from Alaska and California, the guitar work on here is great and a very beatle-esque melody. Great rainy day song
The Beatles- Every Little Thing
People love to look back at the early years of The Beatles and criticize their simplicity, but sometimes simple is perfect (Lou Reed made a career out of it). This song is very beautiful in its understatement, the harmonies are great the melody is sweet and you can just hear their youth, and the feeling is universal.
Jimi Hendrix- May This Be Love
As great as he was a guitarist, Jimi Hendrix was an equally excellent arranger and lyricist. His flashy guitar work takes a backseat on this one and even without it, I rate this as one of his best songs.
At the time they hadn’t blown up yet, Use Somebody and Sex on Fire hadn’t been overplayed by every single radio station yet, the bravado hadn’t come yet, but the presence was there, great arrangement and vocal performance on this one, I’d argue this song is more powerful then Use Somebody and Sex on Fire put together.
She’s the One- Bruce Springsteen
No longer was he under the shadows of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison comparisons, he was on his own, and he exploded on to the scene with this album. She’s the One doesn’t do alot to avoid his former comparisons though, it even adds a few new ones, his lyrics are as poetic as Dylans and his vocal performance is reminiscent of Morrison and Orbison and the guitar work, Bo Diddley. But that great melody, and those hooks, and the heart, thats all his.
Robert Palmer wasn’t always the suave power rock guy his 80′s hits made him out to be, sure he always loved the suits, but in the 70′s he was funky and he had great taste. Fine Time boasts the immortal James Jamerson on bass as well as a combined backing band of Little Feat and The Meters who were both great bands on their own. The highlight of the track though is the intensity he puts into the vocal performance, he really feels the music and he drives the band in return with his powerful presence.
Keb’ Mo’s first record soungs so organic, if you closed your eyes you’d feel like he was just in front of you playing his acoustic guitar, he’s got a great voice to boot, an underrated essential to being a bluesman, and nice harmonica work as well. A real sunny Sunday afternoon kind of song.
G. Love and Special Sauce-Ride
I don’t know any other artist who can emulate summer as well as G. Love can, and the arrangement and production values are great on this song as well.
Bob Dylan- Love Minus Zero/ No Limit
Bob has a lot of well written songs, and this is among his best
Imagine that the Beach Boys came out in the last couple years, they would be this band, the similarities are unnerving.
The original demo before The Beatles put their production hands on it, the piano work is beautiful as well as his vocals, its almost as if you’ve got him playing the piano just for you and its really endearing.
