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