Post by MikeMusic on Oct 15, 2021 8:58:00 GMT
Robert Palmer - Honey (1994)
One of the albums of all time. The mix of styles and genres is wonderful. Wrong footed me when I first played it. The CD picture above gives more of an indication of the amount going on as opposed to the cover.
First track is misdirection all over the place with the second track going off in yet another direction.
Some typical, what you would expect from Robert Palmer and others you wouldn't think he would do.
Crooning love songs seems to be the way up until
You blow me away - which hints at where he's going
Close to the Edge - turns down a dark alley and
Closer to the Edge turns into a heavy rock band for a few tracks until ending with the very gentle
Dreams come true
Best results from playing *loud*
Palmer vocals as expected, also producer and arranger doing a fine job. Excellent work.
The album was made ... in Milan.
Extreme axeman Nuno Bettencourt part of the ensemble
Gary Butcher and Saverio Porciello also on guitars
4 different drummers / percussionists
20 years after his first solo album, Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley, Honey could be his most diverse and by a short head his best album.
I discovered him around 1974, liked his voice and the music. I prefer instruments to voices so already good.
Little Feat and The Meters played on Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley. He almost joined Little Feat by the way.
Pressure Drop and Some people can do what they like are also great albums.
I bought all three on LP and you must listen to them - then why not the whole discography !
The video of Addicted to Love from 1985 album Riptide put me off him at the time. Knowing now how the video came about with the very easy on the eye models pretending to be his backing band I wouldn't have been so fussy. A bit of a joke and seeing it in that light helps.
Lots more detail on Wikipedia
Honey is the twelfth studio album by British singer Robert Palmer. It was released in September 1994 and reached number 25 in the UK Albums Chart. The album featured the minor hits "Girl U Want", "Know by Now" and "You Blow Me Away".
All tracks are written by Robert Palmer except "Love Takes Time" by Palmer, Mary Ambrose and Sharon O'Neill, and "Girl U Want" by Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald V. Casale.
No. Title Length
1. "Honey A" 1:35
2. "Honey B" 4:03
3. "You're Mine" 4:13
4. "Know by Now" 4:10
5. "Nobody But You" 3:53
6. "Love Takes Time" 5:02
7. "Honeymoon" 2:16
8. "You Blow Me Away" 4:32
9. "Close to the Edge" 2:27
10. "Closer to the Edge" 2:41
11. "Girl U Want" 2:22
12. "Wham Bam Boogie" 3:15
13. "Big Trouble" 3:56
14. "Dreams Come True" 3:11
Upon release, pan-European magazine Music & Media noted: "Right when you've written off the eternal nobleman as a lost crooner, he returns with a vengeance. Surrounded by ambitious musicians, Palmer has provided his most inspired album in years." People described the album as a "stunning follow-up to 1992's Ridin' High" and commented: "Through it all, Honey goes down smoothly—and Palmer proves once again that he's simply irresistible." Cash Box commented: "Robert Palmer has been making music for over two decades. His new album reflects his experience like a well-aged bottle of wine, graceful and dignified. The most impressive aspect of the record is the versatility he displays."
David Hiltbrand of Entertainment Weekly stated: "The British singer mostly plays to his strong suits: suave, double-breasted vocals, unconventional but funky rhythms, and exotic Afro-Carib musical flourishes. It all fuses on "Know by Now," the sort of bittersweet up-tempo ballad at which Palmer excels. Later on he indulges in some empty hard-rock posturing abetted by Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt. But at least Palmer steers clear of the stuffy piano-lounge standards that have marred so many of his recent releases."
In a retrospective review, Leslie Mathew of AllMusic said: "...Palmer himself sounds as inhumanly suave as ever, though much of the material is a prescription for déjà vu. Ironically, given its title, this album is much more hard-edged than Heavy Nova and Riptide. Highlights include "Know By Now," a tasty mid-paced rocker, and "Nobody But You," a twitchy, coiled funk ditty. Honey has its moments, and plenty to spare, but it also occasionally gives the impression of a man who's trying too hard."
Personnel
Robert Palmer – vocals, arrangements
Alan Mansfield – keyboards, soprano saxophone
Nuno Bettencourt – guitars
Gary Butcher – guitars
Saverio Porciello – guitars
Frank Blair – bass
Andy Duncan – drums, percussion
Mauro Spina – drums, percussion
Dony Wynn – drums
Jose Rossy – percussion
Demo Morselli – trumpet, flugelhorn
Sharon O'Neill – additional vocals
Production
Robert Palmer – producer
Stephen Hague – producer, remix (tracks 4, 6, 8)
Teo Macero – additional production
David Harper – executive producer
Richard Coble – production coordinator
Pino "Pinaxa" Pischetola – recording, mixing
Chris Lord-Alge – remix (track 3)
Mike "Spike" Drake – remix (tracks 4, 6, 8)
Antonio Baglio – mastering
Recorded and Mixed at Logic Studios (Milan, Italy).
Mastered at Profile Studio (Milan, Italy)
One of the albums of all time. The mix of styles and genres is wonderful. Wrong footed me when I first played it. The CD picture above gives more of an indication of the amount going on as opposed to the cover.
First track is misdirection all over the place with the second track going off in yet another direction.
Some typical, what you would expect from Robert Palmer and others you wouldn't think he would do.
Crooning love songs seems to be the way up until
You blow me away - which hints at where he's going
Close to the Edge - turns down a dark alley and
Closer to the Edge turns into a heavy rock band for a few tracks until ending with the very gentle
Dreams come true
Best results from playing *loud*
Palmer vocals as expected, also producer and arranger doing a fine job. Excellent work.
The album was made ... in Milan.
Extreme axeman Nuno Bettencourt part of the ensemble
Gary Butcher and Saverio Porciello also on guitars
4 different drummers / percussionists
20 years after his first solo album, Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley, Honey could be his most diverse and by a short head his best album.
I discovered him around 1974, liked his voice and the music. I prefer instruments to voices so already good.
Little Feat and The Meters played on Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley. He almost joined Little Feat by the way.
Pressure Drop and Some people can do what they like are also great albums.
I bought all three on LP and you must listen to them - then why not the whole discography !
The video of Addicted to Love from 1985 album Riptide put me off him at the time. Knowing now how the video came about with the very easy on the eye models pretending to be his backing band I wouldn't have been so fussy. A bit of a joke and seeing it in that light helps.
Lots more detail on Wikipedia
Honey is the twelfth studio album by British singer Robert Palmer. It was released in September 1994 and reached number 25 in the UK Albums Chart. The album featured the minor hits "Girl U Want", "Know by Now" and "You Blow Me Away".
All tracks are written by Robert Palmer except "Love Takes Time" by Palmer, Mary Ambrose and Sharon O'Neill, and "Girl U Want" by Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald V. Casale.
No. Title Length
1. "Honey A" 1:35
2. "Honey B" 4:03
3. "You're Mine" 4:13
4. "Know by Now" 4:10
5. "Nobody But You" 3:53
6. "Love Takes Time" 5:02
7. "Honeymoon" 2:16
8. "You Blow Me Away" 4:32
9. "Close to the Edge" 2:27
10. "Closer to the Edge" 2:41
11. "Girl U Want" 2:22
12. "Wham Bam Boogie" 3:15
13. "Big Trouble" 3:56
14. "Dreams Come True" 3:11
Upon release, pan-European magazine Music & Media noted: "Right when you've written off the eternal nobleman as a lost crooner, he returns with a vengeance. Surrounded by ambitious musicians, Palmer has provided his most inspired album in years." People described the album as a "stunning follow-up to 1992's Ridin' High" and commented: "Through it all, Honey goes down smoothly—and Palmer proves once again that he's simply irresistible." Cash Box commented: "Robert Palmer has been making music for over two decades. His new album reflects his experience like a well-aged bottle of wine, graceful and dignified. The most impressive aspect of the record is the versatility he displays."
David Hiltbrand of Entertainment Weekly stated: "The British singer mostly plays to his strong suits: suave, double-breasted vocals, unconventional but funky rhythms, and exotic Afro-Carib musical flourishes. It all fuses on "Know by Now," the sort of bittersweet up-tempo ballad at which Palmer excels. Later on he indulges in some empty hard-rock posturing abetted by Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt. But at least Palmer steers clear of the stuffy piano-lounge standards that have marred so many of his recent releases."
In a retrospective review, Leslie Mathew of AllMusic said: "...Palmer himself sounds as inhumanly suave as ever, though much of the material is a prescription for déjà vu. Ironically, given its title, this album is much more hard-edged than Heavy Nova and Riptide. Highlights include "Know By Now," a tasty mid-paced rocker, and "Nobody But You," a twitchy, coiled funk ditty. Honey has its moments, and plenty to spare, but it also occasionally gives the impression of a man who's trying too hard."
Personnel
Robert Palmer – vocals, arrangements
Alan Mansfield – keyboards, soprano saxophone
Nuno Bettencourt – guitars
Gary Butcher – guitars
Saverio Porciello – guitars
Frank Blair – bass
Andy Duncan – drums, percussion
Mauro Spina – drums, percussion
Dony Wynn – drums
Jose Rossy – percussion
Demo Morselli – trumpet, flugelhorn
Sharon O'Neill – additional vocals
Production
Robert Palmer – producer
Stephen Hague – producer, remix (tracks 4, 6, 8)
Teo Macero – additional production
David Harper – executive producer
Richard Coble – production coordinator
Pino "Pinaxa" Pischetola – recording, mixing
Chris Lord-Alge – remix (track 3)
Mike "Spike" Drake – remix (tracks 4, 6, 8)
Antonio Baglio – mastering
Recorded and Mixed at Logic Studios (Milan, Italy).
Mastered at Profile Studio (Milan, Italy)
