Robert Palmer: Clues (1980)

Clues has always struck me as the record in which Palmer shifted from blued-eyed soul to new wave. He even added synthesizers. There were two big hits on this LP: Looking for Clues and the Johnny and Mary. The real surprise for me is the cover of Gary Numan's I Dream of Wires, which features Numan himself on keyboards.

Sadly, the record is only thirty minutes in length. Despite that, I rank it in my top three Palmer records.

Robert Palmer: Secrets (1979)

Secrets was the first Robert Palmer record I ever owned. I picked it up because I liked the lead-off single, Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor Doctor), a tune he did not write. I discovered that there were far better tracks on the record. I sold my copy at a lawn sale one year ages ago (along with a number of Robert Palmer 12" singles), when I decided to divest myself of some records. Later, I found a mintish copy in a dollar bin somewhere and decided to bring it back into my collection.

My favourite track on this record is What's it Take?, a Palmer original. There's some great rhythm and percussion in that tune. I also love Jealous. I think there are better Palmer records, but this is not too bad.

Robert Palmer: Double Fun (1978)

Robert looks he is living every man's dream on the cover of this LP. He died young, at age 54. That was sad, but that's what heavy smoking does to a body.

I think there are three cover versions on this record. I have no idea what inspired Palmer to do a rendition of the Kinks' You Really Got Me. That's a total fail, in my books.

I like this record. 

Robert Palmer: Some People Can Do What They Like (1976)

I don't know if Robert had a reputation as a player, but one just gets the sense that he was. Following that great cover image for Pressure Drop, he appears here with Playboy's Playmate of the month for April 1976. They are playing strip poker. That's a win-win, if you ask me. It looked like he was having a good time all of the time, but smoking too much.

Palmer wrote only two of these songs, plus he co-wrote another with his old pal from Vinegar Joe.

Robert Palmer: Pressure Drop (1975)

The adolescent boy in me simply loved this record jack, both front and especially back. After this record, Palmer moved to Nassau. I wish I had done that.

Again, Palmer wrote just over half of these tunes. On balance this is a really smooth and soulful record.

Robert Palmer: Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley (1974)

"The career of blue-eyed soul singer Robert Palmer was a study in style versus substance. While the performer's earliest work won praise for its skillful assimilation of rock, R&B, and reggae sounds, his records typically sold poorly, and he achieved his greatest notoriety as an impeccably dressed lounge lizard. By the mid-'80s, however, Palmer became a star, although his popularity owed less to the strength of his material than to his infamous music videos: taking their cue from the singer's suave presence, Palmer's clips established him as a dapper, suit-and-tie lady's man who performed his songs backed by a band comprised of leggy models, much to the delight of viewers who made him one of MTV's biggest success stories. " [source]

And so begins Allmusic's biography of the late Robert Palmer. I will have to dissent, for I have always loved Palmer's music, even when it reached its misogynistic fever pitch in the Addicted to Love and Simply Irresistible videos. Wikipedia's introduction is far more charitable: "He was known for his distinctive, soulful voice, eclectic mix of musical styles on his albums, combining soul, jazz, rock, pop, reggae, blues, and sartorial acumen." [source] 

I first heard Palmer singing Bad Case of Loving (Doctor Doctor) -- one of a number of songs he recorded but didn't write -- on the radio in my dad's car, I think. But, that song was from a later record. He wrote just over half of the songs on Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley, and he did a fabulous job in arranging.

Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley begins with a excellent trio of tunes that all run seamlessly together and introduce a really funky and soulful album. I find it a shame that most people know him for Addicted to Love. I'm willing to bet, also, that most people are unfamiliar with his work with Vinegar Joe, with whom he made two records in 1971 and 1972.

I have a Canadian pressing of this record.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark [OMD]: Architecture & Morality, the Singles (2021)

This was a difficult cover to photograph. It's like taking a photo of a mirror. sadly the cover material seems a bit weak, and it had bruised corners and some creases on the back when it arrived in the mail from the UK. This one, I think, was sold only from the band's shop. 

The cover spells out the band name name with the conjoined oe (œ) like, Manœuvres. I am not sure if this has opened before. I suppose I should really go have a look.

From superdeluxeedition.com

"To mark the records’s 40th anniversary, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark will release the three singles from 1981’s Architecture & Morality together on one album, along with associated tracks: unreleased demos, studio sessions and live performances."

Some notes from Discogs: 

Format:
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Burgundy
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Red
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Purple

Issued in a tri-fold gatefold sleeve with inner sleeves matching the original release artwork. Disc 1 is burgundy. Disc 2 is red. Disc 3 is purple.
Limited edition of 2000 copies

The tracks are:

Souvenir
Motion & Heart (Amazon Version)
Sacred Heart
Souvenir (Demo)
Choir Song (Rough Mix)
Motion & Heart (Live at Drury Lane, 1981)
Joan Of Arc
The Romance Of The Telescope (Unfinished)
Joan Of Arc (Live at Drury Lane, 1981)
Joan Of Arc (Rough Mix)
New Song (Georgia Demo)
She’s Leaving (Demo)
Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)
Navigation
Sealand (Demo)
Submarines
Maid of Orleans (Demo)
Joan Of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (Live at Drury Lane, 1981)

This sounds familiar, yet different:

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark/OMD: Souvenir, the Sigles Collection, 1979 - 2019 (2019)

This triple LP release compiles OMD's forty singles from 1979 - 2019. From a Discogs comment:

"Completists take note and rejoice! Track 3, Messages, is the (relatively) rare 7" remix, and not the Lp version. It is a short version of the 10" remix that appears almost everywhere else. This is the first time that this version of this track has appeared on cd, I believe."

While the vinyl set contains one new track (Don't Go), the deluxe CD box set has a lot more material, including a bunch of unreleased tracks. This is a cool compilation.

OMD [Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]: Live With The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (2018)

The triple LP version was released on clear vinyl and includes tunes recorded in Liverpool on October 6th and 7th, 2018. Some of the reviews were harsh, but, overall, I alike this effort. Stanlow is a triumph on its own, though the audience ruined the end of the track by breaking into applause way too soon.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: What Have we Done (2017)

Of course, the title should really be What Have We Done? What happened to proper punctuation? The three tracks on this 12" are:

What Have We Done (12" Extended Mix)
HAHAHA
What Have We Done (Single Version)

This is a good track. It makes me wish that Paul would sing more.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: The Punishment Of Luxury (2017)

This 12"single contains the following:

The Punishment Of Luxury (12" Extended Mix)
Lampe Licht
The Punishment Of Luxury (Single Version)

This release was limited to 1000 copies. There are currently copies for sale on Discogs, starting at about $41.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark [OMD]: The Punishment Of Luxury (2017)

Allmusic awards this record 3.5 stars, which I think is too parsimonious. It's far better than that, even if simply because of Isotype, which is a great single. I think the previous two records were better, but this is pretty darn good.