Robert Palmer: Best of Both Worlds

The Robert Palmer Anthology (1974-2001)

This 2002 Palmer compilation includes the track "Simply Irresistible" from 1988s Heavy Nova, with Rick Danko on vocals and Garth Hudson on accordion and keyboards.

There are usually thought to be two phases to Robert Palmer's career: an earlier one running from 1974 to 1983, when he explored New Orleans second-line funk and reggae, backed by members of Little Feat and the Meters and turned out a series of critically acclaimed, modestly successful recordings, and a later one, from 1985 on, when he rode his good looks, some high-fashion videos, and some simplistic hard rock/pop to a series of big hits on his own and with the Power Station. This two-CD set responds to that view by devoting its first disc to the earlier phase and its second disc to the later one. Palmer switched record companies along the way, too, but Hip-O is known for its willingness to license material from other labels, and 15 of the 20 tracks on the second disc come from outside the Universal archives. Along the way, all of the singer's U.S. Top 40 hits are included, though the collection was assembled with Palmer's input, which leads to alterations from the original recordings that fans might not be entirely pleased with. For a couple of earlier compilations, Addictions, Vols. 1 and 2, he used remixes of many of his well-known recordings, and those remixes have been retained here. He has also chosen to present three favorites -- "Johnny and Mary," "Riptide," and "Looking for Clues" -- as 2001 live performances rather than in their original studio recordings. Still, the selection is well-considered. The first disc is a good summation of Palmer's first eight Island albums, and the second disc demonstrates that not all of the second half of his career sounded like "Addicted to Love," that, actually, it was far more varied than the first half. There have been several Palmer compilations, but this one is the most comprehensive yet assembled. -- William Ruhlmann, All-Music Guide

Tracks

1. Sailin' Shoes (George)
2. Hey Julia (Palmer)
3. Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley [Remix] (Toussaint)
4. How Much Fun (Palmer)
5. Give Me an Inch (Palmer)
6. Pressure Drop (Hibbert)
7. Trouble (George)
8. Which of Us Is the Fool (Palmer)
9. Spanish Moon (George)
10. Man Smart (Woman Smarter) (Kleiber)
11. Some People Can Do What They Like (Palmer)
12. You're Gonna Get What's Coming [Remix] (Palmer)
13. Every Kinda People [Remix] (Fraser)
14. Best of Both Worlds (Palmer)
15. Bad Case of Lovin' You (Doctor, Doctor) [Remix] (Martin)
16. Jealous (Allen)
17. Can We Still Be Friends? [Remix] (Rundgren)
18. I Dream of Wires (Numan)
19. Not a Second Time (Lennon/McCartney)
20. Some Guys Have All the Luck (Fortang)
21. Pride (Palmer)
22. What Do You Care [live] (Palmer)
23. You Are in My System [Remix] (Frank/Murphy)
24. Some Like It Hot (Palmer/Taylor/Taylor)
25. Get It On (Bang a Gong) (Bolan)
26. Addicted to Love [Remix] (Palmer)
27. Hyperactive (Haynes/Nelson/Palmer)
28. I Didn't Mean to Turn You On (Harris/Lewis)
29. Sweet Lies (Blair/Palmer/Wynn)
30. She Makes My Day (Palmer)
31. Early in the Morning (Simmons/Taylor/Wilson)
32. Simply Irresistible (Palmer)
33. You're Amazing [Remix/Edit] (Fellows/Mansfield/Palmer/Pratt/Stevens)
34. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight performed by Palmer / UB40
35. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (Gaye/Ross/Ware)
36. Want You More (Palmer)
37. Know by Now (Palmer)
38. Stone Cold (Palmer)
39. Milkcow's Calf Blues (Johnson)
40. Johnny and Mary [live] (Palmer)
41. Riptide [live] (Donaldson/Kahn)
42. Looking for Clues [live] (Palmer)