Robert Palmer
"Heavy Nov"
© EMI Manhattan
August 13 - 19, 2023
Year of Release: 1998
Rating:
Simply Irresistible
More Than Ever
Change His Ways
Disturbing Behavior
Early In The Morning
It Could Happen To You
She Makes My Day
Between Us
Casting A Spell
Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming
See how this album ranks...
The Complete WSVNRadio Album Archive
History List
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
|
Robert Palmer is credited in having the very FIRST album chosen - Some People Can Do What They Like. This first album was
chosen on Sunday, May 3, 1987. Decades later, he returns this week, with Heavy Nova. It took him that long for his second album
on our site, and it certainly will not be the last. Robert Palmer was an incredible, soulful singer. Unfortunately, he passed away in
in 2003, at the very young age of 54 (heart attack).
Heavy Nova was the follow-up to Riptide, which featured a song that really made him more popular than he ever was -
"Addicted To Love." That song reached #1, and the video for it was outstanding. Heavy Nova achieved two hits: "Simply
Irristible," and "Early In The Morning." Although he would have other well-known hits prior to Riptide, "Addicted
To Love" put him on the map, and for those who weren't really familiar with his music, his older material become popular also, with
songs such as "Bad Case Of Loving You" and "Clues," to mention a few.
"Simply Irresistible" opens the album, and again, it was a huge hit. "More Than Ever" has the sound of another band that
Palmer would be a part of - the supergroup The Power Station (which featured members of Duran Duran - Andy Taylor and John Taylor). "Change
His Ways" has a slight reggae feel to it, and it's better than "More Than Ever." "Disturbing Behavior" is one of those great
groovin' songs that Palmer had recorded; it's another cool track. "Early In The Morning" was originally reorded by the funk group
The Gap Band. Palmer's version is just as exceptional as the original. Another song comes to mind, as I listen to this song, Bobby Brown's
"My Prerogative."
"It Could Happen To You" is quite different than any Robert Palmer song. It's has an old-fashioned Jazz style, and his vocals
has a different approach as well. In researching this song, it was recorded by 1940s artists such as Jo Stafford and Bing Crosby. This version
by Palmer works extremely well, and it would have been awesome if he had recorded an album of Big Band tracks and other songs from the 1940s
decade. "She Makes My Day" is another Pop-driven track, and it shows how he could practically record any song of any particular style.
(This song was written and produced by -- Robert Palmer. Six songs of the ten from this album were written by Palmer.) This Pop-styled song
could be compared to Paul McCartney; it's a song that the Beatles could have recorded, matching the Fab Four's later years - Sgt. Pepper
and afterwards.
"Between Us" is another upbeat, almost jazzy track. It also shows Palmer's soulful voice. In one word to describe - Smooth. It was
written by Palmer, and it's a song that other Jazz artists could record, such as Diana Krall. World Music describes the intro to the next track,
"Casting A Spell," and it continues onward, rocking out in sound, just as in "Simply Irresitible." Ending the album is another
Power Station sounding track, yet it's more soulful, is "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming," originally recorded by Jermaine Jackson (Michael's
brother).
There isn't one bad track on Robert Palmer's Heavy Nova. It has a wide range of musical genres, which makes this album even greater.
He wrote six of the ten tracks: "Simply Irresistible," (which got the parody treatment on
Paul Shanklin's Simply Reprehensible),
"More Than Ever," "Change His Ways," "Disturbing Behavior," "She Makes My Day," "Between Us," and "Casting A Spell." Robert Palmer
was truly an outstanding and talented singer. It's too bad that he left us way too soon; he could have easily recorded more albums.
His soulfulness is what truly stood out in his recordings. Heavy Nova will be enjoyed by all - the Robert Palmer fans, likewise those who
would discover his music for the first time. Heavy Nova is "heavy," all in good stride. He recorded five more studio albums after
Heavy Nova, yet there weren't any major hits from them. But still, I can imagine those remaining albums featured more of his great
soulful voice, and there were "hits" from those albums. Yet, they may not have been as popular as his songs mentioned in this review, but
I'm sure there were songs from those five that could easily have been added to Palmer's list of well-known and popular songs.
Robert Palmer 1949-2003 -- Thank you for your music. We patiently await your name to be added to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
© 2023 WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
EMI Manhattan
and is used for reference purposes only.
|
