Pride Robert Palmer Artist

{|Pride|} certainly isn't {|Robert Palmer|}'s finest hour due to a number of uncharacteristically weak tracks, but it's interesting enough in spurts, thanks to {|Palmer|}'s eclectic nature. More than anything, the album works as an uneven middle ground between the crisp lo-fi electronics of {|Clues|} and the moody {|rock|} of {|Riptide|}. Perhaps here more than on his previous albums, the strong songs are forced to carry the weight of some lesser efforts. But the standout tracks are quite good: the invigorating and thoroughly catchy {|Pride|} shows an obvious Bahamian influence with its steel drums and unusual syncopation; {|Deadline,|} a clear sequel to {|Looking for Clues,|} is just as catchy and fun; {|It's Not Difficult|} and {|Say You Will|} mine {|Gary Numan|} and {|Thomas Dolby|} territory, and both are fitted with addictive vocal passages. {|Palmer|} stumbles somewhat as producer, too often offering up cheesy synth horns and failing to end songs in a satisfying way. Too many of the songs simply stop on a dime, and others fade out randomly, giving the impression they've been edited for the airwaves or that they're demos. Unlike most {|Palmer|} albums, {|Pride|} features some true stinkers: {|Dance for Me|} struggles awkwardly to be sexy; {|The Silver Gun|} makes no sense with its film score lite effects and {|Palmer|} singing in Urdu. Elsewhere, songs straddle brilliance and mediocrity. An example is the {|Kool & the Gang|} cover, {|You Can Have It (Take My Heart),|} which fails despite {|Palmer|}'s wonderfully droll delivery, because it's desperately underproduced and lacking punch. {|What You Waiting For|} is a near-classic, with a great off-kilter chorus, but somehow the song meanders into second-rate status. {|Pride|} is essential only for {|Palmer|} fanatics. Others can stick to the genius of {|Clues|}, an album that covers nearly all the bases of {|Pride|} and trumps it resoundingly. [{|Pride|} was remastered and re-released in 2012.] ~ Tim DiGravina