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.
