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Rating: A decade after his premature passing, Robert Palmer's entire catalog has finally been reissued. For years, his records were only available in their original vinyl versions or in increasingly rare old budget reissues from Island. "Pride" is perhaps the least remembered album of an already little-known artist; released in 1983, it is an album of musical exploration following the previous "Clues," delving further into contemporary electronics but seasoning it with Caribbean and Arab flavors, giving it less conventional shades. You can start with the last track, the very unique "The Silver Gun", where Palmer sings in Urdu, an Indo-European language, over a very sophisticated and ethereal electronic melody which is enhanced by a precious sitar contribution. The beginning with the reggae and calypso-tinged "Pride" takes a jab at the video for Olivia Newton-John's "Physical", "Hey Olivia Newton John what you say?", and the hedonistic philosophy of the early '80s in general. "Deadline" and "Dance for Me" continue the electronic explorations with a Caribbean twist, and Palmer's soul-inspired voice emerges in "You're in My System" and "Say You Will". "It's Not Difficult" is a more '80s pop-oriented track with an easy-listening synthesizer pattern.
As happened with "Clues," the album didn't top the charts, it didn't even have a "Johnny and Mary" to appeal to the singles charts, and the only track to enter the top 40 was "You're in My System". This is not surprising because the album is hard to access with its artificial sounds dominated by synthesizers and electronic rhythms. At the time, critics didn't appreciate much this continuous search by Palmer and his predisposition to never identify with a well-defined genre, instead effortlessly spanning his musical tastes. After "Pride," it would be the turn of Power Station, and the return with "Riptide" in 1985 to more traditional sounds would bring Palmer to the conquest of MTV.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Pride (03:27)
You want her attention
Well you’ll have to wait
She’s in the gymnasium
Reducing weight
In shorts of a leotard
Despite her age
The girl’s gonna exercise
Your life away
Sister don’t you jog it all away
Sister don’t you run it all off
Sister don’t you jog it all away
Sister don’t you rough it all up
What an idea of fun
To get it on the run
I don’t know why you do
What has come over you?
The style in the discotheque
Is cheap and nice
Please tell Ms Fonda
To reduce her price
Anorexia nervosa mannequin
All this physicality
Will wear you thin
Hey Olivia Newton-John
What you say?
Hey Olivia Newton-John
What you say?
She used to yield like flesh
Now it’s all muscle
She used to yield like flesh
Now it’s all muscle
I don’t know why you do
What has come over you
What an idea of fun
To get it on the run
Rollerskates and vitamins and diet plans
Academic discipline will ruin your hands
We used to ride tandem and have lots of fun
But bicycles for exercise are made for one
05 You Are in My System (04:27)
Day by day and night by night
I feel you in my mind
It happens all the time
You know the day dreams stop
My heart beats on
I can't take it any more
It's you I live for
You are in my system
You are in my system
I just want you to know that,
You are in my system
You oooohhhh you're in my system, system
Don't you, Don't you, don't you know that, babe.
I will keep on pushing, pushing, pushing
Until I get through
My main objective baby is to get to you
To turn your mind around
I know will take time
But you know I can wait, now
You're on my mind
You are in my system
I just want you to know that,
You are in my system
Got me burning, I'm on fire
You, you're in my system
You're everything I need
You, oooohhhh, you're in my system, system
Don't you, Don't you, don't you know that, babe.
It's a romantic vision of me and you
It happens all the time
My dreams are filled with you
There's no doubt in my mind
That I'll be true baby
You know I'll take you out
And I'll keep lovin� you
Oh baby you are in my system,
I just want you to know that
You are in my system
Cut me right down to the wire
You, ooohh, you're in my system
Got me burning I'm on fire
You, you're in my system
Can't make believe
You, you're in my system
You're everything I need
You, Ooohh, you're in my system
I just want you to know that
You, you're my system
Got me burning I'm on fire
You, you're in my system
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