541: SNEAKIN' SALLY THROUGH THE ALLEY | ROBERT PALMER

Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley is the debut solo album by Robert Palmer, released in 1974 by Island Records. It was his first effort after three album releases co-fronting the band Vinegar Joe, which disbanded in 1974. The album features Palmer’s soulful vocals and eclectic musical influences, ranging from R&B, funk, blues, rock, and reggae. The album is backed by some of the finest musicians of the time, including The Meters, Lowell George of Little Feat, Steve Winwood, and Richard Tee.

The album consists of eight tracks, four of which are original compositions by Palmer, and four of which are covers of songs by other artists. The title track was originally sung by Lee Dorsey on his 1971 album Yes We Can, and was written by Allen Toussaint, who also wrote “From a Whisper to a Scream”, which Palmer covered on his album. “Sailin’ Shoes” was written and performed by Lowell George on Little Feat’s 1972 album of the same name. The album also includes Palmer’s own songs, such as “Hey Julia”, “Get Outside”, “Blackmail”, and “Through It All There’s You”. The album showcases Palmer’s versatility and talent as a singer and songwriter, as well as his ability to blend different genres and styles into a cohesive and distinctive sound.

The album received positive reviews from critics, who praised Palmer’s voice, charisma, and musical choices. Bruce Eder of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars and wrote that “Palmer sounds amazingly comfortable singing this type of material – he pulls off the blue-eyed soul artist role so convincingly that it’s easy to forget he’s a white British singer” Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave the album an A- rating and wrote that “Palmer has a voice that’s both soulful and precise – he can sing like a white man without sounding like a white man trying to sing like a black man” The album was also a moderate commercial success, peaking at number 107 on the US Billboard 200 chart. However, it did not chart in the UK, where Palmer was less known at the time.

The album is widely regarded as one of Palmer’s best and most influential works, and as a classic of blue-eyed soul and New Orleans soul genres. It has been included in several lists of the greatest albums of all time, such as Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (number 489 in 2020), Mojo’s The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion (fourth edition), and Tom Moon’s 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. The album also inspired many musicians who followed Palmer’s example of combining soulful vocals with diverse musical influences, such as David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Huey Lewis, Rick Astley, and Jamiroquai.