The Meters - Art Neville (keyboards), Leo Nocentelli (guitar), George Porter, Jr. (bass), and Joseph 'Zigaboo' Modeliste (drums) are back at the start of vinyl side two for How Much Fun, a glorious romp through the possibilities of carnal excess. There's a funky wah wah guitar intro to From A Whisper To A Scream, a sublime little package with Allen Toussaint written all over it.
Finally, there's the twelve minute workout that's Through It All There's You, which boasts another slinky groove from the New York rhythm section and a wonderfully laid-back feel. Great way to wrap up an album that should've put Palmer right up there with the best of the highly rated British R&B vocalists.
Unfortunately it didn't sell as well as it should've, and while its successors continued in much the same groove with many of the same elements (The Meters and Toussaint were notably absent) it was some time before Palmer got the recognition he deserved.
The follow-up album, Pressure Drop, was notable for introducing me to the works of Toots and The Maytals (thanks to the title track) and the presence of Little Feat and Motown bassist James Jamerson. My copy of that one seems to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and long term lack of a turntable has meant that it's been years since I heard Secrets or Clues.
That’s an issue that needs to be addressed.