Never has so much been promised and so little delivered as in the case of Robert Palmer. Palmer defined his cleanshaven style quickly on his first solo LP, Sneaking Sally through the Alley: a reggae beat, some Allen Toussaint spinoffs, the garlicky handiwork of Little Feat and lots of string and horn gravy from Motown's Gene Page. Mix well, add pinstriped playboy panache, cook slowly, do not boil. Since he's rarely deviated from this recipe, the pickings have become far too predictable to provide much nourishment. Only Pressure Drop, Palmer's second record, served up a roughness and passion that confounded his ultracool image.

Double Fun is a crucial album in light of the commercial and musical disappointments of Palmer's previous outings. It boasts the catchy "Every Kinda People," a song with a nine-note hook and a lighthearted attempt at dealing with the power of love. And there's an Allen Toussaint composition, "Night People," that might sound better as an instrumental, perhaps performed by Herbie Hancock. At least, the tune paints a picture of irony, wit and heated desperation. Palmer also covers the Kinks' "You Really Got Me," a big mistake, as are the half a dozen love songs that simply obscure the excellent agility of the singer's band. "Where Can It Go?" would probably be terrific coming from a powerhouse trio like the Emotions. Mostly, though, the material here reflects a curious lack of resonance and relevance to either anomie or amour. It just seems hollow at the core.

That Robert Palmer still insists on bridging black music with a white audience, when black super-groups (e.g., Earth, Wind and Fire) are already beyond that, is a shame. He's less an avatar than an anachronism in this respect. Double Fun has shredded my cheerleader's pompons beyond repair; it simply doesn't cut it the way a man of Palmer's talent should. (RS 264)

SUSIN SHAPIRO