Woke Up Laughing
Subtitled "Adventures in Tropical Music: 1977-1997,"Woke Up Laughingis a surprisingly listenable recycling of the smooth hitmaker's more worldly tracks. A lengthy sleeve interview details the diverse musical sources--ranging from Braziliansambaand lilting Nigerianjujuto hot Cubansonand Caribbeansoca--that inspired tunes excavated largely from B-sides, film scores, and alternate tracks. There's not a whole lot new here, but this one-time Caribbean resident at least seems to be in touch with his slick facility in a way that pop's other great white international borrowers--Paul Simon and David Byrne--would never cop to. The rhythms and vocal harmonies are so intricately constructed, you could almost imagine Palmer has something of substance to say. He doesn't. But glibness, at least in this case, is its own reward.--Richard Gehr