Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

[Diane]

Well I finally got through to register for the ballot for Led Zep tickets, but I'm not holding my breath.

Led Zep frontman Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have an album coming out on Oct. 23, Raising Sand. To me it sounds far more interesting than the Knopfler/ Harris colab., might give it a go. Listen to samples: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/recsradio/ra ... 31-4981207

[philo]

yes, i have....... a one in a zillion chance to get tickets. sigh

[Diane]

This is a wonderful album!! As listenable as hell, it is.

Polly Come Home:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AZXN0KHpvUg

What on paper looks mis-matched can often be utterly right. Raising Sand has to be one of the best ever examples of this. Most people would have bet on Plant’s ex-band mate, John Paul Jones, as being the one to have forged this big league bluegrasss pairing. After all he's worked with Chris Thile and Nickel Creek as well as Uncle Earl, and plays a mean mandolin himself. But no, it's the grizzled, leonine king of c*ck rock who gets to get up-close and personal with the Union Station legend. And thank goodness it was, because Raising Sand has to be one of the releases of the year.

The first thing you notice about Raising Sand is how the pair's vocals compliment each other. Krauss’ honey-sweet chords can be saccharine on her own work at times, but here she's balanced by the mature grain of Plant's almost whispered delivery. On Killing The Blues or Gene Clark’s "Polly Come Home" they nudge up against each other, buoyed up by Greg Leisz’s floating pedal steel. And this from a man reknowned for going ‘baybeeee, baybeee’. Phew...

The selection of songs proves to be just as inspired as the pairing. With material by the Everlys ("Gone, Gone Gone"), Townes van Zant ("Nothin’") and even one from Plant’s last collaboration with Jimmy Page ("Please Read The Letter" – completely improved from its original incarnation) it would be hard to go that wrong, but the best of an embarrassment of riches has to be Krauss’ rendition of Tom Waits "Trampled Rose". Spellbinding doesn’t even come close to describing this.

The album’s other main star has to be T Bone Burnett. His production adds a veneer of authenticity and his choice of musicians is spot on at every turn. Marc Ribot (guitar) along with Dennis Crouch, Mike Seeger, Jay Bellerose, Norman Blake, Greg Leisz, Patrick Warren, and Riley Baugus make this a stunning, dark, brooding collection, comparable in tone to Daniel Lanois' masterful job on Dylan's Time Out Of Mind. It captures a gothic southern vibe effortlessly.

Hearing Krauss emote so bluesily on tracks like "Rich Woman" is a revelation, while her coruscating fiddle on "Nothin'" is rawer than you’d ever expect to hear from such a pillar of the new bluegrasss community. Raising Sand is proof that even with such dynamite raw material sometimes things really do add up to far more than the sum of their parts. Superb, in every way…

Chris Jones (2007-10-22)

[Alan Alda]

There was a good interview with these two the other day on NPR. Here is the link. There is a "Listen" button toward the top of the page that will start the interview:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=15675741

cheers,
Laurie

[Diane]

Thanks, Laurie. I'm listening now. The interviewer says the album reminded her of The Everley Brothers when she first listened, and I had that thought, too. It def. has a 60's feel.

Plant has done a bit of experimenting since he left Zep, including some excellent solo work (for example, his version of Tim Buckley's Song to the Siren, 29 Palms, Darkness Darkness). The 2003 (?) solo compilation Sixty Six to Timbuktu is outstanding. He has a distinctive, emotive voice, which has matured very well. Krauss I know almost nothing about, but their voices meld beautifully. It's been a while since I have immediately taken to an album, so I'm relishing this one.

[Alan Alda]

Thanks for the recommendation (doesn't get much better than: relish) I half listened to the interview the other day and re-listened when I went digging for it.

I'm heading over to iTunes for instant gratification...

Yeah, Plant has an amazing voice. Best of luck in getting the Zep tickets!!

L

[Diane]

Enjoy. 'Tis very bluesy and laid-back. I didn't get a Zep ticket, but nevermind. The concert has been postponed cos Jimmy Page broke a finger. Blimey. He must have his fingers insured for £millions.

[Alan Alda]

I heard that about Page. What lousy timing.

Well, I had a listen to this cd. It defies a single genre. Bluegrass. Rock. Folk. Country. Extremely well put together and such an easy listen. I found myself more drawn to the pieces that starred Plant. I really adore his voice. Ketchup, mustard and relish...the whole cd is a keepah.

thx!
L

[Diane]

Still lovin' this album. Alison Krauss does a nice job with Trampled Rose. I appreciate a Tom Waits song at last: Margaret!

Nothin' (Townes Van Zandt) is sounding good, too. Never heard that before:

Being born is going blind
And bowing down a thousand times
To echoes strung on pure temptation

Sorrow and solitude
These are the precious things

Glad you like the album, Laurie, and I am glad to hear someone else say they love Plant's voice!

My fave track at the mo is Please Read the Letter, written with Jimmy Page. RP may be looking a bit old and grizzled, but he's def. still got the voice.

And this from a man reknowned for going ‘baybeeee, baybeee’. Phew...

Even if he only ever really did just 'go, baby baby' listen to the raw way he sings it, e.g. the bit from Babe I'm Gonna leave You, just after 3.45mins. Who needs poetry?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vSZcTs00ZGg

[Alan Alda]

Thanks for the link. It went down well with my morning coffee Yeah, he can work a word...
Even though he is looking a bit geological, I still think Plant is sexy as hell.

I don't have a fave. I was surprised yesterday morning when radio-channel flipping to hear, "gone,gone,gone" playing on our local commericial fm station that caters to the youngerfolk. This cd is gonna win all kinds of awards...I'm playing 'fortune teller' (haha)

Yesterday at iTunes, I pre-ordered Zep's "mothership" and at the same time qualified to be entered into a contest that would fly me to London for their concert. Wouldn't that be a hoot!?!
It could happen...

hihohiho
L

[Diane]

Don't you miss the album artwork and lyrics when you buy from itunes? Or is there the option of printing them out? Not sure I'll ever be ready to make the crossover to buying music online.

Yeah, what are a few extra contours on the fizzog when you are as sexy as Robert Plant? (Ditto Leonard Cohen). Oh that'd be cool as hell, winning tix to fly out from Alaska to London for the Led Zep reunion gig. Never can tell what fate has in store...

[Alan Alda]

Di~
Yeah. I Really do miss the liner notes, etc. Some provide them with the full album download and some don't. I learned the disparity last week when I realized that the last two albums I downloaded (I'm not there and Raising sand) did not give me the album literature...So I emailed Apple about it and was told some record companies don't make it part of the electronic package. I do know now to look for the little icon that shows me I will get the lit from iTunes along with the album...otherwise I am going to go 'hard copy.' I'm seriously thinking about grabbing a hardcopy of Raising Sand just for the paperwork.

cheers,
L

[Diane]

Ah, you do miss em . That was puzzling me. They are part of the 'getting to know you' experience with an album. The sleeve notes will have to be made available properly if we all eventually have to go for downloads. Raising Sand booklet has nice monochrome pix of Plant and Krauss, and the band. Simple n relaxed, like the music. Ha, I just read a review that says the album will confuse shelf stackers at HMV when they try to file it as a particular genre. Quite.

[Alan Alda]

Hey Thai-Di
===just when I thought we'd milked this one to dry...I just got an iTunes receipt and realized I didn't mention another reason (besides impatience) that I sometimes download from them instead of getting the hard-copy and that is: Bonus Tracks. Some albums come with exclusive tracks. Like the recent, "I'm Not There" (the Dylan movie soundtrack) has I think three bonus songs. Also, pretty recently there was the White Stripes, Icky Thump that had some enticing 'bonus' songs...I'm a sucker for them

cheers,
L

[Diane]

Laurie, I trust you will not reveal on here how you intially came to call me that nick . Maybe you are invoking it now cos of Robert Plant's song Tie Dye on the Highway. Anyhow, yes, I guess we could draw up a chart with advantages of buying a real cd on one side and advantages of downloading on t'other, and it'd be close. If I ever manage to drag myself out of the past, I think getting everything straight onto an ipod would be an excellent way to go. Unencumbered by all those piles of cds, we could all travel through life a little more lightly. Do I contradict myself ?

I must mention that one song from solo album Fate of Nations (and 66 to Timbuktu) is on replay right now - If I Were a Carpenter, the DH Lawrence, I mean Tim Hardin, song. Absolutely marvellous sung by Plant.

TD