Raising Sand
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Free Music Notes for Raising Sand
Free Music Review: Mostly easy to repeat, but thank God for the skip button ...
Hit: 5 Stars
I first learned of this strange combo via a poster as I walked into a bookstore. Odd, I thought, but so intriguingly NEW. An hour later, I heard this CD played on the store's sound system, and I got hooked without even knowing it at first. But then the song (my favorite here) "Please Read The Letter" got inside my head and I just had to buy this. Finally, FINALLY, something completely different. And mostly enchanting.
My faves, other than "Letter", are "Killing The Blues", "Stick With Me Baby", and "Your Long Journey". Shawn Colvin had done such a fabulous take on "Blues" that I thought she could not be outdone. And she isn't, but this version is certainly a contender and very originally redone.
There is so much diversity here, not just in vocals/harmonies, but also with the instruments, arrangement, and selection of lyrics. This CD has a bit of Mel Tillis, The Everly Brothers, T Bone Burnett, Tom Waits, Townes Van Zandt, and the joint influence of Tennesse and L.A. sound studios. And I haven't even mentioned Krauss and Plant yet!!
The instrumentation has a somewhat spooky cast to it, and is truely an original sound. There is pedal steel, lots of acoustic strings, banjo, toy piano, dobro, and of course the namesake's intoxicating fiddle. At times you even get hints of Celtic didgeridoo. And just when you think you've got it all pegged and labeled, along comes "Sister Rosetta" sounding for all the world like something that should be from a soundtrack like "Fiddler On The Roof".
The vocals are crisp and haunting, bluesy smooth, funky at times, and the epitome of Leather And Lace. Plant does not go all-out Led Zepp, but he does supply the occasional hint of his former vocal trademark. And Krauss similarly showcases her soprano range, without being too too bluegrassy.
But now for why I titled this review as I did. There are times on previous Krauss CDs where her high - REALLY HIGH - notes just make my ears want to fold up and die, and there is one song ("Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson") on this CD where I have to hit the skip button because of her pitch. Finally, there is just one other song (the Everly's "Gone Gone Gone") where the vocal combo just does not work for me, and I just have to skip away from the almost harsh chorus. However, all is balanced out by my constant repeating of "Please Read The Letter", which still knocks my Wigwams off despite being played fifty times since I first heard it. Jimmy Page is one of the writers of "Letter", further evidence of how surprising this compilation is and how very, very new the sound is.
This is great stuff for bored earbuds, and even if you do not share my favorites, I am pretty sure you will find your own personal dud(s) on this album. But both the favorites AND the duds are worth the price of admission to this ethereal but earthy escape from today's uniform and predictable music.
Free Music Review: New Direction
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a CD I never would have thought to purchase were it not for Robert Plant's involvement. Sonically, this album is an offshoot of Plant's early "Strange Sensation" musical exploration. Plant has had a fascination with a wide variety of music over his entire career, and even the Zeppelin years featured exploration into blues, country, and rockabilly for inspiration. In teaming with a country star, Plant has stepped outside of the box and isn't just looking to these musical roots for inspiration, but has actually teamed with creative people in this genre. The result is an album that is true to its intentions and the musical statement the artists involved wanted to make. There is a variety of different songs linked by a similar musical feel. But having said that, the listeners' tastes will be the determining factor on whether they see it as good or bad. This album doesn't sound like Led Zeppelin, so if those are the expectations the listener brings, they may be disappointed. The musical variety runs from rockabilly to bluegrass to Dolly Parton-esque country. I liked a lot of the songs on the album, but not all of them. I think that Plant and Krauss were a good pairing, and Burnette's production complimented the talents of all the musicians involved.
Plant and Krauss are both artists with well-established careers. Neither of them is a washed up talent looking to hitch their wagon to a rising star. Robert Plant has not chosen to rest on his laurels, but has continually pushed the boundaries of musical exploration, with varying degrees of success, in the nearly three decades since the end of Led Zeppelin. Krauss' career has been steadily successful and her choice to team up with an established artist of such eclectic tastes is obviously an artistic choice and not primarily commercial. (Although teaming with the front man for the largest selling rock and roll band in the history of music wouldn't seem like a waste of time, either). Far from burned-out, Robert Plant's career seems to be at a jumping off point to several paths of commercial success. He is still able to infuse excitement into his seventies-era Zeppelin work while simultaneously exploring musical avenues in an entirely new genre. If his only intention was to rake in millions, jumping on a Led Zeppelin reunion tour was an easy path to further riches. So, I find it interesting that he's achieving acclaim and success with a project so far removed from his Zeppelin work. Commercial success isn't always a testimony to an artist's skill or talent, but in this case, I think it does speak to the quality of Robert Plant's ongoing musical contributions that "Raising Sand" is receiving accolades in so many different categories.
I would highly recommend this CD as an engaging diversion from current pop trends.
Free Music Review: A truly magical collaboration
Hit: 5 Stars
I won't say a great deal here because there have already been so many people weigh in on this album. I have to say that I'm shocked that it has only a 4 of 5 star overall rating. Who would give this less than 5 stars? It baffles me.
Like many people, I wouldn't have imagined teaming Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. I loved Led Zeppelin, but I would never have put Robert Plant as a vocalist in the same class as Alison Krauss, who possesses a voice of almost inconceivable beauty. I definitely underestimated Plant's intelligence and versatility as a singer. I think "intelligence" is the key here. Both Plant and Krauss are very smart singers and they both understand everything they need to do to work perfectly with one another. A lot of the credit unquestionably has to go to producer T-Bone Burnett. In fact, more than a Plant and Krauss album, this sounds like a T-Bone Burnett album.
To be honest, I haven't liked all that much that Plant has done since Led Zep disbanded after John Bonham's tragic death. And while I think Alison Krauss's voice one of the great wonders of the universe, all of her albums that I'm listened to have been pretty weak. Tellingly, the only one of her albums that I consider really great is a compilation, NOW THAT I HAVE FOUND YOU. Because she is not an accomplished songwriter, she has to depend on finding great material written by others. Not excluding that compilation album, this is the best thing that Alison Krauss has ever done and it is the best thing that Plant has done since his band broke up.
For my money the best song on the album is the almost impossibly gorgeous "Killing the Blues," the second cut on the album, which unfortunately has already been abused as the soundtrack for some commercial. But yeah, it is that enticing. But the album is filled with brilliant song selections. Again, I suspect that Mr. Burnett had a huge hand to play in all that. Even so, I was really taken aback when the third song, "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us," written by Burnett's former wife Sam Phillips. For a second I thought Phillips was singing. She has a voice the equal of Krauss's, though it has a stronger nasal quality.
If I have a problem with the album -- though to be honest, I don't -- it is that it has no edges. Everything is so smooth, no rough spots. Even in the one spot where Plant is allowed to wail for a bit -- and it is a very short bit indeed -- he quickly brings his voice back to earth. In other words, when is mellow too mellow? Still, this is nitpicking. This is an album I have listened to repeatedly and with great delight.
Free Music Review: Astounding in so many ways...
Hit: 5 Stars
I'll admit it...when I first heard about Robert Plant and Alison Krauss collaborating...I thought...surely you must be kidding. Yes...I know art and music are not supposed to go in "boxes"...but even the most open minded music fan had to find this combo a bit unlikely. However, after several days of listening I am convinced I am listening to a truly classic work that will be talked about for years to come.
T Bone Burnett's production leaves plenty of room for the vocals to shine. The instrumentation is very lean but manages to set the mood perfectly for each song. His mix of vintage and modern recording techniques creates tracks that are at once familiar, yet defy direct comparison. Perhaps even more impressive is his song selection. Burnett's chosen tracks go back decades in many cases and are often most beautiful in their simplicity. It adds to sense that this brilliant record could have been produced this year...or 50 years ago...with the same stunning result.
Alison Krauss is outstanding as always. As a big AKUS fan, I was happy to hear her explore some new ranges but also bring the sweet, airy bluegrass voice I know and love. To say she sings like an angel still doesn't describe how amazing her voice is in its ability to be soft, vulnerable, dynamic, and effortlessly controlled at the same time. To hear Alison Krauss sing is to be blessed.
However, having said all that, my highest admiration in this project is for Robert Plant. I would have never imagined he could cover the range of material found on `Raising Sand'...but he does...and does it well. The edge is still there when needed but more impressive to me is the depth and sincerity that comes through in a stone cold country song like `Through the Morning, Through the Night' and the traditional bluegrass gospel track `Your Long Journey'. There is not one moment of artificial twang or ever a sense that Robert is out of his element. The tone is one of a man who has found his new muse and it fits him just fine.
If the purpose of art is to stir the emotions, then Raising Sand is art of the highest caliber. From melancholy to hopeful and points in between, it moves you without seeming contrived to do so. If you don't get occasional goose bumps while listening, you may need to check your pulse. This unusual and wonderful collaboration leads me to predict that next year you will see the lead singer of Led Zeppelin and the angel of bluegrass cross the stage at the CMA to pick up country music album of the year. (Now be honest...did you ever think you would see that in print???)
Free Music Review: The Album of the Year Treads New Ground
Hit: 5 Stars
Question: Who is more hard-headed: A Led-Head or a Dyed-in-the-wool bluegrass purist? There is no more an answer to that question than there is to the question: "Why would collaboration between the Lead Vocalist of Led Zeppelin and the Queen of Bluegrass win SIX Grammies, including record of the year and album of the year?"
The answer to that question lies in a musical no-man's land where instrumentation is stripped down to the marrow and Plant's raspy vocals are paired with Krauss' crystalline soprano.
As certainly as there were rockers who said "Robert has recorded an album with.... a... COUNTRY chick????" there were also bluegrass pickers who took a listen and said "THAT ain't Bluegrass!" - which is important to them because there is no other music worth a hoot in the world.
Plant and Krauss BOTH took leaps of immense artistic faith and it was very satisfying for me last night to watch them haul off a truckload of Grammies, including the holy grails. Producer T-Bone Burnett (what would you give for a name like "T-Bone"?) sheparded this project, envisioning a meeting of two musical icons from disparate backgrounds who could create music greater than the sum of the parts. If you're running a Cadillac and a Rolls in a show, there's not really a need to gild the lily, is there? Burnett helped them choose songs from a variety of backgrounds and eras and mold them into a common theme even though they were all walking across untrod territory.
The album would be worth having if only for the four songs that individually won Grammies:
Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)- Best Pop Collaboration last year, released as a single in time for the 2008 Grammies, but prior to the album being released.
Please Read the Letter - Record of the year
Rich Woman - Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Killing the Blues - Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
In addition to the top "Album of the Year" it also was voted Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album.
So - which is it? Obviously not rock or bluegrass. It would be a stretch to compare it to Country or Pop. Americana is the "catch-all" category that has replaced what used to be called "Folk" music.
The key to the album is exactly the reason they must have thought it would work in the first place - one of the most powerful voices in Rock history with one of the sweetest voices wrapped silkily around his harrowing, howling vocals. The music creeps up on you, but once it has a grip on you, it keeps grabbin'. There's meat on those bones.