Raising Sand
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Free Music Notes for Raising Sand
Free Music Review: AFTER THE MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP
Hit: 5 Stars
I am not exactly a fan of bluegrass music, but I have developed an appreciation for the many talents of Ms. Alison Krauss. At times, I wondered what would happen if Krauss took a reprieve from the musical genres that have frequently been associated with her name just as Olivia Newton-John did when she made a career change during and after the production of the Grease movie soundtrack. Despite my attempts at imagination, I could not automatically foresee her joining up with someone from an entirely different musical universe and generation.
But it has happened! The pairing is with none other than the Led Zeppelin icon, Robert Plant. It was hard to fathom, at first, how they both could come to create a great sound. Now my reservations and questions have most effectively been dealt with. Raising Sand, the fruit of their cooperative efforts, is a triumph. All tracks are excellent, especially the highly energetic "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" and the wistful "Please Read the Letter"; the tunes are, in essence, equipped with amplifiers and great bass guitar in lieu of the dobro, an instrument which often characterized the nature of Krauss' performance numbers from earlier releases.
Krauss' voice remains smooth and angelic. Plant's is in fine shape and seems to remain so distinctive as it was during his early Led Zeppelin days. Put together, they managed to create great harmonies in these tunes. Raising Sand is a musical, vocal, and productional masterpiece.
Kudos to Krauss and Plant for such a daring undertaking of mixing together musical styles and histories that were and still are heterogeneous to say the very least. And let me say that this collaboration, though enigmatic at first, is a classic case of how a good start can lead up to a fabulous ending.
Free Music Review: Hauntingly Dark and Beautiful
Hit: 5 Stars
This record has probably sold millions of copies since its release just a few months ago, which usually raises a red flag for me (nothwithstanding Led Zeppelin themselves, Beck, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Neil Young, etc. serving as perfect examples of mainstream appeal simultaneous with critical acclaim).
The secret here is T Bone Burnett, who produced it and picked the songs, most of which are covers, and a couple of which are covers of Plant's and Krauss's own songs. Burnett just seems to have that Midas touch (be it Los Lobos, Peter Case, U2, or a long list of others he's been involved with). He also plays several instruments on most of the record, as does Marc Ribot (another amazing guitarist....just ask Tom Waits, Jim White, Dylan, Byrne, Lanois, Los Lobos....or look through some of your favorite CD booklets...chances are you'll find his name on several).
The record has a Jim White or maybe Lucinda Williams dark Appalachian Magical Realism feel about it. The recording is crystal clear, and song after song, the record just has a great feel about it. It alternates between Plant and Krauss taking the lead vocals. At other times, one might seem to take the lead, only for the other to take over, but throughout, their voices blend beautifully, creating a sensuously smoky effect.
After the big Led Zep reunion and show in London, Plant was asked whether Led Zep would be launching a bigger tour. He commented that he didn't know, since he'd like to tour with Alison Krauss.
Any Led Zeppelin fan would love to see them tour, especially in the wake of all the glowing reviews after the London show, but if they don't, this Led Zeppelin and alt country fan would be just as happy seeing Plant and Krauss in a smaller intimate venue.
Free Music Review: Opposites do attract
Hit: 5 Stars
You would think that two seemingly different artists like Robert Plant and Alison Krause would be a terrible match when it would come to making a an album together. Plant of course is a hard rock god, known for his powerful shriek from the days of Led Zeppelin, while Krause is known as a bluegrass fiddler and vocalist. This actually ends up being a great match because both are searching artists whose interest take them far outside their comfort zones. The results in RAISING SAND are far from what most would expect, with both excelling at exploring subtle touches on the ballads that dominate the album and flexing some impressive muscle on the tracks that are more upbeat.
The album is full of great songs, some featuring Plant, other Krause with a few where they share vocals such as the great opening song RICH WOMAN and KILLING THE BLUES. Krause shines on Tom Wait's TRAMPLED ROSE as well the banjo flecked SISTER ROSETTA GOES BEFORE US. Plant shows some muscle on the rockabilly GONE, GONE, GONE, Townes Van Zandt's NOTHING and PLEASE READ THE LETTER, which is co-written by Led Zep mate Jimmy Page.
Producer T-Bone Burnett has done a fine job of creating a lush backdrop for these songs mixing folk touches like banjos and Krause's great fiddle playing with some fine guitar playing throughout by Marc Ribot. This is an album that plays as a whole and sustains a solid mood throughout.
Fans of either artists work may find disappointment that this veers from their appointed genres, and others may find the pace a tad slow, but I find this a solid release and one of the best releases of 2007. While I am familiar with Led Zeppelin, this will make me explore more of Plant's solo work as well as dig deeper into Krause's work as well.
Free Music Review: Give this one a chance
Hit: 5 Stars
I don't write reviews (I actually don't think I have ever written one), but I love reading them. I just happened to click on the reviews for this album and actually laughed out loud to some of the lower rated reviews. I laughed because if I had written a review for this album a year and a half ago it would have read a lot like those critiques. I bought this album and was super-psyched about it because I am a huge Robert Plant fan. I listened to it a couple of times and, like many others, found it boring, depressing and simply just didn't get it. So, I put the disc away in a cabinet where it lived for about six months. It probably would have never seen the light of day again if the Raising Sand tour had not come near my hometown. But it did, and I knew this might be my only chance to actually see Robert Plant live so I bought tickets and dug the disc back out and gave it another shot. Boy, am I happy I did! The songs really are fantastic and just need to time to "grow on you". They are very subtle and lack the dramatic flair we might expect from these musicians and I feel there were some missed opportunities as far as that is concerned. With that said, I also feel drama wasn't their intent and they achieved exactly what they were aiming for. The only thing I can still find fault in is the sound quality of the album. I have read several reviews with this same complaint and I have to agree with them. All-in-all this is one of my all-time favorite albums, though. I don't know how I ever lived without Killing the Blues, Stick With Me Baby, Please Read the Letter, and Nothin'.
By the way, the Raising Sand tour was absolutely phenomenal and I am really hoping they release a live recording of this album! Don't miss it if they do!
Free Music Review: (Burnett + Plant + Krauss) >= (Plant) + (Krauss)
Hit: 5 Stars
While I appreciate both, I'm not Robert Plant's or Alison Krauss' biggest fan. I am a huge fan of T-Bone Burnett's production work, though, and I therefore expected great things from this album. I wasn't disappointed!
With the possible exception of the first track, every song here adds up to at least the sum of its parts--becoming a fresh take on a great song by an all-star cast. Burnett put his stamp on this album, to be sure, using great musicians like Marc Ribot, Jay Bellerose, and Patrick Warren who have served him well in the past, and successfully blending Plant and Krauss into his trademark sound (complete with the occasionally over-boomy drums, but that's a minor quibble). And I understand that he is largely responsible for selecting this batch of great songs that haven't already been covered to death by other artists. (My favorite is "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us", a new song from Burnett's ex-wife Leslie "Sam" Phillips.) But Plant and Krauss also contribute exceptional singing and playing, complimenting one another in a way I couldn't have predicted.
My favorite track, "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us", is one on which Plant is largely in the background (allowing Krauss' pure voice and sensitive fiddle playing to shine). But when Plant comes to the fore on "Fortune Teller" the results are equally impressive, turning what I've hitherto considered a novelty tune into something more. When the two share the spotlight on The Everly Brothers' "Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)", though, you have to wonder why it took so long to team them up!
For some reason, the title of this album made me expect a cover of Lee Hazelwood's "Sand". Other than its absence, though, the disappointments here are few indeed.