Raising Sand
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Free Music Notes for Raising Sand
Free Music Review: possibly best album of 2007
Hit: 5 Stars
I was never a Zeppelin fan. I grew up on funk and R&B. I always had to fight with my rock friends defending Prince and many of the other artists I listened to. In the end, given how lame R&B has become in general, they seem to have won (though there are a few good artists still kicking around). When i was in high school I never imagined I'd listen to something with Robert Plant on it over the latest Prince disc, but here it is. Actually I was won over by his last release "Mighty Rearranger". Allison Krauss has produced many bands and cds I really like. I had not listened to her so much as she tends to far towards bluegrass, which is not my thing generally speaking. However, along with T Bone Burnette these three have crafted the most haunting and listen-able cd of the year. I love the soundtrack quality it has, occasionally breaking out a true rocker then dropping back into a lazy shuffle. It is hard to find "albums" anymore, where artists consider the whole feel of the project versus a "single" mentality - but here you have it. For those looking to pigeonhole the music , you're going to be out of luck because it seamlessly blends so many styles. For those looking for the rebirth of Zep or straight Union Station - look elsewhere. This really is for people who just enjoy good music and are not beholden to the idea of what an their favorite artist should or should not do. Both Plant and Krauss now have my loyalty for shedding fans expectations and creating a masterful and timeless body of work.Free Music Review: I love it
Hit: 5 Stars
I've had this album from the day it was available and I love it. My background is that I've never heard of Alison Krauss before this release but have been a huge Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant solo fan over the years. I see from many of the negative reviews in here, respective Plant fans and Krauss fans wanting what these artists are famous for in the past. I don't know much about Alison, but Robert experiments with many genres. He did this from the late 1960's. No two albums from Led Zeppelin 1 to Raising Sand sound like any of his others. I'm not surprised he did this one at all. If you like their past efforts, play their old albums.
As for this one, I let go of the past and took it as if the artists were new with a debut album. I find the choice of songs to be awesome and mostly mellow. I find their voices very complimentary of eachother. I find a great synergy. Collaboration, not competition. There is a sparse, appropriate mix. I find the album, as a whole, a great listen from end to end. I find this a breath of fresh air. An incredible album. Alison's voice is amazing. What the producer was able to pull off is incredible. I hope that they collaborate again and tour.
I'm sure Zeppelin fans see Plant's enthusiasm with this as a threat to a full on Zeppelin reunion. I always want that. But frankly, he likes to think forward and on new things. We've seen this over the years and should expect this behavior to continue.
Free Music Review: Everything You Wanted it to Be!
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been waiting on this disc. I mean really waiting, like marking off the days on a calendar waiting. We don't have to go over the basics, how Plant and Krauss are gifts from the VOCAL GODS!! But what surprises me about this disc is how understated it all is. The music is the winner here -- well, the listener is.
The opening song "Rich Woman" with its elastic bass line and krauss almost purring into an oft-kilter bluesy tone is pure magic, but its also eerie as all get out. But so is most of this disc. It's almost as if Burnett turned up the gothic horror to a Tim Burton soundtrack and planted it down in the South.
Clark's "Through the Morning, Through the Night," gets more than an honest reading, the harmony between the two bleeds into one soft cushion that hugs the melody. And is honest and bitterly romantic. Wait's "Trampled Rose" gets another great reading, with Krauss howling just above a thumping beat. "Killing The Blues" gives Plants voice such softness and lilt that for some reason it reminds me of vintage Righteous Brothers.
The disc is excellent, and so far is my running for album of the year. They have taped an episode for CMT Crossroads and they have both stated that they are more than willing to work with each other again. And I will be marking off those days as well on my calendar. A gem of an album from two amazing singers with extremely rare gifts.
Free Music Review: Raising Sand raises the bar for collaborative work
Hit: 5 Stars
A self-named "Led Head" friend of mine told me about this CD. His thoughts were that the world as we knew it was coming to end when Robert Plant joined up with a 'country musician'. Having somewhat more eclectic tastes--I didn't think so.
What a treat to open the CD and hear "Rich Woman" on Halloween. A.D.D's headliner review gives the best description of the Southern Gothic 'feel'.
Another particularly eerie song is "Fortune Teller," where Plant sings the tale of a young man who goes to a fortune teller and discovers that he will fall in love with the first woman he sees--which turns out to be the Fortune Teller herself--now he's happy as can be and he gets his fortune told for free. (Yup, corny as KS--but the sound is very cool!)
For the most part, the music will probably suit Alison Krauss fans more than Plant's, but Plant's fans need to listen--just to hear how strong the man can be on soft music.
The best of any profession are the people who raise the bar for the rest. The test of a great collaborative work is -- is the whole better than the sum of its parts? Plant, Krauss, and Burnett started out at the top of their respective forms, but this CD is truly a masterwork among their individual collections, too. "Raising Sand" is going to open the door for a long more mind-bending work.
Free Music Review: A brilliant surprise
Hit: 5 Stars
Okay, so you knew Robert Plant was unnaturally talented, and you knew Alison Krauss was unnaturally talented, but the two of them together? What an odd pairing. But it turns out this is the best "what the heck" duo since chocolate and peanut butter.
Listen to it for the first time with your earphones on so you can hear every layer of the instrumentation which perfectly sets the stage for the feel of each song's personality, be filled with each impeccable harmony with these voices which sound like they were made to sing together, like Fred & Ginger circling each other in perfect mirror image and complementation. It's astonishing. They've covered everything from the folksy stuff Alison Krauss usually handles, to the trippy otherworldly vibe you'd get from Led Zeppelin, to flat-out stompin' blues and haunting melodies and things you'd never expect from either of them, but which they carry off so flawlessly you'd think they'd been doing this every day of their lives.
But no album is perfect, right? There's always a clunker somewhere. Ah, but there is no clunker on this thing. Each track grabs you in its own way, worms its way into your brain and your heart, forces you to respect its power and love its sound. How can you not embrace an album like that? If you like either one of these artists's music, then this will be a purchase you sure won't regret.