Melcórë Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 You know, I'd have to guess that Steve isn't a fan of the new album. I've only listened to a couple of the tracks, but I didn't mind them -- that might be because I've never really given a close listen to his previous solo outings, aside from a handful of songs and some of his 2012 official live downloads. I liked the songs enough (and what I've heard of the current tour) to consider buying tickets to his show in Toronto at the end of this month, but I couldn't justify the price, especially with the two next Zeppelin remasters on the docket. Still, I've pre-ordered the album, and will listen to it in full when it's released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael/Hellbar Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I want to get a hold of the best possible vinyl pressing and was wondering if anyone knows if there will be different pressing plants involved in the release (for example Quality Records in the US, Pallas in Germany etc etc...) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyPhantom Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I really love this album. That's all i have to say about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 It is missing two songs: Up on the Hollow Hill and Arbaden. Don't forget the Japanese bonus track, a cover version of Every Which Way But Loose with Patty Griffin on backing vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepdawg Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I want to get a hold of the best possible vinyl pressing and was wondering if anyone knows if there will be different pressing plants involved in the release (for example Quality Records in the US, Pallas in Germany etc etc...) ? Contact his record label "Nonesuch Records" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemea Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 "Every which way but loose" very touching lyrics, tells a lot (maybe?!) about Robert and Patty and their relationship. Maybe young by heart he is now approaching 70, will he keep on running for long, maybe he doesn't know. I am waiting to hear the whole album a couple of times before giving my reviews. Maggie and Rainbow both sound "nice" but I hope rest of the album would surprise me somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woz70 Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Don't forget the Japanese bonus track, a cover version of Every Which Way But Loose with Patty Griffin on backing vocals. Mr. Jones, you are a very cynical man! I heartily approve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boogie woogie Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I was able to access the npr stream starting on Robert's webpage. For some reason I was not able to copy and paste it here. Great to hear the record ahead of time. On first listen I really like it. There is a lot here to explore, a multiltextured, masterpiece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohjimmy Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I really love this album. That's all i have to say about that. I concur. I love and appreciate the album as I have for everyone of his solo albums......including "Shaken n Stirred"....which gets a lot of flak. Heard the album online today and have my tickets to see him in Toronto. The greatest lead singer in the history of rock has a new album out.......what's not to like? Thank you Mr.Plant!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfinsam Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Liking it much, much more than the first couple of listens. Maybe this bodes well for some staying power on my playlist anyways. The reason for the Zep and P/P quotes might be to sum up, take a bow and exit stage right as a solo artist perhaps Am in the corner with those who are positive on the album. In terms of the upcoming tour, it could be a bit of a snooze fest. But then RP has been known to surprise. Toronto date has been sold out for awhile - may pop down from Ottawa on impulse the day of the show if I am "In the Mood" and give the local scalpers a trade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocean Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Never thought I would ever say this....Just finished listening To Robert Plant's new album which will be released next week I believe. (He is also saying it's his "final work"). I'm so underwhelmed. I don't think I will even give it a second listen, yet alone buy it. It will be the only Plant recording I don't purchase. (I have not missed a Plant purchase since 1969!) I was hoping it would be more Mighty Rearranger, instead it's Chris Issac meets Geritol. Upon one listen... 1/2 a star out of 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 The reason for the Zep and P/P quotes might be to sum up, take a bow and exit stage right as a solo artist perhaps He has said this album is like a kaleidoscope, so I was thinking perhaps the lyrics are meant to be kaleidoscopic (a mixture of many things). . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RolandDeschain Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Hm. Just finished listening to the album on the preview live stream. Deeply unimpressed, sadly. His voice is nice, if very understated, but he seems to be gluing many of the same melodies and lyrics from Dreamland onwards into these 'new' songs. Is he really so bereft of inspiration that we have to hear another song with the line 'pretty little girl with a red dress on', for example? The overall feeling I get from the album is melancholy and overwhelming exhaustion, and looking at the promo photos & vids that have been circulating you see what looks for all the world like a worried unhappy looking man with a furrowed brow. Much of the album is very obviously about his split with Patty Griffin, and it makes me wonder if he got the Sensational Space Shifters back together just for something to do to fend off the 'get in touch with Jimmy' brigade. He realised he didn't really fit into the USA, and has come back here, perhaps to try and make some peace with himself, but for somebody who has been so determined to tread the path ever onwards this feels like a 180 degree turn with his arms spread wide to try and scoop up all the bits of the last 12 or so years that made him relevant again after the Page/Plant era. I do find some of his musical choices increasingly difficult to understand. He has such a wealth of songs from his solo career to dip into - 32 years worth - but he still feels the need to force Black Dog into different boxes rather than pick from any of that. He still commands an audience, on his own terms, and he's vocally (and justly) against the crowd pleaser that would be making music with his old compatriots, under whatever name, yet still he seems to coast along using the Zep material as a safety net that he blatantly doesn't need. It's very odd. If this is his solo Swan Song, I think I shall pretend it never happened and stick with Mighty Rearranger, which feels so much fresher and vibrant in comparison. Fate of Nations was the last Robert Plant Solo album I enjoyed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohjimmy Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Solid review of the album. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/robert-plant-lullaby-and-ceaseless-roar/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=referral Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woz70 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Solid review of the album.http://ultimateclassicrock.com/robert-plant-lullaby-and-ceaseless-roar/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=referral Which I find difficult to take seriously with lines like this: "This is a world music album, targeted at the NPR-weaned audience that made 'Sand' a rebirth of sorts for Plant, whose album before that, 2005's 'Mighty ReArranger,' was a somewhat joyless and tentative first dip into these waters." Er... what? Mighty Rearranger, in my opinion at least, was Plants finest moment since 'Fate of Nations'. Whilst the 'Raising Sand' and 'Band of Joy' ventures had some interesting moments, they comprised almost entirely of cover versions, which was a bit of a creative nadir. They may have made him visible to an entirely new audience Stateside (and maybe here too) because of all the Nashville influence, but 'visible' isn't 'relevant' in my book. Whilst 'Lullaby....' does consist of mostly new material, there is so much recycling of his recent past in there that it honestly feels like he's just coasting now. One case in point is 'Turn It Up', which from a vocal delivery, melody, rhythmic metre and dynamic point of view is virtually a remake of 'Tin Pan Valley'. One thing Plant has steadfastly refused to do, up until now, is rehash/remake songs. Perhaps he feels that recycling his own lyrics is ironic, but it sadly smacks of laziness, or worse, lack of inspiration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melcórë Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 One thing Plant has steadfastly refused to do, up until now, is rehash/remake songs. Perhaps he feels that recycling his own lyrics is ironic, but it sadly smacks of laziness, or worse, lack of inspiration. I seem to remember a certain track from Presence that smacks of rehash/remake... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nirvana Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Chaotic. Messy. Noisy. Walking into Clarksdale's factory district. Lyrically void of depth. A few gems deeply hidden behind a maze of un-needed samples. 5 songs of the 10 1/2 songs on the album are worth Roberts legacy. Just so hard to listen to music with so much chatter.... Robert if you want great vocals over well done samples please give Moby the DJ a call. Listen to his " Innocents" album to hear how it's done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nirvana Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I should preface any initial comments of Ceaseless Roar with: "It may get better with multiple listens"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I would rather pour bleach into my ears than listen to Moby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nirvana Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I would rather pour bleach into my ears than listen to Moby. That's too bad because Moby is well ahead of anyone's game. Listen to "Almost Home" off of Innocents and see if it changes your mind. If not at least your ears will be white-er! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerina Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 There's a link to listen to Robert's Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar at my favorite radio station, MPR's The Current. If you want to listen to Robert's music, or the Current's online stream for an interesting variety of music go to thecurrent.org. You can also join me in voting for Robert's song "Rainbow" on their Chart Show ballot. The article on Robert and link to his music there starts as "First Listen: Robert Plant, Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar" Some other fun things on the site are to listen to the program Teenage kicks on Sat mornings and United States of Americana Sunday mornings. Lots of other great programs too. Also, if you like reading about people & their guitars (who doesn't? ok-don't anwer that) on the main page scroll down and hit "Guitar Collection" to see the archive of those stories. I just found the link to Robert's new album and can't wait to hear it. I had won an on air music trivia segment there recently & hoped one of the 3 cd's they would send me would be "Lullaby..." and I could get an early listen, but it wasn't one of the 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfinsam Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Another review of the album by the Toronto Sun http://www.torontosun.com/2014/08/28/robert-plant-new-pornographers-top-this-weeks-cd-reviews ALBUMS OF THE WEEK Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar 4 stars out of 5 You can love what Robert Plant did with Led Zeppelin. But like it or not, you have to respect what he’s done since. And where’s he’s gone. For much of the last three decades — and most of the past 10 years — the leonine rocker who sang Ramble On has continued to embody that lyric in more ways than one. Content neither to rest on laurels nor trade on past glories, Plant has remained a restless seeker, chasing a muse that has led him around the globe — literally and stylistically — from blues and Americana to electronica and world music. But with his 10th solo album, it’s finally starting to come together for Percy. In the musical sense, at least. The floridly typographed but fittingly titled lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar (out Sept. 9) finds the inveterate traveller opening his bags, unpacking his massive accumulation of sonic souvenirs and stylistic keepsakes, and arranging them in an aesthetically pleasing display that balances contrasting and complementary influences. Many may already be familiar to those who have been paying attention to Plant’s various pan-cultural missives from near and far over the years. There’s rustic Mississippi Delta blues and its desert-dry North African counterpart; earthy Appalachian string fare and lilting Tuareg melodies; exotic trance-grooves along with trip-hoppy electronic loops and beats; Leadbelly standards and traditional numbers peppered between new originals. All of it has been skillfully and stylishly rendered by some former frequent fliers — a reconstituted version of his previous band Strange Sensation, working with an arsenal blending traditional American and African instruments with circuitry and programming. It’s swirly and jangly, dreamy and hazy, dusty and buzzy — in short, it’s a dark, richly textured backdrop for Plant’s intimately restrained moan and typically restless lyrics of embracing the inevitability of change, willingly burning down the house of love and moving on to new distant lands (along with at least one recycled Zep line for old time’s sake). Favouring mood over bombast and tension over release, it is far from his boldest and most extroverted work; cathartic choruses are few and far between, guitar heroics are minimal and the first big power-chord crash doesn’t come until the fourth song. But make no mistake, it’s well worth the wait. And well worth your time. This is a disc that not only grows on you, it’s one that reveals its treasures over time, disclosing new secrets and surprises with each spin. After all, with Plant, it’s always about the journey — even when he’s finding a way to retrace his steps while continuing to move forward. Enjoy it while you can — it won’t be long before he’s gone, gone, gone again. The New Pornographers Brill Bruisers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepRex Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 well that was frustrating to say the least! His new album is released today in my neck of the woods.So happily I went out to buy it and DANG! Vinyl not there, just CD! So now I gotta wait till Tuesday to listen to it (I'm a vinyl afficionado). I purposely chose NOT to listen to the stream and NOT to buy it online in order to have this experience of going into the shops to buy it and to listen to it for the first time with proper loudspeakers...Now I have to wait..I was soooo looking forward to this day.. Soz guys, Ihad to share my frustration! I'm gutted.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reswati Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 well that was frustrating to say the least! His new album is released today in my neck of the woods.So happily I went out to buy it and DANG! Vinyl not there, just CD! So now I gotta wait till Tuesday to listen to it (I'm a vinyl afficionado). I purposely chose NOT to listen to the stream and NOT to buy it online in order to have this experience of going into the shops to buy it and to listen to it for the first time with proper loudspeakers...Now I have to wait..I was soooo looking forward to this day.. Soz guys, Ihad to share my frustration! I'm gutted..Lol, same vinyl dilemma here (thought I listened to the stream)Have fun on tuesday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth and beauty Posted September 5, 2014 Share Posted September 5, 2014 Like I said - Robert keeps dropping bread crumbs for Jimmy to follow. Steve has kindly listed them here and as you can see the breadcrumbs if you will are getting larger. Robert is no longer disguising the clues for Jimmy to follow. He is blatantly referencing the past in hopes that Jimmy awakens to some sort of clever ideas for a partnership. Robert is open to NEW ideas not just rehashing old glories. Jimmy can easily bridge whatever gaps remain for writing again with Robert. Oh I love Nirvana's theory - though I think it's too fanciful - about "breadcrumbs dropped for Jimmy" . I also reluctantly accept Steve A Jones' view that these echoes from the past may just be laziness... But there are so many echoes, and not just lyrically .. I attended Robert's free BBC concert this evening and had plenty of time to study the set. Anyone who's seen him more recently than me will know if this is new or not, but the feather symbol was on the drum kit. And - very mystifying - at the extreme left side of the set was a large silver sword driven into the stage: right at the front but not specifically lit... I can't think what the hell it was doing there if not meant as a reference to his TSRTS fantasy sequence. Again, others will know if he routinely sticks swords in the stages he plays on .. Also, if this isn't off the point too much: his set was half an hour and was entirely based around the new music apart from "What Is..." I was there for the sound check ( in a public space, with a pretty big audience) and the band ran through all the songs until that point in the setlist - when he said "we don't need to do that one.." . Another band member, also on mic, said they did, so eventually the first verse was played ( while other songs were played in full at the sound check). The first part of the set was televised live and one of the presenters read out the setlist at her feet, including "what is" - provoking a bit of a putdown at her expense which might have been funnier if she wasn't the host and wasn't live on air. And the song itself? The band played well enough, given that no other band could play well enough on that song ( they're wonderful with their own material ) and RP totally sang his heart out. Result: massive applause, and a comment from RP "you're a bunch of softies" . So that's what it is... we're all softies ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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