BillyMacQ Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 http://www.spinner.com/2010/06/25/ro...m-band-of-joy/ Robert Plant Previews 'Fantastic' New Album in New York Robert Plant's next album, 'Band of Joy,' won't be out until Sept. 14, but Thursday night at the Back Room, a clandestine bar in New York City's Lower East Side, critics and industry folks were given an early listen. In case they weren't sure what they thought, the man himself dropped by to offer his own review. "It's fantastic music, even though I say so myself," Plant told the audience, minutes after the disc's final track, 'Even This Shall Pass Away,' had finished playing. The album, named for a pre-Led Zeppelin group Plant fronted in the late '60s, shares much in common with 'Raising Sand,' the singer's Grammy-winning 2007 collaboration with Alison Krauss and producer T Bone Burnett. Lean and twangy, caked in Delta mud and brimming with bad mojo, 'Band of Joy' again finds the rock legend immersed in the mythology of the American south, drawing on classic country, folk and blues. In recent years, Plant hasn't simply reignited his passion for American music. He's also rediscovered the value of playing with Americans. "In 1966, I was 17, and I cut a Young Rascals song for Columbia Records, and it disappeared without a trace," Plant said Thursday, explaining his aversion to jamming with Yanks. "It came out here [in the US] for about a second. And 41 years later, I finally decided it was worth working with American musicians." "Brits seem to have a way of harnessing and lassoing beautiful American music and usually shafting it very badly," he added. "It took maturity and gray hair for me to realize that the essence of a lot of fantastic music may have come once from Europe, but it's certainly been looked after better in the more obscure parts of the American psyche." Among the musicians Plant enlisted for 'Band of Joy' was acclaimed Nashville guitarist Buddy Miller, who served as co-producer. Plant called Miller a "curator of great music," citing as proof his collaborator's fondness for Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, pioneers of psychedelic rock, "that fantastic part of American music that we only really screwed very badly in England." 'Band of Joy' also features Patty Griffin, a singer whose voice Plant didn't initially know he needed. "As this record developed, it took maybe 10 days before Christmas, and it was all very sweet and sounded like Moby Grape outtakes, and I was in absolute heaven," Plant said Thursday. "I took it home and realized there was nothing on it that kicked up. So after Christmas, we went into overdrive and begged Patty Griffin to come sing that great Cocteau Twins-type, Shangri-Las-type vocal thing that gives the whole collection a new-yet-old look." With both Griffin and Miller, Plant felt the kind of chemistry he says is vital to any album. "People say to me, 'How do we know what you're going to do next?'" he said. "I have no idea ever what I will do. I just know the first four hours when you meet musicians are the most crucial in your life. You know then whether there's something really magical there, or whether you're just churning it out." "And I could never go anywhere near that latter condition," he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurcholl Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 http://www.spinner.com/2010/06/25/ro...m-band-of-joy/ Robert Plant Previews 'Fantastic' New Album in New York Robert Plant's next album, 'Band of Joy,' won't be out until Sept. 14, but Thursday night at the Back Room, a clandestine bar in New York City's Lower East Side, critics and industry folks were given an early listen. In case they weren't sure what they thought, the man himself dropped by to offer his own review. "It's fantastic music, even though I say so myself," Plant told the audience, minutes after the disc's final track, 'Even This Shall Pass Away,' had finished playing. The album, named for a pre-Led Zeppelin group Plant fronted in the late '60s, shares much in common with 'Raising Sand,' the singer's Grammy-winning 2007 collaboration with Alison Krauss and producer T Bone Burnett. Lean and twangy, caked in Delta mud and brimming with bad mojo, 'Band of Joy' again finds the rock legend immersed in the mythology of the American south, drawing on classic country, folk and blues. In recent years, Plant hasn't simply reignited his passion for American music. He's also rediscovered the value of playing with Americans. "In 1966, I was 17, and I cut a Young Rascals song for Columbia Records, and it disappeared without a trace," Plant said Thursday, explaining his aversion to jamming with Yanks. "It came out here [in the US] for about a second. And 41 years later, I finally decided it was worth working with American musicians." "Brits seem to have a way of harnessing and lassoing beautiful American music and usually shafting it very badly," he added. "It took maturity and gray hair for me to realize that the essence of a lot of fantastic music may have come once from Europe, but it's certainly been looked after better in the more obscure parts of the American psyche." Among the musicians Plant enlisted for 'Band of Joy' was acclaimed Nashville guitarist Buddy Miller, who served as co-producer. Plant called Miller a "curator of great music," citing as proof his collaborator's fondness for Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, pioneers of psychedelic rock, "that fantastic part of American music that we only really screwed very badly in England." 'Band of Joy' also features Patty Griffin, a singer whose voice Plant didn't initially know he needed. "As this record developed, it took maybe 10 days before Christmas, and it was all very sweet and sounded like Moby Grape outtakes, and I was in absolute heaven," Plant said Thursday. "I took it home and realized there was nothing on it that kicked up. So after Christmas, we went into overdrive and begged Patty Griffin to come sing that great Cocteau Twins-type, Shangri-Las-type vocal thing that gives the whole collection a new-yet-old look." With both Griffin and Miller, Plant felt the kind of chemistry he says is vital to any album. "People say to me, 'How do we know what you're going to do next?'" he said. "I have no idea ever what I will do. I just know the first four hours when you meet musicians are the most crucial in your life. You know then whether there's something really magical there, or whether you're just churning it out." "And I could never go anywhere near that latter condition," he said Of course it will be wonderful to hear....as I will on July 31st Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurcholl Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 Of course it will be wonderful to hear....as I will on July 31st [/qu I can't wait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiss of fire Posted June 26, 2010 Share Posted June 26, 2010 This was a write up in the CMT News. Nice!! http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1642414/robert-plant-introduces-band-of-joy-during-low-key-gathering-in-new-york.jhtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted June 26, 2010 Share Posted June 26, 2010 Of course it will be wonderful to hear....as I will on July 31st I'll beat you by a day - July 30! Enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUCK'EYE' DOC Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 This was a write up in the CMT News. Nice!! http://www.cmt.com/n...-new-york.jhtml Thanks for the article, kiss of fire! Can you imagine being led through the back streets and alleys of New York City, to be taken into a former clandestine speakeasy, and then getting to hear Robert's new recording, and to have him appear in person at the end? How exciting! I hope that at least some of the attendees were true Robert Plant fans and not just celebs and insiders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 Thanks for the article, kiss of fire! Can you imagine being led through the back streets and alleys of New York City, to be taken into a former clandestine speakeasy, and then getting to hear Robert's new recording, and to have him appear in person at the end? How exciting! I hope that at least some of the attendees were true Robert Plant fans and not just celebs and insiders. It's very cool to be inside some of those old speakeasies. I think the listening party was specifically for industry people to let them preview the album. Really pleased that all the talk thus far is the album is stunning! Can't wait until September Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZosoZombie Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 see you there! we are sitting on the lawn dead center is our plan, its the best seat in the house to me. will have wife kids and yes brownies in tow, feel free to e mail me at ramzeppelin@yahoo.com if youd like to say howdyl before the show. we should have extra for sure . either way enjoy! ps may even have an xtra ticket if you know anyone else whod love to go. Im working buying it from my sons friend cause he wont enjoy it. he's a really dumb teen. need i say more? anyhow.... hope you the best night! PSS. not that all teens are dumb, well they are but only relative to who they will be later :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justawoman Posted June 29, 2010 Share Posted June 29, 2010 I'll beat you by a day - July 30! Enjoy!! Will beat ya'll by a week!!!!!!! Can't wait, I'm so freakin' excited! I wish it was next week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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