Plant and Zeppelin releases provide a whole lot to love

[robertkincaid96]

Plant and Zeppelin releases provide a whole lot to love

Jesse DeLeon

Friday, January 4, 2008

His stage presence epitomized the burgeoning rock scene of the late '60s and early '70s. The swagger, the hair, the unbuttoned shirt and the voice that adeptly swung from calm, grounded tenderness to sweeping wails and dizzying heights -- these traits all became the signature of one Robert Plant.

His frenzied vocals along with the guitar wizardry of Jimmy Paige were two of the vital ingredients that made Led Zeppelin a behemoth in the pantheon of rock 'n' roll.

Plant is a rarity in the sense that he has moved into middle age with both grace and aplomb without turning his back on the past that made him who he is. His solo career in the '80s allowed him to let his voice be the centerpiece of some melodic, even experimental arrangements. His solo albums, however successful, have not betrayed his vision of himself.

The time also included a one-off stint for Plant as the lead singer for the Honeydrippers, an affectionate tip of the hat to early rock 'n' roll. His sweet, airy reading of "Sea of Love" made it a surprise hit single. The track put his voice in front of a more pop-oriented audience when it blanketed the airwaves in the winter of 1984.

So it makes sense that this spirit of experimentation is at the heart of Plant's pairing with Alison Krauss on "Raising Sand" (Rounder), an exquisitely performed record that allows both musicians to bring out the best in each other while creating a subtle but unforgettable album.

Songs like Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore" and "Going to California" proved early on that Plant was more than adept at finding nuance and expressiveness in his more subdued singing while making it no less riveting than his crowd-pleasing, more ballistic approach.

Plant uses those quieter Zep songs as inspiration and picks up where he left off, as he and Krauss create eerie harmonies, trade lead vocals and enjoy a kind of intimacy that makes "Through the Morning, Through the Night," "Stick with Me Baby" and "Rich Woman" teem with a gentle glimmer that is the musical equivalent of candles burning in a cold room.

On the warm, enveloping melody of "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" Plant's sandpaper vocals perfectly meet Krauss' silky expressiveness to illustrate why "Raising Sand" is a well-crafted gem of folk, pop and comfort.

But no matter how quietly expressive Robert Plant's latest work may be, he forever will be remembered as the searing voice that teetered on nearly chaotic Led Zeppelin workouts like the harried "Dazed and Confused" and the anthemic "Rock 'n' Roll." These are two defining moments among many on "Mothership" (Rhino), a two-disc retrospective that arrives just in time to act as the band's calling card following Zep's recent reunion in London last month.

These were the songs that most remember blaring out of 8-track tape players in the early '70s, but even under those low-fi conditions, the full-frontal attack of Plant's panoramic vocals, Jimmy Paige's unrelenting guitar solos, John Paul Jones' steadfast bass playing and John Bonham's seismic drumming all produced music that would have fans getting the Led out for years.

The extensive liner notes and aurally arresting remastering of these tracks will have devotees marveling at the sonic detail while the uninitiated, assuming there are any, will discover that beneath the bombast Led Zeppelin offers nothing less than a whole lotta love.

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[Gr3ll]

These were the songs that most remember blaring out of 8-track tape players in the early '70s, but even under those low-fi conditions, the full-frontal attack of Plant's panoramic vocals, Jimmy Paige's unrelenting guitar solos, John Paul Jones' steadfast bass playing and John Bonham's seismic drumming all produced music that would have fans getting the Led out for years.

Link

You can say that again.

Regards,

Grell