The Pagemeister Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 NASHVILLE, Tennessee - If Robert Plant can rejuvenate his career in Nashville, who's next? What began as an unorthodox pairing of the golden-tressed singer for Led Zeppelin with bluegrass chanteuse Alison Krauss captured five Grammys on Sunday, including album of the year for their country-inflected collaboration "Raising Sand." The duo also won record of the year for "Please Read the Letter." Music Row insiders expect others to follow Plant's lead. "I'm sure a lot of people will look at the idea of Nashville collaborations in a different light," said Brian Philips, general manager of Country Music Television. "Surely, Robert Plant did not feel compromised coming to Nashville. He felt energized," remarked Mike Dungan, president of Capitol Records Nashville. The last country projects to win the Grammy's top album award were the Dixie Chicks' "Taking the Long Way" in 2006 and the bluegrass-heavy "O, Brother, Where Art Thou?" movie soundtrack in 2001. Like "Raising Sand," the "O, Brother" soundtrack also was directed by producer T Bone Burnett and featured Krauss and others paying tribute to rootsy American music. And like "Raising Sand," it was not a mainstream country release. "I don't think this project ever really aimed for country radio. I don't think that was ever on their marketing plan," said David Ross, publisher and editor of the trade publication Music Row. Still, Ross said: "I believe very strongly that when something great comes out of Nashville it's good for the entire music industry." Likewise, Philips said, "If anyone resents 'Raising Sand' and thinks that something that is purely Music Row driven should have taken that slot and captured the whole world's attention, I'd ask them to step forward. In 2008-2009, I don't know how anyone could begrudge them that win." While the album was recorded in Nashville with Nashville musicians, it was mixed and mastered in Los Angeles and released on Burlington, Masschusetts-based Rounder Records. It has already gone platinum with a million in sales and is sure to get a boost from the Grammy exposure. Nashville has long attracted rock and pop stars looking for a fresh sound, or at least a fresh start. In the early days, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers recorded here. Neil Young and Paul McCartney cut songs in the 1970s. Today, it's Kid Rock, Jack White and Jessica Simpson. During his acceptance speech, Plant said "Please Read The Letter" was "an old song that me and Jimmy Page wrote together post-Led Zeppelin, and it's been given that Nashville touch, and it feels pretty good." Philips, who says he's been flooded with requests for copies of a CMT "Crossroads" performance show featuring Plant and Krauss, still finds the whole thing surprising. "I don't know that anyone could have anticipated that Led Zeppelin's frontman would find a new artistic peak in Nashville," he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 "I don't know that anyone could have anticipated that Led Zeppelin's frontman would find a new artistic peak in Nashville," he said. I could have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glicine Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Just found this and thought it's very interesting. Don't Move to Nashville Because of Robert Plant By Steve Haruch in Whatevs Wednesday, Feb. 11 2009 @ 12:58PM "Yeah, it's waaaay back there, but I'm pretty sure they still had some guacamole left." (Richard Drew/Associated Press) So, the AP is all ga-ga over Robert Plant and Alison Krauss winning the Grammy for Best Record Album or Release of the Year by a Duo or Pair of People With Vocals and Long Hair. In fact, they're saying all kinds of crazy stuff, like, "If Robert Plant can rejuvenate his career in Nashville, who's next?" Well, nobody, I hope. As much as I'd love to see McCartney do a record with Kentucky Thunder, I think I'd rather watch the Jonas Brothers play "Superstition" again. Actually, scratch that. I choose death. Now, I understand that a large part of being someone who tries to make money involves finding things that work and then trying to duplicate that success. (Worked great for leveraged debt!) Unfortunately, this is the reason we have 1,600,500 horrible, stupid "crunk" songs--because people can just keep pooping them out. Formulae work great for burger chains and generic, predictable music. And ain't that America, for you and me? The problem with mapping the parade route for this latest bandwagon is that the reason Robert Plant has done so well with this whole career-resuscitation thing is not just that he started eating at Batter'd and Fried. He's Robert fucking Plant. Like, legendary and stuff. So when the David Coverdales and Mark McGraths of the washed-up music world start to "look at the idea of Nashville collaborations in a different light" (as Brian Philips, general manager of CMT, thinks they're going to), they're going to have to come with a better idea than "let's be kinda rootsy and shit"--because without the galactic star power that comes with owning the lemon that got squeezed until the juice ran down your leg, no amount of Music Row Auto-Twang is going to turn this new crop of has-beens into gonna-bes. And that's the double-truth, Ruth. the link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Oh, okay so let's just move everyone else but Robert Plant out of Nashville so he can own the whole place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Oh, okay so let's just move everyone else but Robert Plant out of Nashville so he can own the whole place. Yeesh, why so nasty? Not the point of the article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Not the point of the article It's not? What exactly is the point then? It's not as if the article has an egalitarian tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 It's not? What exactly is the point then? I think the point is that Robert doing what he did with Raising Sand was unique and the motivation to do it wasn't to follow some trend. He wanted to make a record with Alison and explore a genre of music he hadn't really done to this extent. He's saying that he doesn't think it should become a trend with wannabe's - sort of how when Nirvana and Pearl Jam hit, there were many bands trying to do the same thing and missing it - where they should do their own thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I think the point is that Robert doing what he did with Raising Sand was unique and the motivation to do it wasn't to follow some trend. There has been a recent trend of musicians moving toward Nashville, and Robert Plant has been a part of that trend, regardless of whether he chooses to recognize that fact or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 There has been a recent trend of musicians moving toward Nashville, and Robert Plant has been a part of that trend, regardless of whether he chooses to recognize that fact or not. Yes but Raising Sand as an album was not like anything else that's come from there. Moreover Robert isn't doing it to be trendy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glicine Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 There has been a recent trend of musicians moving toward Nashville, and Robert Plant has been a part of that trend, regardless of whether he chooses to recognize that fact or not. The thing is, Robert didn't go there because it's a trend, he went there because HE wanted to. He followed nothing else but his heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie_72 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Great articles and thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danelectro Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Maybe his heart will take him to Austin next. I'd love to hear him hook up with someone like Jimmy Vaughan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie_72 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Maybe his heart will take him to Austin next. I'd love to hear him hook up with someone like Jimmy Vaughan. You never know where Robert will end up next after Nashville. Wherever he goes, I will certainly be along for the ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danelectro Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 You never know where Robert will end up next after Nashville. Wherever he goes, I will certainly be along for the ride! Mee too. Honestly I wish Jimmy would follow suit, it'd be cool to see what he could do with some younger players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 The thing is, Robert didn't go there because it's a trend, he went there because HE wanted to. He followed nothing else but his heart. And so no one else should go to Nashville because Robert Plant is the only human being on earth who follows his heart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danelectro Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 And so no one else should go to Nashville because Robert Plant is the only human being on earth who follows his heart? How did you get that out of that article or anything mentioned here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie_72 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Mee too. Honestly I wish Jimmy would follow suit, it'd be cool to see what he could do with some younger players. I agree. I am very anxious to see if Jimmy brings us any new music soon. I sure hope so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glicine Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 How did you get that out of that article or anything mentioned here? I have to ask the same question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetTheLedOut4526 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Here's another question: He followed the trend unintentionally for Raising Sand. Would you classify his Rasing Sand 2 as following the trend on purpose? I'm not certain as to what his intentions are for the second record. Personally, I wished he would take a place on the front burner and choose the songs with AK or actually write a song or two with AK instead of doing another cover record. What do you guys think? Following a trend on purpose? Or just wanting to do another Raising Sand because he wants to (regardless of success)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 How did you get that out of that article or anything mentioned here? Don't Move to Nashville Because of Robert Plant By Steve Haruch in Whatevs Wednesday, Feb. 11 2009 @ 12:58PM So, the AP is all ga-ga over Robert Plant and Alison Krauss winning the Grammy for Best Record Album or Release of the Year by a Duo or Pair of People With Vocals and Long Hair. In fact, they're saying all kinds of crazy stuff, like, "If Robert Plant can rejuvenate his career in Nashville, who's next?" Well, nobody, I hope. He followed the trend unintentionally for Raising Sand. Would you classify his Rasing Sand 2 as following the trend on purpose? I think that he is taking advantage of an available opportunity that is part of a current trend in the music business, that is what Nashville has to offer musicians. I think that he has a genuine interest in the music. Certainly he has heart, but I would say that he intentionally took advantage of the trend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetTheLedOut4526 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I think that he is taking advantage of an available opportunity that is part of a current trend in the music business, that is what Nashville has to offer musicians. I think that he has a genuine interest in the music. Do you think he should have been able to show off his creativity that we all know and love instead of T-Bone giving them a list of songs and him and AK choose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glicine Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Here's another question: He followed the trend unintentionally for Raising Sand. Would you classify his Rasing Sand 2 as following the trend on purpose? I'm not certain as to what his intentions are for the second record. Personally, I wished he would take a place on the front burner and choose the songs with AK or actually write a song or two with AK instead of doing another cover record. What do you guys think? Following a trend on purpose? Or just wanting to do another Raising Sand because he wants to (regardless of success)? The trend, which the author meant in the article, is more like following success/money than the heart. It's not a issue with people going to Nashville, IMHO. I think Robert and Alison keep their collaboration because they really enjoy working with each other and making beautiful music, not because they had some big hits or won tons of awards. So it's not following any trend. I wish they can write some fresh stuff too, make some nice mixture of old and new on the next album. But that's again up to them. And I have enough trust in both of them and T-bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetTheLedOut4526 Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 The trend, which the author meant in the article, is more like following success/money than the heart. It's not a issue with people going to Nashville, IMHO. I think Robert and Alison keep their collaboration because they really enjoy working with each other and making beautiful music, not because they had some big hits or won tons of awards. So it's not following any trend. I wish they can write some fresh stuff too, make some nice mixture of old and new on the next album. But that's again up to them. And I have enough trust in both of them and T-bone. Ah, you might be right about that trend then. I don't think RP does anything for awards or for money. I think he's just been somewhat enchanted by AK's music and wished to be part of it. Like you, I wish he would be able to write some new material instead of doing more covers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Do you think he should have been able to show off his creativity that we all know and love instead of T-Bone giving them a list of songs and him and AK choose? He chose to be interactive in the collaborative process, and relied on the selections that T-Bone made for him and Alison Krauss because he wanted to explore something that was at least somewhat new to him. If he had wanted to show off his creativity then he would have. This was a learning opportunity for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danelectro Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I think that he is taking advantage of an available opportunity that is part of a current trend in the music business, that is what Nashville has to offer musicians. I think that he has a genuine interest in the music. Certainly he has heart, but I would say that he intentionally took advantage of the trend. Ah I see. However this so called trend isn't a new thing. Guys like Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe have been doing things in Nasville for years, and those are just two names I thought of off the top of my head. Honestly I don't consider anyone involved in Raising Sand, the album or the tour to be what is considered a Nashville insider. Even Rounder is way off the Nashville radar since it caters to mostly alt. country acts. If Robert had hooked up with someone like Brent Mason it'd be worth mentioning but as far as the others go it's a HUGE stretch. Even Alison doesn't run with the Nashville crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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