ROBERT
PLANT / ALISON KRAUSS
Rasing Sand
Rounder Records 2007
www.rounder.com
Genre
Rock / Blues / Bluegrass
The Good
The legendary Robert Plant and the bluegrass standard bearer Alison Krauss
have really struck upon collaborative gold here. While the song selection
is from the past, the song mixes don’t come off as dated. The disc’s
producer T-Bone Burnett is as much an important part of the process as
the two vocalists.
I really liked how when a song had gender specific lyrics, they weren’t
changed to fit for Plant’s or Krauss’ particular gender.
The songs are all noteworthy, but four songs in particular really stood out.
The single “Gone Gone Gone (Don’t Moved On)” was the fast up
temp number needed to grab the listener’s ear from the get go. The closing
track “Your Long Journey” was an appropriate choice. The song was
in the midtempo range and as the last track; it closed it out quite nicely.
My two favorites from the album are “Please Read The Letter” which
was simply amazing. Plant’s vocals were sublime and powerful all at the
same time. The song was co-written by Plant and Jimmy Page and this version of
the song was effectively made Plant & Krauss’s own. The song “Killing
The Blues” blew me away. The wistful performance both musically and lyrically
was fantastic. This is how to craft a song that comes from the past and make
it your own modern day masterpiece. There must’ve been others who thought
highly of the track because I heard it used in a TV commercial.
The Bad
There is nothing notable to complain about here.
The Verdict
What more really needs be said? The album is fantastic. Page and Krauss transcend
their own particular musical legends to craft their own path (with the
superb contributions from Burnett). The tour for the CD was very well received,
and there has been talk of doing another album together. For me, that can
only be a good thing. I think once you listen to the album yourself, you’ll
feel the same.
ROBERT
PLANT / ALISON KRAUSS
