New Robert Plant album

While I generally don't believe in guilty pleasures I've always felt sheepish about being interested in Robert Plant's solo stuff. Reviews of the new one sound pretty intriguing; almost bought it today. Hence the question.

Incidentally the drummer is the guy who's on the live Portishead record (and some of the studio stuff), he's really excellent.

the new one with Alison Krauss will probably finally get him a Grammy

His voice sounds great!

Let me put a very kind word for Shaken 'n' Stirred, which has great watery, synthy art-pop.

Well that's wonderful of you to mention it, Alfred. I love love love the single, but as an album it didn't do much for me, I'm afraid.

Yeah, Raising Sand with Alison Krauss is pretty sweet. Their harmonies do it for me.

I reviewed the Rhino box last year and was pretty pleasantly surprised. I'm definitely gonna check out this new thing with Krauss, even though she doesn't do anything for me.

Is there a thread for the NEW new Robert Plant album somewhere, Band of Joy? Seems to be our man's covers album, which I guess isn't too offbeat, but what surprised me is there seems to be two COUNTEM TWO covers of Low songs ("Monkey" and "Silver Rider") in addition to the countrified/rootsy stuff you'd expect from an album produced by Buddy Miller.

Any thoughts?

he's been doing a lot of covers the past few albums. he's also been reliably fuckin awesome this whole century, dreamland (the one that inspired this thread) turned out to be amazing imo. I have grabbed the new one from emusic but haven't listened yet

I like it, but it seems a bit samey in tempo and feel and thus drags more than it should. I'm finding it works better in a mix with other stuff than on its own. After a few listens I wouldn't rate it as high as Dreamland or Mighty Rearranger or Raising Sand, but those were all very, very good. Those all got better given time and I expect this will as well.

i already mentioned that i didn't see a point to his low covers; now i actually think they're bad. but the rest of band of joy is good.

didn't see a point to his low covers; now i actually think they're bad

i don't know anything about Low, but I really disagree w/the above. I liked both of these tunes on the album, and thought they fit into the album pretty seamlessly. Now knowing they're Low covers makes me curious about the originals, which seems like a good result of a cover to me!

I had the same reaction to the Low covers for the same reason. "Silver Rider" is probably my favorite track on the album.

I would have loved to have heard more of Patty Griffin, but I can see why he'd want to avoid making this Plant/Krauss #2.

Now knowing they're Low covers makes me curious about the originals, which seems like a good result of a cover to me!

well, that is a good result, and maybe your having heard the plant cover first will make you prefer it to the original (i.e., ymmv). but, to me, the plant covers are so inferior to those originals that it's stunning (and again, i like robert plant, and i like his new album).

new one sounds pretty cool

actually -- I haven't even really digested 'Band of Joy' yet

but i totally dig his Los Lobos cover

love the fact that the Los Lobos thing was a video in Chicago's 'little village' neighborhood -- that was great intel and execution.

I am going to see the man exactly two weeks from tonight.

not sure why he is skipping Chi town on his tour, but no big deal -- I'll jump the easy Amtrak to Ann Arbor and check him w/ my bro in AA

I don't know why but it hasn't clicked for me yet and I've tried a bunch of times...weird because it's using the blueprint from the Alison Krauss record, which is gorgeous. Maybe a production thing? Just doesn't sound as warm.

I'm sure the show will be great.

Favorite track on the new one is "Harm's Swift Way," which apparently was the last song (lyrics) Townes Van Zandt ever wrote. I love Patty Griffin's vocals all over this album, but she's especially good there.

The album itself is a bit of a let down after the Alison Krauss record.

no one talks about the new one here?

it's pretty good.

I'll probably get it.

Out next week.

Kind of amazing how well his range has held up. Noticed in that clip from a few years back of neo-Zep playing "Levee" with Neil Young that he actually sings the song in a *higher* key than he did on the record.

Anyway, the new album is nice. Sounds like a solid Sinead O'Connor album.

Produced it himself too.

Heard him interviewed on NPR. Read elsewhere that one song is about his recent breakup with Austin singer Patti Griffin.

Was down the HMV when they stopped played that awful Banks album and stuck on Plant's (better sonics), I much prefer it to the Holy Joy rekkid

Liking the new one a lot too.

I love it.

yeah it's great. made me go back and revisit a few I'd missed, which were pretty good too. who needs zeppelin?

Story going around now that Plant literally ripped up a $800 milion LZ reunion contract.

who knew that Plant would end up being such a total don??

It's been denied by his publicist.

New song is awesome sounds like something off of Raisig Sand

Xpost - even if the ripping up the contract is a fake story, it is pretty incredible in this day and age the money he's left on the table.

I wouldn't doubt a full LZ world tour he could get close to that upfront

This new song sounds like some mystic folk rock, quite interesting...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OPKSZyRPFQ

hearing a lot of Indian influence in there too, kinda Zep III vibes

I've been listening to it on Spotify over the last couple of days. I really like this album. I think the title track is the best song. There are definite Middle Eastern influences on "Carry Fire", including an electric oud, I think? Where were you hearing Indian influences?

maybe not Indian? but the rhythm of the track alex linked, that &-of-2 and 4 beat I thought I had heard in Indian music

Plant has been on one hell of a roll the last decade. I love this record.

This one bored me after the third tune. Wanted to like it.

this latest album is great. i feel like i should dig deep and pick up his recent albums, everything i've heard from them is amazing. only one i own is Raising Sand.