Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Raising Sand

Second song is a killer.

it is, but the more i listen the more i think that song sets up a promise the album doesn't really deliver. (smart move putting it second. if it was the first track it would be too obvious. as second track it seems like 'hey wait this is great.' but then it's never quite that good again.)

I think "Through the Morning, Through the Night" and "Your Long Journey" are both as good or better than "Killing the Blues"

Odd, those two and "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" are my least favorites thus far. Of course, I keep finding new things to enjoy the more I play the thing, so who knows if that will continue to be the case.

How come she sings lead on two songs with male POV, but he does not reciprocate?

Some nice quiet moments on this. Real music in a sea of shit.

Also, Plant singing Townes on 'Nothin'' is nice.

Real music in a sea of shit.

when people say things like this, it makes other people think "oh, it's music for self-important blowhards"

not without reason

when a record's as good as this one though it's an extra shame that the "at last! REAL music!" people gotta jump onboard

My sentiments exactly.

Some nice quiet moments on this. Real music in a sea of shit

And this is your attempt to stay afloat?

This didn't do a lot for me. Maybe it was the "raised" expectations. Maybe I should give it more of a chance.

Your ears got shit-clogged.

I bought the CD on the strength of this thread, as it happens. And I wasn't disappointed.

who i didn't expect to like this album even a smidgen as much as I do; it's fucking great. i'm not really a zeppelin fan (I do like some solo robert plant albums though) or an allison krause fan. this, though, sounds like the best album chris isaak never made.

"Please Read the Letter" is very lovely. It sounds like some lost 60s folk rock single.

I had this on last night at one of the unholy hours I tend to frequent, and I don't think it was just being deliriously sleepy that made me think, "I feel like I've known this record for years." Not to sound maudlin at all. Doesn't it just feel that way? Warm and familiar and altogether nice.

Spot on.

Can I add that my mum loves this. It's one of those records that people who 'don't know anything about music' really like = best recommendation of all....

um.

Would I like this? Reading comments here I feel like I would, but the whole "arran sweaters on the beach in monochrome", real-music for real-pensioners advertising schtick severely blew me in another direction.

Yeah, you need to get past that. It pays off.

xpost "Please Read The Letter" struck me the same way. Amazing how it nestles in among all those chestnuts. If I'm not mistaken that's the only non-cover (Page/Plant)?

Things That Are Good Despite Their Fans: OPO

Warm and familiar and altogether nice.

Yes. I played this for a friend of mine who is a professional musician, and he just said it sounded "expensive."

nick you should get it, it's very good; it is a case of super bad mastering, though. levels are way too high, way way way too much bass on this thing. it's still good though

this album!!!!!!!!

Re: "please Read The Letter" -- it was also on that (rather half-arsed) Walking Into Clarksdale CD of Page & Plant's, wasnnit?

RE: "Nothin'" - I hadn't heard Van Zandt's 'riginal version before, so when I finally did, well ...Plant's & Krauss's take on it is really great.

Yeah both my mum and Mrs Trifle (neither big music fans) like this and that kind of put me off ('cos I'm a contrary bastid) but it's excellent. Plant sounds great. And that Letter track is beautiful. But really the whole album is fine. Best thing Plant has done since Zep? Maybe.

way way way too much bass on this thing.

wtf

it is uncanny to hear plant's voice doing something other than "immigrant song" or whatever. but i haven't paid attention to any of his solo stuff so maybe it's my problem.

can't get past the first song because it is good.

Great show at MSG a week or so back. He is in surprisingly incredible voice. Nicely paced w/ a bunch of Zeppelin tunes (incl. a goosebump-inducing "Battle of Evermore") and "In The Mood." I gather there will be another record and more touring.

i find this works better as a whole album (a mood piece) than as individual tracks -- there's a lot i've been skipping through on ipod random play. "trampled rose" i listen to every time. :-)

i was trying to figure out what the flaw in "gone gone gone" was that kept me from loving it, and i think it's that you can barely hear the rhythm section; it's mixed down so low compared to the upfront, radio-ready vocals. not that it needs to be super-loud, it just feels a little robbed of its important place in the song.

I saw them do "The Letter" on ACL or Soundstage or whatever, holy Christ was it good

"Stick With Me Baby" is the one that sticks with me.

can't get past the first song because it is good.

You need to, because Track No. 7, Please Read The Letter, is the best song on this (outstanding) disc.

"polly come home" is so lovely

"fortune teller" was one of my favorite songs anyway; that plant & krauss do such a fun cover is total WIN for me

i heard some song from this and i thought it was "slowcore"

i like the way the rhythm section sounds great in 'gone gone gone'. the guitar is quiet and the drum mix is kinda quirky/vintage, but the upright bass and that tom are nice and loud.

this album is really badly mastered or recorded though. stuff just sounds compressed and 'oomphy' when it should sound spacious and easy. so annoying because the album is wonderful, musically; one of the best albums of the past couple of years.

sounds good live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-frHAqOaC3Q

this is rad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi7raSRXH9M

ha a friend just showed me that. beautiful.

this album is lovely.

I got this on the strength of "Gone Gone Gone" expecting a bunch of road-trip folk rock, came away disappointed.

But now I like it. Fades into the background really nicely while I'm writing.

I just saw them at the Greek out here in LA. Great show.

I was a little worried by the opening act - a new singer named Sharon Little who wasn't terrible - that the sound levels would be all tame and there wouldn't be any overdriven harmonies, that I thought would make the songs on this album sound awesome live.

But there were - almost sounded like an old small-label recording of a duo or group that just overwhelmed the cheap microphone. A very tough sound to pull off and have it retain its melodic elements, but they did it.

A few Zep covers - Black Dog, Battle of Evermore, and (I think) the song that Whole Lotta Love was originally based on, but I haven't had the time to do any more research. They did the Plant tune I'm in the Mood, which sounded really cool with Stuart Duncan and Alison Krauss on twin fiddles. They played the entire "Raising Sand" album, and some additional tunes in that same sound.

Really a great show by top notch musicians - I must recommend Stuart Duncan to ANYONE who likes good music. The man is an absolute musical genius.

Oh shit, I saw them eating dinner in Malibu on Sunday night.

They are playing this Saturday in SF for free in GGP.

Lucky NorCal bastards.

Oh shit, I saw them eating dinner in Malibu on Sunday night.

did you eat 10 tacos next to them?

"Stick With Me Baby" is gorgeous; as Alfred said upthread Plant sounds great but it's Krause's harmonies that stick with me (baby), as you'd expect from an Everlys song. Evidently it's a Mel Tillis write, though it doesn't appear that he ever recorded it.

just thinking about this record makes me feel good

his band of joy concert at the bowery ballroom is streaming here...

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2010/09/listen_to_rober.html#more

so good, i was playing this on the turntable and after 'please read the letter' ended my 17 month old clapped and said "yay"

<3 <3 <3 that is awesome

just cancelled their headlining show at Belgium's Cactus festival, 20 minutes before showtime (!). Alison has the flu.