Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Raising Sand

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

truly awesome. Thanks for sharing, omar.

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

― J0hn D., Monday, March 31, 2008 6:47 PM (6 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

My sentiments exactly.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, March 31, 2008 6:49 PM (6 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oh man. memories of "at last! REAL music!" people championing this years ago have kept me away, but this is fantastic.

thank you 80s debut singles thread and spotify for leading me here.

the wrecking ball production comparison is otm, but that is a positive for me

The thing that's bugged me about Plant's solo singing, this pitchy strain like he can't quite accept he's lost his '70s pipes, is completely gone on this record. I like this relaxed, Roy Orbison voice much better.

Yeah, he sounds like *Robert Plant* on 'Gone Gone Gone' only.

I eventually overcame my production misgivings about this. It really is a great record. The best thing anyone involved has done this century.

I don't think many here are into him, but something about this album reminds me of David Garza's This Euphoria

this album is so good and memorable

the even numbered tracks (sad songs) are much better than the odd ones (happy songs)

I heard this in the doctor's office today and had to google it, I had no idea about this! I wonder if it led to the eventual collaboration?

Viktor Krauss - "Big Log" cover (feat. his sister Alison on vox) from 2004:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFg1vS7OXdU

Great find - absolutely exquisite. Thanks for posting.

That's really quite nice.

Been hearing this all morning. Production is excellent and everyone performs perfect. A pt. 2 should be in the works.

I could have sworn they said there were enough tracks left over for a part 2, more or less, but conflicting schedules have made it impossible to finish.

I seem to recall they started a second album, but the sessions didn't gel correctly or something; Krauss exited, Patty Griffin came in, and that album became Band of Joy.

Would buy a deluxe box thingie of this album

My gosh, "Killing the Blues" is lovely

Steve Rarle said he wrote this for Plant-Krauss follow-up, so when that didn't happen and he needed a track for cobbled album, recorded it w then-wife A.Moorer---pretty good, considering he's Earle, not Plant---wisely sings a little behind her, like Parsons tended to do w Emmylou:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwbkisIQQU4

Think, esp. on headphones, you can easily imagine how it might have sounded if P-Ked.

My brother gifted me a pair of KEF LSX today and I have to say my mind is blown on how good this album sounds. I already knew by listening to it on decent headphones but still. WOW.

New song with T Bone producing once again. Sounds great. Hate the album cover though.