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Track Listings
| 1. Rich Woman (Dorothy LaBostrie-McKinley Millet) |
| 2. Killing the Blues (Rowland Salley) |
| 3. Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us (Sam Phillips) |
| 4. Polly Come Home (Gene Clark) |
| 5. Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On) (Phil and Don Everly) |
| 6. Through the Morning, Through the Night (Gene Clark) |
| 7. Please Read The Letter (Robert Plant-Michael Lee-Jimmy Page-Charlie Jones) |
| 8. Trampled Rose (Tom Waits-Kathleen Brennan) |
| 9. Fortune Teller (Naomi Neville) |
| 10. Stick With Me Baby (Mel Tillis) |
| 11. Nothin' (Townes Van Zandt) |
| 12. Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson (Milt Campbell) |
| 13. Your Long Journey (A.D. Watson and Rosa Lee Watson) |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and bluegrass crooner Alison Krauss may not be the likeliest of musical combinations. But on this welcome collaboration album, they work beautifully together, wringing a kind of magic from other people’s songs. The key to the album is its versatility. Between them, Krauss and Plant can handle a vast repertoire on their own, and here they take on the lot, from folk laments and country soul to searing blues and upbeat rock & roll. Overseen by Elvis Costello producer T Bone Burnett and backed by high caliber musicians like guitarist Marc Ribot and multi-instrumentalist Mike Seeger, Raising Sand sees the duo create stellar covers of songs by Tom Waits, Townes Van Zandt, Mel Tillis and The Everly Brothers, among others. Highlights include a killer version of Roly Salley's "Killing the Blues", and a cover of the Plant-Page collaboration "Please Read the Letter," though in truth, it’s difficult to find a weak spot on the whole album. --Danny McKenna
Review
What on paper looks mis-matched can often be utterly right. Raising Sand has to be one of the best ever examples of this. Most people would have bet on Plant's ex-band mate, John Paul Jones, as being the one to have forged this big league bluegrasss pairing. After all he's worked with Chris Thile and Nickel Creek as well as Uncle Earl, and plays a mean mandolin himself. But no, it's the grizzled, leonine king of c*ck rock who gets to get up-close and personal with the Union Station legend. And thank goodness it was, because Raising Sand has to be one of the releases of the year.
The first thing you notice about Raising Sand is how the pair's vocals compliment each other. Krauss' honey-sweet chords can be saccharine on her own work at times, but here she's balanced by the mature grain of Plant's almost whispered delivery. On Killing The Blues or Gene Clark's "Polly Come Home" they nudge up against each other, buoyed up by Greg Leisz's floating pedal steel. And this from a man reknowned for going 'baybeeee, baybeee'. Phew...
The selection of songs proves to be just as inspired as the pairing. With material by the Everlys ("Gone, Gone Gone"), Townes van Zant ("Nothin'") and even one from Plant's last collaboration with Jimmy Page ("Please Read The Letter" - completely improved from its original incarnation) it would be hard to go that wrong, but the best of an embarrassment of riches has to be Krauss' rendition of Tom Waits "Trampled Rose". Spellbinding doesn't even come close to describing this.
The album's other main star has to be T Bone Burnett. His production adds a veneer of authenticity and his choice of musicians is spot on at every turn. Marc Ribot (guitar) along with Dennis Crouch, Mike Seeger, Jay Bellerose, Norman Blake, Greg Leisz, Patrick Warren, and Riley Baugus make this a stunning, dark, brooding collection, comparable in tone to Daniel Lanois' masterful job on Dylan's Time Out Of Mind. It captures a gothic southern vibe effortlessly.
Hearing Krauss emote so bluesily on tracks like "Rich Woman" is a revelation, while her coruscating fiddle on "Nothin'" is rawer than you'd ever expect to hear from such a pillar of the new bluegrasss community. Raising Sand is proof that even with such dynamite raw material sometimes things really do add up to far more than the sum of their parts. Superb, in every way! --Chris Jones
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
105 of 108 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It seems an unlikely pairing, the Black Country Plant and the Queen of Bluegrass, but hey, Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn and Jack White, so what's new? Throughout his almost 40 year career, Plant has been a restless spirit and this album is a celebration of his diversity.
It is difficult to categorise this album which is an eclectic mix of delta blues, acoustic blues, alternative country and even folk rock, but somehow producer T Bone Burnett makes it work. He has taken the pair through a selection of thirteen well chosen songs and there isn't an ounce of filler on the album. Burnett has given it a warm, appealing sound and the voices of Plant and Krauss blend effortlessly together on such tracks as Killing The Blues and Stick With Me Baby. The latter sounds almost like the Everly Brothers with a chiming guitar propelling the melody.
There are two Gene Clark songs, Polly Come Home and Through The Morning, Through The Night and are given fine, haunting, interpretations that Clark himself would have been proud of. Plant gets to rock a little on his driving take of the Everly's Gone, Gone, Gone, which sounds nothing like the original!
The Plant/Page collaboration Please Read The Letter translates readily into a country styling whilst Nothin', sounds like late Zeppelin with Krauss's fiddle soaring above the electric distortion. But, for me, the finest moment on the album is Sister Rosetta with Krauss's gypsy fiddle and haunting vocal making this song a restrained, but compelling masterpiece.
If you are a fan of Krauss's fiddle, you might be disappointed to find that she only gets to play it on two tracks, but there is much to compensate with her mature and intelligent interpretations. Plant fans too, will not be disappointed in this latest chapter of his voyage of discovery.
It is difficult to categorise this album which is an eclectic mix of delta blues, acoustic blues, alternative country and even folk rock, but somehow producer T Bone Burnett makes it work. He has taken the pair through a selection of thirteen well chosen songs and there isn't an ounce of filler on the album. Burnett has given it a warm, appealing sound and the voices of Plant and Krauss blend effortlessly together on such tracks as Killing The Blues and Stick With Me Baby. The latter sounds almost like the Everly Brothers with a chiming guitar propelling the melody.
There are two Gene Clark songs, Polly Come Home and Through The Morning, Through The Night and are given fine, haunting, interpretations that Clark himself would have been proud of. Plant gets to rock a little on his driving take of the Everly's Gone, Gone, Gone, which sounds nothing like the original!
The Plant/Page collaboration Please Read The Letter translates readily into a country styling whilst Nothin', sounds like late Zeppelin with Krauss's fiddle soaring above the electric distortion. But, for me, the finest moment on the album is Sister Rosetta with Krauss's gypsy fiddle and haunting vocal making this song a restrained, but compelling masterpiece.
If you are a fan of Krauss's fiddle, you might be disappointed to find that she only gets to play it on two tracks, but there is much to compensate with her mature and intelligent interpretations. Plant fans too, will not be disappointed in this latest chapter of his voyage of discovery.
54 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
First of all, this is a truly great collection of songs. The arrangements are all superb, delivering an irresistible blend of country and rock. I love the musicianship on this album and the combination of these stellar voices works really well. Alison Krauss is a remarkable talent and Robert Plant shows that he still has the quality and dexterity to deliver magical vocal performances. We know we are in for something special from the very first track ('Rich Woman') which is a swampy stomp with a lovely reverb guitar reminiscent of Roy Orbison or Chris Isaak. The next track ('Killing the Blues') is a great country song and the vocal harmony is just to die for - superb! And it just keeps getting better. There is a lot to enjoy here and even if you're not really a fan of either artist, or are unsure about the collaboration, this album is definitely worth taking a chance on - it is unlikely to disappoint. This is quality country rock along the lines of some of the modern country music around today from the likes of Howe Gelb, Calexico or Iron & Wine.
73 of 80 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I was initially quite hesitant about this album and ended up buying it out of curiosity. My curiosity is satisfied.
This may well be the future for Robert?
As much as I am - and always have been - a great Zep fan, I cannot see any future there. I do believe this may be the way forward for "old Planty".
His voice sits so well here; no screeching or wailing, no gutural roars, no real demands on his able but none-the-less ageing voice. Mostly gentle and/or easy-going with a few skippy numbers picking up the pace here and there.
BUT - this is also Ms Krauss who is surely a BIG influence on our hero. Her voice is silky and melifluous but doesn't lack strength.
This album surprised and pleased me. A meld of blues, bluegrass, country-rock and folk sauced with a bit of rockabilly.
This is Robert Plant - NOT Led Zeppelin and it is Ms Alison Krauss who will now (if there is any justice), get the credit she richly deserves.
Put it on, sit back and enjoy!
This may well be the future for Robert?
As much as I am - and always have been - a great Zep fan, I cannot see any future there. I do believe this may be the way forward for "old Planty".
His voice sits so well here; no screeching or wailing, no gutural roars, no real demands on his able but none-the-less ageing voice. Mostly gentle and/or easy-going with a few skippy numbers picking up the pace here and there.
BUT - this is also Ms Krauss who is surely a BIG influence on our hero. Her voice is silky and melifluous but doesn't lack strength.
This album surprised and pleased me. A meld of blues, bluegrass, country-rock and folk sauced with a bit of rockabilly.
This is Robert Plant - NOT Led Zeppelin and it is Ms Alison Krauss who will now (if there is any justice), get the credit she richly deserves.
Put it on, sit back and enjoy!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Robert Plant new generation
An excellent CD smooth and interesting. So good to see my all time favourite rock singer hitting the right place again and finding an interesting combination of song content, and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by charleyblack
Buried under sand
Having read such glowing reviews and looking forward to purchasing music from two such revered artists, I was disappointed by the quality of the sound. Read more
Published 8 months ago by charliegirl
Intriguing and Enigmatic
English Blues meets modern American Country, calling at all points in between. This album is subtle, occasionally ethereal, with tracks ranging from the Zeppelin-reminiscent... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Twirligig
Good album
A good album with some great songs on. Alison Krauss and Robert Plant sing toigether so well and their harmonies are excellent in some songs. Favourite is 'Please read the letter'. Read more
Published 10 months ago by JWpepper
graceful atmosphere
A golden warrior of rock scene and a delicate princess sing old and new tunes, with graceful and soft atmospheres, far away from heavy beats, but not from good music. Read more
Published 12 months ago by M. Alfredo
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Raising sand. Who would have put these 2 together? Still, great duo and I like the album. Trouble is it is a bit of a 'niche' album and not really mainstream. Read more
Published 14 months ago by alinspain
raising sand cd
wonderful album, would never have thought of these two very different artists voices working, but they are fantastic together one of the very best albums I have bought over many... Read more
Published 16 months ago by beachy
Dual Dynamics
Two great artists from different fields demonstrating the power that combined talent can produce. The sounds are new and vibrant and the lyrics wonderful.
Published 17 months ago by Michael E. Wood
Wow!
This is simply unmissable for all real music lovers. It is beautiful, haunting and you wont be able to get the melodies out of your head. If you can wear out CD's, I will. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Corinne Hayes
Raising Sand is a joy
This CD is excellent for anyone who is an existing fan of Robert Plant or who is new to him. An easy to listen to CD.
Published 21 months ago by Ang3876
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