Customer Reviews

Raising Sand (Digi Pack)

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

I listened to this CD without any ideas of the musical styles that would be used. It was only through having heard solo songs composed by Robert Plant some years earlier (think "Big Log") that I wanted to listen to 'Raising Sand' to see what all the hype was about. When I heard the first few bars of each song I thought 'how the hell is this going to develop?' and then it would evolve and go somewhere I was not expecting it to go and it was quite pleasant and thought provoking. Some of the song arrangements will grow on me; a few of them I thought were good. I definately will be listening to this again. It is an album to chill out to whilst lying on the couch after a heavy day at work. The two vocal styles intertwine and complement one another and they take you off to explore new lands you've never heard about.

This is my favourite record of the year so far. A great selection of songs, most of which I had never heard before. The two voices work really well together and are enhanced by the excellent production. It may not appeal to hardcore Led Zep fans but is a must for anyone interested in Americana or atmospheric country music.

There seems little point in repeating the praise heaped on these landmark recordings already in so many excellent reviews. When I first heard "Raising Sand" in 2007 it was obviously destined not for musical obscurity but for some kind of greatness, and since then I've listened to these songs hundreds of times in the morning, the evening, on lazy summer afternoons and driving through the mountains of Andalusia in an open-topped sports car. It's one of those rare occasions when dedicated professionalism, inspired musicians with a love for the material and first-rate production know-how come together to create something remarkable and hard to categorise.

Robert Plant has always had a deep interest in, and understanding of, the many strands of traditional American folk music. Anyone familiar with his back catalogue over the past 40 years will see evidence of this interest and of his ability to interpret traditional styles like slow blues, R&B and folk-country in new ways. Just listen to "Babe I'm gonna leave you" from Led Zeppelin's first album in 1969 - it goes back that far.

Alison Krauss has spent a career playing bluegrass - she's a great fiddle player too - and in Plant has found what seems to be her perfect musical match. This superficially improbable collaboration has given birth to something truly wonderful. Plant's voice turns out to be perfect for bluegrass and brings a depth of feeling - yet with a light touch - to complement Krauss's serene and beautiful singing in harmonies of such richness and serenity they raise the bar in the same way Simon & Garfunkel did way back in the 1970s (though the analogy is confined to the quality of the harmonies and goes no further). The care and respect they have for the material is obvious in the quality of the resultant product. The album cover carries a MOJO quote: "The musical relationship between Krauss and Plant is so gentle, attentive and respectfully intimate it feels more like a courtship dance" - perfect summary.

It's a great, great album, and something of a benchmark. If you've never heard it, you should. You'll likely listen to it for years and years, and love it more every time - like the rest of us.

Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss is a special recording. Here is a collection of a baker's dozen haunting and atmospheric slices of Americana, enhanced by sparse production and exquisitely understated musicianship. The Plant fellow is on restrained form and the numbers benefit from his tender and thoughtful interpretations. Krauss possesses a beautiful voice, its clarity reminding me a little of - don't mock - sixties song thrush Mary Hopkin. Both voices complement each other splendidly and some of the harmonies are ethereal, subtle and rather magical. Not one note is wasted; every second is exceptional. A pleasure.

This is probably the best coupling in ages - whoever thought of this knew what they were doing!
A superb album. I'm a big Led Zeppelin fan but Robert Plant has created great albums on his own - each one different. What can you say about Alison Krauss? Must be the best contemporary bluegrass artist around.
Wonderful stuff!

I love it, since getting the CD it has been going in the car non stop. The combination of their voices and the different music styles make this a listening pleasure. I was not dissappointed.

I have never been a fan of Robert Plant or Led Zeppelin and would not call myself a fan of Alision Krauss although I do like some of her music. I have always tended to find her vocals fairly bland. So when I was given this I thought it would be an unwanted present to give to someone else but decided in a moment of boredom to give it a listen. I am glad I did. I have now listened to it many times. It is a real surprise. The vocal combination works incredibly well and the production is first rate and very symathetic to the singers and the songs. The production itself is beautiful. The album as a whole is atmospheric, interesting and exciting. It is a mix of many musical styles but it is simply great music. Thoroughly enjoyable and one of the releases of 2007. Highly recommended.