Duet Unto Others As You Would Have Duet To You
What a strange little weekend I’ve had! We got a small bonus check and after paying some bills, TheWifeToWhomI’mMarried and I each took a small piece of what was left to go entertain ourselves. She bought a nice new pair of jeans, I bought a nice new pair of CDs. Actually I bought three, but I want to focus on two of them because they tell a more interesting story.
Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and bluegrass titan Alison Krauss made a record together called Raising Sand under the supervision of producer extraordinaire T-Bone Burnett (do you think I put enough superlatives in that sentence?). I like Led Zeppelin and I’m always intrigued by unusual pairings like these. I don’t like country music at all, but I do like elements of country and root music and I like Krauss’ voice on the one or two songs I’ve heard her sing. I had a few extra dollars and decided to roll the dice.
As I was browsing for a couple other albums I was sure I wouldn’t be able to find, I stumbled on to another album I’d long been curious about but hadn’t purchased: Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris’ All The Roadrunning. I’ve meant to pick this one up a dozen times and never made its way into my cart… until now.
By the end of the weekend, I had two albums that paired classic rock icons and country music superstars. I’m sure there are a lot of people who have both records. I doubt there are many who bought them both on the same day.
I’m trying to avoid taking the easy road of praising the veterans by trashing the kids. I would have scoffed at anyone who tried to do that to me when I was 15. I’d have told any geezer gasbag to eat a dick if they’d tried to tell me Jackson Browne was a better songwriter than Stephen Pearcy. Of course I was wrong – although I’m still not a big Jackson Browne guy – but it’s the divine right of the kids to be wrong. Besides, I don’t have to trash the kids to tell you how good these veterans are even if it is more fun that way.
There are a lot of similarities between the records, the most noticeable difference being the production. I probably like the Plant/Krauss record just a little more but T-Bone Burnett’s production is occasionally oppressive and overly mannered in the same way a Daniel Lanois-produced record can be.
The material on Raising Sand is probably a little stronger, but “This is Us” from Roadrunning is probably the catchiest song on either record.
Performance wise, all four of these performers are on the top of their game. Robert Plant’s performance might be the most surprising because he seemed to have the furthest to go. His voice has been robbed of much of the spine-tingling power it once possessed. What he once did with machismo and force he now does with nuance and interpretation. I don’t know that I would have guessed him capable of it.
A strange, strange weekend, but rewarding as hell.
Filed under: Tags: Musical Musings and Random Ramblings
“Nuance and interpretation” - that sums up exactly what has happened to Plant over the years, especially here. Great little album. It keeps surprising me.
That’s also exactly why I fear for the Zep reunion - I don’t see how he can pull off singing like he used to. When he’s attempted older songs lately, they’re missing that power he used to have. He can still sing his own material just fine, because he developed a whole new voice when they disbanded, but their material is way too demanding. We’ll see soon, I guess.
Yeah, those Led Zeppelin songs don’t lend themselves to re-interpretation on a big stage like that. I fear his limitations will keep that from being everything it can be.
As for Raising Sand, it’s a really nice little record. Plant’s skills as a song interpreter really surprised me. I like it a lot.
I actually picked up both of these records recently too. Not on the same day as you, but within a close amount of time.
I’m not nearly the admirer of Raising Sand as everyone else seems to be, it’s ok but I haven’t really been able to get into it very much. I’ve only given it a couple of listens, so maybe after a few more I’ll dig it a lot, but for now it is getting labeled ‘interesting, but not that great.’
All The Roadrunning however is something I’m just loving. Both Emmylou and Knopfler both seem to be having a great great time and it rings through in every note.
Give Raising Sand a chance to grow on you. It’s a pretty good set, even if T-Bone is wearing his Lanois underroos.
I listened to it again after I read this and it is starting to grow on me, but yes some of the production is a bit much. I don’t think I could explain it much beyond that, but there is something in the way the drums sound sometimes that irks me.
[...] recently bought a stack of CDs (that have no connection to the three items above) and I feel compelled to write reviews for them. [...]