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Back in the day when rock music meant just about everything to me, there were two categories of bands I listened to: (1) Led Zeppelin and (2) Everyone else. There were some great bands and artists in category No. 2, but they weren't Led Zeppelin. And that was the point as far as I was concerned: Led Zeppelin was (and remains) in a class all by itself. With the twin frontmen Robert Plant (vocals) and Jimmy Page (all things guitar), this was (and is) a band for the ages. And not just because of "Stairway to Heaven." There were other great cuts as well. My personal favorites are "When the Levee Breaks," "Kashmir," and (especially) "Ten Years Gone," the greatest of the great.
Zep was instantly recognizable because of Plant's amazing voice: clear as water, with an amazing range and that little hitch in the voice (think Roy Orbison) that could tug at your heartstrings. The first five Zep albums changed the rock music world--irrevocably.
After John Bonham's untimely death, Zep broke up and the remaining three artists, Plant, Page, and multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones went their separate ways. Page and Plant recorded together (
No Quarter
), and with other artists as well. Page even recorded a testosterone feast with rock god wannabe David Coverdale
Coverdale & Page
. Page and Plant also put together a Zep reunion tour a few years back.
But it must be galling to be remembered for the songs one wrote and sang some 40 years ago, and Plant has clearly moved on. The aforementioned "No Quarter" CD singled a change in direction for Page and Plant--instead of crashing guitars, a lot of acoustic music that drew its power not from sheer volume alone, but also from the inherent emotion in the music itself.
Perhaps "No Quarter" presages Plant's current offering, "Band of Joy." Recorded in Nashville, it immediately evokes Plant's folk music roots. The music is a combination of gospel, old country & western from the 1950s (think Patsy Cline or Eddy Arnold), bluegrass, folk, 1960s-era garage bands, grunge, and that particular blend of New Orleans Cajun music. There aren't any of the exotic instruments of "No Quarter" here, nor are there any keyboards that I could hear, just mandolins, banjos, acoustic guitars, what sounds like a washtub bass, pedal and lots of what sounds like Fender Telecasters played through a Twin Reverb amp with lots of fuzz tones. Soaring over all of this is the remarkable voice of Robert Plant, clear as cool water, at times crying, whispering, or even shouting here and there. At times he sings alone, at times harmonizing with the lovely voice of Patty Griffin, at times accompanied with singers that sound for all the world like the Dixie Hummingbirds.
Plant's voice is still there in all its glory: immediately recognizable, it shows no traces of the years (there's a photo of him on the inside liner of the CD case. He looks like all of us do who were teens in the 1960s and perhaps haven't aged too gracefully). But that wonderful voice, the voice that to me defined rock and roll for nearly 20 years--It's still there! Thanks be to whatever musical gods there are for preserving this treasure.
I must admit that I was initially taken aback by this CD when I stuck it in the car's CD player while tooling down the road. I'd expected something like
Fate of Nations
or even
No Quarter
. The gumbo that my ears sampled was initially too rich. But repeated listenings have made me fall in love with this wonderful CD. There is not a weak cut here, and there are some beautiful ones, just right for cuddling up with somebody you love: "Falling in Love Again" and "The Only Sound That Matters" are wonderful close dancing, huggin' and kissin' songs; Plant's take on the old folksong "Cindy I'll Marry You Someday" is perfect. "You Can't Buy My Love" evokes memories of the Beatles and their hit "Can't Buy Me Love." The ominous gospel sound of "Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down" is just right. And then there's the intimacy of "Silver Rider;" it sounds like it was recorded as were the Enya CDs of years past, with the mic right up next to the mouth, so that even the tiniest mouth sound makes it into the recorded mix.
None of this is what I expected--boy am I glad. What a fabulous CD. Anyone who loved (or still loves) Led Zeppelin, and who's curious about the roots of Robert Plant, their amazing singer, will enjoy this CD. To my ears, it's an instant classic. I only wish it had another 12 cuts; I could listen to it for hours. Come to think of it, I have! Buy it now!
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Top reviews from other countries
John
Timely delivery, and cd exactly as described.
Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2023
Amazon カスタマー
Robert Plant's voice is still great.
Reviewed in Japan on June 7, 2019