Raising Sand: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Raising Sand: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – 10.99

Robert Plant’s side-project is what kept, and will end up keeping Robert from reuniting with the rest of Led Zeppelin.

Here’s how good his collaboration with Ms. Krauss is:  That’s a good thing.

Yes the O2 concert was quite the spectacle.  But would it not better to keep that to a one night affair, and avoid a bizarre and awkward tour of stadiums and arenas in the U.S. to be followed by an equally odd new album of so-so material? Besides, John Paul Jones is busy anyway.

Instead we get this:  The perfect pairing between the gravel soaked vocal chords of Robert Plant, and the downy-softness-she’s-so-cute-she-could-even-pull-off-a-snuggie Alison Krauss.  T Bone Burnette was the producer on this album and the songs he chose for these two very different legends to sing were nothing short of perfect.

It’s not too slow, or too fast, too sad or too excited.  Killing the Blues is a beautiful song to turn the lights out to, Trampled Rose haunts, and Stick With Me Baby is sweeter than sweet.  Let your loss be your Lesson and Gone Gone Gone have that gentle driving locomotive-tempo that reminds you this is a record to listen to anytime of day, and any time of year.