Little Maggie - A tribute cover of the bluegrass tune by the Stanley Brothers in the 1940's. You can definitely hear an older sound to it, but Plant gives it a newer feel, a sort of distinctive twist that makes it all his own. A good sounding track, and if it does not immediately grab you, give it a chance. A good, solid tune!
Rainbow - One of my very favorite tracks from this new album, and one of the songs that is immediately listener-friendly, if you will. This is probably the biggest song from the album, in terms of popularity, judging from how often he seems to sprinkle it in his setlist, as well as how many views it has received on Youtube.
Pocketful of Golden - A pleasant enough song with a sound that seems almost to wander with one's thoughts. It has a definite influence that sounds almost Middle Eastern, perhaps. Lyrics that suggest finding happiness with someone that was, or is, very far away. Also, a vague sense of aging is reflected in these lyrics, as well. An appreciation for small things, perhaps, and a bit of wisdom from Robert Plant.
Embrace Another Fall - Robert Plant's lyrics in this one suggest that he is feeling every minute of his age. This has a somber, bordering on depressing sound initially, with lyrics to match. It starts to get much heavier a little bit later into it, however, and employs some very interesting, almost tribal drumming. Towards the end, we hear a female voice singing in Welsh. As for the aging part, here's a sampling, so you can take a look at the lyrics for yourself:
Oh I often think of you
The hour before it rains
Across the broken days
That brought me home again
and...
Embrace another fall
My year is worn and cold
To you I bare my soul
My summer's almost gone
Turn It Up - A very cool, catchy refrain that has a rhythmic repetition, and thought-provoking lyrics about someone driving around with no particular sense of direction, looking for guidance from the radio. Here are some of the lyrics that I particularly liked (the "it" is the radio):
The car goes round in circles
The road remains the same
For help and consolation
I'll turn it on again
A Stolen Kiss - A quiet, almost eerie sound at times. The lyrics reflect a running theme with the lyrics throughout this album, reflecting on aging, directly or indirectly (they are rather abstract with this particular song, but you definitely get a sense that this has something to do with getting older). A nice, slow song, overall.
Somebody There - This is a pleasant tune with a kind of deliberate slowness, and contemplative lyrics that accommodate the music. Just take a look at these lyrics:
When I was a young boy
And time was passing by
Real slow
And all around was wonder
And all around the great unknown
With eyes that slowly opened
I set about the wisdom to know
Yes, another song where Robert Plant is addressing aging, and acknowledging that he is at the latter stage of his life, as evidenced by some of the lyrics a little later into the song:
Now high upon the mountain
Where green has turned to golden
Shine on so
This song is beautiful and thought-provoking, and pretty much everything you could ask for in such a song! Nice!
Poor Howard - This track probably has the oldest pure feel of any song in this collection! You can really tell that this is an old song, both musically and lyrically. But that's not an insult! This is a catchy song with a lot of spirit!
House of Love - Difficult to get these lyrics on the internet, for some reason. Not sure why. I keep getting lyrics that do not quite match up with what I'm hearing, so I know that can't be right. But they sound good just listening to them, as does this slow-paced song musically. Contemplative and, again, with a hint of addressing what appears to be the running theme lyrically with this album - aging!
Up On The Hollow Hill - Another rather slow-paced, contemplative song, with a hint of an older feel to it. Also, another song that is difficult to obtain the lyrics for, but a nice addition to this album overall.
Arbaden (Maggie's Baby) - This one, right away, has a very old, folksie feel to it, although somehow, Plant's singing lends it a much more modern feel to it, somehow. This is a companion piece to the opening track, and so as a closer, these two throwback songs serve as sort of book ends. This is as fitting and nice a song to end the album with as possible.
Summary:
All in all, I think that Robert Plant has a solid new band, and a great new album!
Also, I suspect that many people, including people that I know pretty well, will approach it with caution and skepticism, and perhaps not give it a chance at all.
Here's the thing: Robert Plant has some really great stuff! You have to get past the fact that this is not, of course, Led Zeppelin. Indeed, perhaps he may never actually go through with the reunion tour for Zep, truth be told. I don't know. I'm not entirely sure he knows, either. Maybe his mind is decided, or maybe not.
Perhaps the lyrics to "Pocketful of Garden" might provide a glimpse about Plant's seemingly ambivalent attitude towards some kind of a reunion with Led Zep:
All of us in motion, moving on and gone
I have to say, after giving a good few listens to this album, that I don't blame Plant for not being super charged up about a reunion with Led Zeppelin, regardless of how other fans feel. The fact of the matter is that he has some really strong material here, and is still creating very good music in his own right with his solo career, although I suspect some fans of Zep, specifically, won't give it a chance, specifically because it does not have the name Led Zeppelin splashed across it.
And really, can you blame him? In many ways, those who only look to a Zeppelin reunion are essentially saying that the creative musical lives of the members of Led Zeppelin are dead, and how could Robert Plant simply, lie down and accept that? We all know that he could make a ton of money from a reunion, yet he seems to refuse. After listening to this album, I suspect that the reason is that this guy might truly be more committed to making solid music than to making a buck, and isn't that the kind of integrity that we should admire in an artist, especially in this day and age?
Plant has some really cool stuff in his own right, though. When I was just a freshman in high school, Robert Plant enjoyed a moment in the sun during his solo career with the release of Now and Zen, particularly with the hits Heaven Knows and Tall Cool One, both of which I loved. More recently, however, I really enjoy much of his more recent work (which is not exactly solo, although his name will obviously draw the huge attention to the Sensation Space Shifters). Just listen to a song like Tin Pan Valley, which is probably my personal favorite song.
So, is Robert Plant shirking what many see as his responsibilities to the legendary Led Zeppelin, in order to pursue his solo career? Maybe.
But he sure seems to be enjoying what he's doing now, and I think there's a good reason for that! Give this album a listen, and you might just agree!
Ascending Without Zeppelin by Jon Pareles, September 7, 2014:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/08/arts/music/robert-plant-releases-lullaby-and-the-ceaseless-roar.html?_r=0
Robert Plant on What Inspires His New Band, and What He Still Finds Interesting About Led Zeppelin
http://www.billboard.com/articles/6251461/robert-plant-interview-lullaby-and-the-ceaseless-roar
Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters: Lullaby and … the Ceaseless Roar – review by Alexis Petridis, 4 September 2014:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/04/robert-plant-lullaby-and-the-ceaseless-roar-review
Robert Plant’s new album won’t put you to sleep by Kelly McGarry | Wednesday, September 24, 2014
http://ndsmcobserver.com/2014/09/robert-plants-new-album-wont-put-sleep/
This was a particularly enthusiastic review that suggests that this album was so bold and filled with exciting new material, that it effectively quells any chance of a Led Zep reunion! Obviously, I cannot speak to that, because you just never know, right? But, this was a good and interesting review, and thought that I'd share it here:
Critic's Pick: Robert Plant, 'lullaby ... The Ceasless Roar' by Walter Tunis, Contributing Music writer for Kentucky.com, September 16, 2014:
http://www.kentucky.com/2014/09/16/3431985/critics-pick-robert-plant-lullaby.html
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