With a legacy likely to stretch to the moon and back Robert Plant has nothing left to prove to anyone. The former Led Zeppelin vocalist ( and figure of cultural importance I should imagine) has carved a successful solo career for himself post-Zep and his unquenchable thirst for music itself has led him to embrace most of it - from African to blues and even traditional folk. His collaboration with the queen of bluegrass, Alison Krauss, on 2007’s multiple Grammy winner ‘Raising Sand’ remains the greatest example yet of his versatility. So then ‘Band Of Joy’, his 10th solo album and fond resurrection, in name only, of the little known experimental blues band he played with back in the 60’s before Led Zeppelin came calling. This time around of course his is the only name here that carries any association to the outfit that existed in those earliest years and he’s enlisted the help of seasoned musicians Buddy Miller, Byron House, Darrell Scott, Marco Giovino and singer Patty Griffin to make up the numbers. Featuring new interpretations of old songs are the words Mr Plant may possibly prefer to be employed when describing the bulk of this album, but plain old ‘cover versions’ will do it for me. Credit though, the songs chosen have been expertly transformed and now boast a contemporary edginess, so hats off to them. Among the gems that can be easily spotted include new single the Los Lobos song ‘
Angel Dance' Low’s ‘
Silver Rider’ The Kelly Brothers ‘
Falling In Love Again’ and traditional American folk songs ‘
Cindy I’ll Marry You Someday’ and ‘
Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down’. With everything laid out track to track the finished product is impressively glorious and regardless of the original authors work Robert Plant and Co have nailed this so tightly you’ll never be convinced any of it belongs to someone else - unless you know, of course. Plant’s lead vocals are furiously commanding at every stage and the musicianship is quite frankly - stunning. Plenty life in the old dog yet? Less of a cliché now it seems.
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