Miracles do happen. A sequel to the magnificent pairing of Robert and Alison has been a wish list moment for many a fan of their previous (and now a teenager) album, Raising Sand. New album Raise The Roof is on the way. Preceded by this magnificent warm bath on a cold night of a tune. Can’t Let Go is a piece of luxury novelty. A not doing much but feeling lush three and a half minute masterclass in musicality being a simple affair.
I’ve praised them both here before. They made the grade for Led Zeppelin Week with the do over of Percy’s own Please Read The Letter too. Robert’s is a voice I feel entirely at home with in almost all circumstances. I’ve even started to come around to The Honeydrippers. Robert Plant’s is a voice that has evolved with his ageing. You want to look at growing old gracefully and still being a rock and roller. Watch Robert do his myriad things.
The old school smoothed out R&R MOR for OAP’s vibe is homely and warm. RP jitterbugs gently and Alison supports his every vocal like a woman of substance stood by her man. Truth be told, it’s Alison’s depth and texture that makes this sound such a luxurious groove. The sophisticated clatter on a snare and the un-led-ed and unplugged fretless bassline would get old men dancing with kids at a wedding. It would loosen the tightest of neck ties and make well dressed women of a certain age slip of their shoes to dance barefoot. Gawd bless.
The pairing is as immaculate as it was last time around despite a combined age of 123 years of vocal chord use between the pair of them (OK so Alison is only 50, Percy is doing most of the mileage there). Classy is what it is. Sheer ruddy class.
I know our buddy Deke at Thunder Bay Arena Rock is working his way through Plant’s solo work doing admirable work on the 80’s output right now. He’s got a heck of a journey ahead if he’s going through the Now and Zen, Manic Nirvana stage then Strange Sensation, Shapeshifters, Un-Led-Ed, Page & then Raising Sand, Band Of Joy and on and on, right up to now.
Stick with it Deke. There’s gold in them thar hills.
Steve For The Deaf 
Are these cover tunes on the album? This song sounds really familiar. They sound great together. Both a couple of class acts, you’re right. It was only when I was writing up Alison on the Women’s Music March that I learned that her backup band are the musicians for the O Brother Where Art Thou movie soundtrack where the trio makes it big with their hit.
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I did not know that. I’m not sure if it’s all going to be covers but elsewhere in these comments I just learned this was originally a Lucinda Williams tune
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Cool – it’s the song Lucinda Williams has recorded.
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Oh, thanks so much for this. He’s my absolute favorite singer, and the poster boy fir aging gracefully. He cares not that he no longer looks the golden god of rock and roll. He’s having fun. He’s seen almost everything. Incidentally, I’ve met probably about twenty people who have met him, I’ve seen photos of him taken with fans and their families at Disney World (I live in Orlando), and every single person has said he was the most down to earth kind human you could imagine. He’s the only celebrity I ever had a crush on. Amazing voice!!!!
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I have to admit that I’m curious about the Plant/Krause albums though they are no doubt redolent of the Appalachian vibe that I’ve lived in for 20 years now. I tend to react against whatever is most prevalent in my surroundings and look elsewhere for kicks. In the late 70s, Disco and Southern Rock did me in and living in Western North Carolina, I never want to hear bluegrass! But i have peeked in on Plant’s interesting Post-Zep career. I have some of the early period and his “rootsy” phase is probably worth a listen just because he is, yes, aging gracefully and is not embarrassing himself. I had no idea that there was a 2nd Plant/Krause album coming, which shows you that I really haven’t left my Record Cell in 18 months! Because there’s probably evidence of it all over my city if I were to venture out looking for it! I gave the 2008 tour a miss when it came to town because I felt that it would be a hassle seeing then at the Asheville Civic Center though I was thinking about catching Plant on the “Manic Nirvana” tour. As for T-Bone Burnett, he’s so prevalent here our friends reverse photobombed him when taking our photo at a local eatery. Well, he did sit right behind us.
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Yup. Magic. T Bone must be on board.
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OMG I am buying this. I am putting it in both cars, putting it on my iPod and making a play copy for the other stereo too. Ohhhh yes.
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