Music's odd couple: Krauss and Plant
Chris Hansen Orf - The Tribune
Jul 01, 2008
When it was announced that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were making an album together, the cohabitation of neat and fussy Felix Unger and slovenly Oscar Madison in Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" sprang to mind. Here was Plant -- the former lead singer for one of the greatest rock bands in history, Led Zeppelin, known for his wailing upper register vocals and Norse golden god frontman visage -- paired with childhood bluegrass fiddle prodigy Alison Krauss, who has a mantle packed with a whopping 20 Grammys for her work in country, bluegrass and folk since 1990.
How could a rocker and a bluegrass chanteuse find common ground for an album?
It was easier than one might at first suspect.
The British Plant grew up on American blues and rockabilly records and has a legendary fixation with Elvis Presley, and Krauss' records, while finding a home in contemporary country, always pay tribute to early American bluegrass roots.
The resulting collaboration between the two singers is "Raising Sand," a critically acclaimed disc produced by T-Bone Burnett (who also produced the wildly popular "O Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack) that showcases the duo's sweet country harmonies and sparse, bluesy, country rock arrangements.
The album's muted, haunting textures bring the vocals to the forefront, allowing Plant, undoubtedly used to the raging hard rock of Led Zeppelin and his previous solo efforts, to offer up more subtle vocals sound-scapes. And Krauss, known for her wispy singing, stretched out and put a little grit in her vocals.
In addition to "Raising Sand" going platinum, a song from the disc, "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)," earned Plant his second Grammy (his first win was for best hard rock performance in 1998) and Krauss her 21st for best pop collaboration with vocals.
----
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion
