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Usually ships in 1 business days | | | | | | The musical collaboration of the decade, Raising Sand is the sound of two iconic figures stepping out of their respective comfort zones and letting their instincts lead them across a brave new sonic landscape. Despite hailing from distinctly different backgrounds, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant share a maverick spirit and willingness to extend the boundaries of their respective genres. This spirit, expertly honed by producer T Bone Burnett, has resulted in an album pitched three steps beyond some cosmic collision of early urban blues, spacious West Texas country, and the untapped potential of the folk-rock revolution.
Supported by the unparalleled musicianship of Marc Ribot, Dennis Crouch, Mike Seeger, Jay Bellerose, Norman Blake, Greg Leisz, Patrick Warren, and Riley Baugus, Plant and Krauss -- as both solo and harmony vocalists -- tackle an intriguing selection of songs from such tunesmiths as Tom Waits, Gene Clark, Sam Phillips, Townes Van Zandt, The Everly Broth! ers, and Mel Tillis. Raising Sand finds Robert Plant and Alison Krauss exploring popular music's elemental roots while still sounding effortlessly, breath-takingly contemporary.
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| | Product Details | | Audio CD Release Date: | October 23, 2007 | | Studio: | Rounder | | Number Of Discs: | 1 | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 633 reviews |
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| | Track Listing | | 1. | Rich Woman | | 2. | Killing the Blues | | 3. | Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us | | 4. | Polly Come Home | | 5. | Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) | | 6. | Through the Morning, Through the Night | | 7. | Please Read the Letter | | 8. | Trampled Rose | | 9. | Fortune Teller | | 10. | Stick with Me Baby | | 11. | Nothin' | | 12. | Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson | | 13. | Your Long Journey | |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review:
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 Duet made in Heaven Aug 28, 2010
Like the previous reviewers have commented: Unlikely duet but it works. This CD starts good and ends well. I am always replaying this. Not country per say, the selections were well put together for a nice discovery of what is possible with these two talents.
Raising Sand Aug 20, 2010
This is the third copy I've bought. We enjoyed the different sound so much we purchased copies for my brother-on-law and nephew.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Memorable? I've forgotten it already Aug 17, 2010
Like many commentators here, I am an admirer of both Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Unlike most of them, however, I fail to see the charm of this album. It is certainly not the fault of the two stars: they are in fine voice, and while the overall countrified (rather than country) style of music is nothing new for Krauss, it is a thrill to hear Plant be so subtly expressive, while an occasional yelp on an uptempo number reminds us that here is, after all, a singer with extraordinary vocal cords, which don't seem to've faded in the least, unlike those of many singers of his age.
Nor is it the fault of the musicians, who do their thing as well as could be wished for, although that "thing" seldom demands anything special of them. Marc Ribot, for example, hardly shows his expertise as a guitarist -- a much lesser musician could do what he is asked to do.
It's simply the songs that are to blame. This is boring stuff. The whole enterprise has been given a highly polished atmospheric sheen by producer T. Bone Burnett, to whom I cannot but take my hat off, but it's not enough. He has chosen to exploit the dull sameness and ordinariness of most of the songs by giving everything a dark aura, presumably hoping to convey that if the whole CD is slow and grave, it is meant to be so. Close but no cigar. Slow as molasses, yes; grave, not at all. The songs are for the most part unengaging pop-country fluff that seems to've lost all energy, and the faster ones merely sound out of place. "Gone gone gone" is a standard rocker that sits there and does nothing: it's as ordinary as white bread and the lyrics are insipid. Similarly, one has to wonder what possessed Plant to want to include a sixties' chestnut "Fortune Teller" here - in this particular incarnation, it is not rock, country, pop, or anything specific, it just goes by without any oomph, and, in spite of Plant's voice, this song has been done with far greater excitement and juvenile dedication by the old bands in their infancy, such as the Rolling Stones.
Not that the songs are all bad; some are even quite lovely, although they are like brief rays of sunshine quickly drowned in the amorphous mass of the others. Plant's "Please Read the Letter" sounds like a beginner's stab at composition.
Indeed, although much has been made of the collaboration, a lot besides the songs doesn't jell here. Why even bother presenting it as a duo album? Each singer sings a number of songs alone, more than seems acceptable for a "duet." On those solo efforts, the other can be heard very distantly in the background, if at all. They complement each other reasonably well, but since neither expresses a different emotion than the other, there is no dynamic tension whatsoever. Krauss doesn't even bother to sing "I got a man" to Plant's "I got a woman." Why was this collaboration made? To rattle off thirteen plain little ditties? Neither star needs to coast on the other's fame for success. So, all I can think of is that they were hanging out and having a laugh, and they decided to have a little fun singing. All well and good, but when the pals are Plant and Krauss, a little fun immediately goes to the studio and becomes as refined (and probably as costly) as we can imagine. Here, the result, as almost always with musical self-indulgences, does not justify the praise that has been lavished on it.
Planted in bluegrass, the Krauss collaboration produces a timeless gem Jul 03, 2010
There seems little point in repeating the praise heaped on these landmark recordings already in so many excellent reviews. When I first heard "Raising Sand" in 2007 it was obviously destined not for musical obscurity but for some kind of greatness, and since then I've listened to these songs hundreds of times in the morning, the evening, on lazy summer afternoons and driving through the mountains of Andalusia in an open-topped sports car. It's one of those rare occasions when dedicated professionalism, inspired musicians with a love for the material and first-rate production know-how come together to create something remarkable and hard to categorise.
Robert Plant has always had a deep interest in, and understanding of, the many strands of traditional American folk music. Anyone familiar with his back catalogue over the past 40 years will see evidence of this interest and of his ability to interpret traditional styles like slow blues, R&B and folk-country in new ways. Just listen to "Babe I'm gonna leave you" from Led Zeppelin's first album in 1969 - it goes back that far.
Alison Krauss has spent a career playing bluegrass - she's a great fiddle player too - and in Plant has found what seems to be her perfect musical match. This superficially improbable collaboration has given birth to something truly wonderful. Plant's voice turns out to be perfect for bluegrass and brings a depth of feeling - yet with a light touch - to complement Krauss's serene and beautiful singing in harmonies of such richness and serenity they raise the bar in the same way Simon & Garfunkel did way back in the 1970s (though the analogy is confined to the quality of the harmonies and goes no further). The care and respect they have for the material is obvious in the quality of the resultant product. The album cover carries a MOJO quote: "The musical relationship between Krauss and Plant is so gentle, attentive and respectfully intimate it feels more like a courtship dance" - perfect summary.
It's a great, great album, and something of a benchmark. If you've never heard it, you should. You'll likely listen to it for years and years, and love it more every time - like the rest of us.
Exquisite May 09, 2010
Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? With T-Bone Burnett at the controls and Alison Krauss by his side, Robert Plant added an absolute gem to his crown. This is one of the most successful pairings in history, with a brilliant selection of songs, and it is like honey to my ears. I am stunned once again listening to this album.
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