Read it while it lasts: Uwe has nice things to say about Robert Plant ...

[uwe]

Sigh, I saw him and his Shape Shifters on Wednesday in a medium-sized (sold out) hall. Of course he could be selling out arenas if he toured with his old buddies and a new drummer, yet he doesn't.

The evening featured loads of obvious and not so obvious Zep tracks, hardly anything from Herr Plant's solo career back catalog (no Big Log or 29 Palms), obscure and not so obscure blues tracks (Son House, Leadbelly, Bukka White) and Arabian-tinged exploits plus modern day electronica.

The Zep numbers were rearranged to an extent that most of the audience only realized them via signature riffs (often rhythmically disassembled) or Plant singing a chorus. He consciously defies audience expectations (singing the Whole Lot of Love lyric over Who do you love anyone?), yet the result is aurally pleasing and not washed out at all.

And to give credit to the former rock god (who talked at great lenghts about the contribution of the old bluesers to contemporary music - making amends for those missing credits on the early Zep albums, huh, Robert?), he is utterly in control of his voice, there wasn't one note that evening he was in danger of missing simply because he doesn't sing anything anymore his voice can't reach. So all these banshee wail adornments that graced Zep albums are gone. And what you hear of his voice sounds credible and dare I say masterful, never mind the rubbish lyrics.

Oh, and the remastered late Zep albums Presence, In through the outdoor and Coda arrived from Amazon today. Haven't heard them yet, but the fact that the In thru ... and Coda sleeves are now reinstated to their (miniature) original browwn cardboard glory drew a smile to my face. By the way, Zep's penultimate album and only foray into the Abba studios is among my favourite albums from them. It has some timeless tunes. Haven't heard Presence otoh in ages, let's see how Pagey's "guitar album" holds up to renewed scrutiny. And I have never heard anything from Coda. The remastering on the previous releases was commendable to say the least and the extra tracks on the Deluxe versions more than just barrel scrapings.

[Hörnisse]

Nice review Uwe.  I've got ITTOD and Presence coming in the mail soon.  I have the others as well.  Not sure about CODA.  I bought it new in 1982(?) and was unimpressed.  I did like the 8 string workout JPJ did on Ozone Baby. 

When Plant was living in Austin he would frequent the local (to me) South Austin Guitar Center.  I told my guitarist friend who works there that he should have asked him, "Aren't you the guy who was is in Alison Krauss' band?"

I heard "In The Mood" on the radio a few days ago.  I'd forgotten how much I liked his  80's solo work.  I can't say I'm a fan of his later offerings. 

[Highlander]

I might be committing heresy for some folks, but having the advantage of seeing both DPIV and IIa, several differing versions of Rainbow with three singers, the original Whitesnake pre JL and Paicey and with them, and seeing LZ, all of the preceding LZ acts produced a more aurally pleasing sound live, to these ears, but I might be pressed to talk about them in the Studio... DPII vs LZ is a tough call... not got all the CD's of any of them...