"Band of joy," project Solo of Robert Plant

"I suddenly felt very free and liberated," Mr. Plant said by telephone at his home in England, near the Welsh border. "The time was open ended, with a vast horizon, and this is how I used to feel the music.". This great weight fell away from me and I thought: "I could be 17 here." It took me back to how I felt when I was in the band of joy. »
Inspired by this emotion and the remarkable ensemble of musicians he worked with (led by guitarist and co-producer Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin singer), Mr. Plant decided to the title of this album "Band of Joy"."," after the group in which he and drummer John Bonham played prior to the formation of Led Zeppelin in 1968. With a laugh, Mr. Plant, 62, described "wonderful, crazy, incendiary quality this band," saying: "it has been constantly implode in internal and external." We were so frustrated and so hungry, but it was great. »
The creation of the "band of Joy" album, which was released on Rounder Records on September 14, was not quite so chaotic, although he did need some twists and turns along the way. (The group will perform at the Bowery Ballroom Sunday.) After the unexpected success of "raising sand", which won a Grammy Award 2009 as the album of the year, the Plant of Mr. and Mrs. Krauss has attempted to record a follow-up. This in itself was a little surprise, because the solo career of Mr. plant he saw strive to avoid repeating himself, venturing down avenues such as rockabilly, folk and music of the Middle East.
"We cut lot with Alison," he said, "and we have spent enough time to know that we did not just not the right equipment." We had such great output with "raising sand", he had such joy and humour and reverie, and we were not hitting in the same light. »
After these sessions, Mr. Plant called Mr. Miller, who had been in the "Raising Sand" band tour and asked if he would assemble musicians for a solo project. "I have really spent much time trying to talk about ending the record with Alison," said Mr. Miller. "I thought there are magical moments there."
What he heard Mr. Plant, however, was that he wanted to start from scratch and try something more daring. "I spent three years searching around, how to exploit the search for clues and collect songs that are deep enough", said Mr. Plant.
It gathered dozens of songs that he was interested in recording, ranging from the indie rock to traditional spirituals. Mr. Miller, with the feeling that he needed to musicians who "would be able to travel to where the music takes," assembled a small band with multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott, bassist Byron House and drummer Marco Giovino.
"The musicality of these guys is almost frightening," said Mr. Plant. "Sing with them down the rigging with a knife in my teeth, I just try to off the coast with some experiments." Sometimes I think I should just be helping restoration. »
Always, he believed that he lacked something, and he calls Mrs. Griffin, a famous singer-songwriter and a frequent collaborator with Mr. Miller. "He told me that he felt as he had not completed the folder again, and it needed a few spices," she said.
What he wanted, however, was something very specific and very different from the dynamics of concessions he shared with Ms. Krauss. Ms. Griffin stated that its role was "more landscape there, more like a cello or a flute.". Mr. Plant called "the sidekick serene, almost confused."
Mr. Miller and Ms. Griffin described the sound of "band of Joy" as darker than that of "raising sand." With two songs from the catalog of the band of Minnesota Low spare, intense and songs by Los Lobos, Richard Thompson, Townes Van Zandt alongside Doo - wop numbers and spiritual, the disk is a testament to plant for its liberal design eclectic tastes of music American roots.

The paper "band of Joy" may seem a bit like a territory back to familiar, but the performances are always surprising. You can't Buy My Love "is a back-porch rocker popping finger, while"The Only Sound that Matters,"offers an introspective meditation on the complications of love." Between the calibre of musicians, the ambitious material and plant of Mr. voice (his signature banshee wail modulated to attack more altered, expressive, Mr. Miller compared to jazz singing), the album - true to its title - really feels like a band effort.
Mr. Plant stated that the sensation of records reminds him "that another band," as he refers sometimes to Led Zeppelin.
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