With two very different fan bases, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant may seem like an unlikely pair for a musical collaboration. As a former lead singer of iconic band Led Zeppelin, Plant is a rock 'n' roll legend, while 20 time Grammy winner Krauss is credited with providing bluegrass to a new generation in the '90s. Together their match up has made for one of the most talked about and highly anticipated releases of the year. Tied together by T-Bone Burnett's masterful production, the duo deliver an outstanding and unique folk rock album with Raising Sand, destined to become a longstanding piece of Americana.
Unconventionally, the album doesn't feature many true duets but rather alternating solo tracks that give each the chance to shine on folk tracks written by greats such as Tom Waits, Gene Clark, Sam Philips and the Everly Brothers.
Both artists agree that while they were not the kind of tracks either would have selected for themselves, with Burnett's guiding hand and minimalist arrangements, they perfectly embody the spirit of the collaborations.
Krauss takes over on the eerie banjo driven track Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us,"" and lets the gentle tone of her voice soar over the banjo's pluckings and supporting fiddle. The track doesn't sound like bluegrass or rock, but with an almost tango rhythm it demonstrates the unique hybrid that results from this remarkable match.
The album's first single, ""Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On),"" is a tune originally written by the Everly Brothers and may be the most aggressive and quick rockabilly track the album offers. Though Plant may not pack the kind of vocal punch he did on five-minute Zeppelin tracks like ""A Whole Lotta Love,"" he proves that he can still wail and fill vocals like none other. Krauss gracefully accepts the rock 'n' roll challenge as well, making it sound like she has been doing it for years.
Like Krauss, who proves she can so easily transcend her own genre, Plant also proves that in the years that have passed since Zeppelin, he has only focused and refined his voice. In the folk rock tune ""Please Read The Letter,"" written with Zeppelin accomplice Jimmy Page, Plant's mellow baritone sounds clearer and more deliberate than ever. Krauss provides beautiful, folksy harmonies on the track and Plant steps up his rocking improvisations, perfectly linking the song to its Zeppelin roots while maintaining its place on this album.
The album finishes off with ease-on tracks like ""Trampled Rose"" and ""Nothin
