DREAMLAND

Ten Years Gone...

A decade after Plant's last true solo album "Fate of Nations" comes "Dreamland", a collection of cover songs given the magic touch by Plant, all provocative and thoughtfully covered, particularly on the standout track "Hey Joe" which he had covered many years before with The Band of Joy but here in a darker, more sinister style. This darkness sums up the mood of the whole album, and remains Plant's moodiest set of songs, though he covers songs which have inspired him over the years and takes them further in his own style.

With a new band in tow named "Strange Sensation" Plant embarks on this new project, including songs by Bukka White "Funny in my Mind (I Believe I'm Fixin' to Die)", Bob Dylan "One More Cup of Coffee", Tim Buckley "Song to the Siren", Jesse Colin Young "Darkness Darkness" , Billy Roberts "Hey Joe", Tim Rose "Morning Dew", Skip Spence "Skip's Song"and others.

The album was released on 16th July 2002 on Mercury, the CD is widely available but very few vinyl copies were produced making it one of the rarest Robert Plant albums out there. Plant may have set out here to again encapsulate a mystic musical experience attempted with the Page and Plant albums, by mixing together folk, world music, blues and rock as achieved on the early Zeppelin albums ? always experimenting, always progressing , though achieving his most mysterious vision to date, and you would hardly guess they were covers at all?

After what seemed like an eternity of silence Percy came back with a stupendous album, the first that was to feature his new Strange Sensation back-up band, although the present album doesn't bear that name yet. The band is made from long-time collabs like bassist Charlie Jones and guitarist Pol Thompson, but there is no drumming Lee in sight ? here replaced by Clive Deamer. Also in the line-up is the usual John Adams (on ethnic string instruments) and John Baggot on keyboards. Graced with an absolutely superb gold mythology artwork (one of my fave in the last decades), Dreamland could've passed for a forgettable reprise album, if it wasn't for the sheer quality and class of Plant. Indeed, while there are some four original tracks (well some are debatable shared credits), six of them are simply awesome covers of already awesome tracks.

What can be said of these absolutely spine-chilling versions of such classics like Morning Dew, Hey Joe or Darkness, except that they are the definitive new-millennium versions. I've even come to like Tim Buckley's Song to the Siren (never my fave from him) with time. Right from the opening and excellent (but lyrically-depressive) Funny In My Mind, the album shows that Percy and the band are in top form, with some outstanding guitar works, then followed by a spell-binding Morning Dew cover, but Robert manages to pull an outstanding version of Dylan's One More Cup of Coffee, to the point, that you'd never guess it was from Zimerman himself. While not as brilliant as its fore-runners Last Time I saw Her keeps the mood and pace up par, and it was Buckley's Siren Song that broke the momentum, I thought. Nowadays I still think it might have placed around the end of the album, but I've come to terms with it.

Soon enough though, Train Fare Home picks the slack and returns the album to its fantastic haunting tone, in no small part inspired by some old bluesmen's tricks. And if that was not yet enough, Robert nails the coffin shut with an absolutely wonderful JCY's Darkness cover, which is only topped by his fabulous, but angst-ridden Hey Joe cover a bit later, just after the excellent Red Dress. The only weaker track is the closing Skip's Song, not that it's bad in itself, it just doesn't shine hard enough next to its sisters.

I've never heard (except on radio) the bonus track that was included for the UK digipak version, though! Easily Percy's classiest solo album ever, Dreamland's stature as reprise album couldn't possibly dent its golden shine, so well personified by the classy artwork. If you must own only one Plant album, make sure it's this one, or eventually (to a lesser extent) its excellent follow-up.

As Mystic Fred quite rightly says, this is an album of covers, yet it is so good that one does barely even notice it. I think I can honesly say that most cover albums done by true artists seldom succeed unless you are purely in the pop domain where the repeat formula is easy. Annie Lennox's Medusa springs to mind as hitting the mark and so does Robert Plant with Dreamland. And for both artists, they did not cover pop songs!

As usual excellent back up. I mean what can one say about Porl Thompson on guitar? And Charlie Jones on bass? Whew! The opening track " Funny In My Mind" has a very awkward time signature but it is the perfect start to Dreamland, hinting that this will not be the atypical RP release. My favorite has to be his rendition of " Morning Dew", the Zeppelin like " Darkness, Darkness" and the dark and lurking " Hey Joe" .Ok I am a stickler for Plant's more laid back approach and on Dreamland he is in fine form. Highly recommended for those wanting to explore Plant's work, even as I said with covers, he does an awesome job here.

Given what I know of 21st Century Robert Plant, his unsurprising folk excursions, more-so in recent years (just five years after this) most memorably collaborating with Alison Krauss, I've been not so drawn to it. It wasn't until I saw the ratings for this album that my ears pricked up (or were ready to do so). His first album in 9 years, this was apparently the start of the reinvigoration of his career, here at nearly 54 years old.

From the get-go, "Funny in My Mind" sounds like what I'd expect from the above expectations and classic Plant. Very bluesy, a bit experimental. "Morning Dew" was overall just as interesting, with little glimmers of something for you to latch onto. I guess I'm still waiting with optimistic anticipation...

"Last Time I Saw Her", he's soundin' great and fresh. Reminds me a bit of Queens of the Stone Age, perhaps. Cool riffs, and featuring weird spurts of synth.

"Darkness, Darkness" is that classic, blues-sadness melancholy that we've known since Led Zeppelin I. So far, a sure highlight (in comparison). I think, though, ultimately, I'm just asking for a little bit more.

We're back into the rock with "Red Dress". Blues-slide guitar rings out. Like I said, it rocks harder than most all so far, but... I guess I'm asking for too much? haha. Then it's onto "Hey Joe", the oft covered rock standard, this seemingly more-so traditional than, say, Hendrix's famous version. This is low and slow, minimal and introspective. After minute 2, it picks up and it is dark! A riveting, heavy guitar solo starts around minute 4. The underlying accompaniment is actually very light and minimal still: somewhat hypnotizing.

From the start, "Skip's Song", I would think, should appeal to fans of Led Zeppelin (perhaps Led Zeppelin III?). Rolling drums and an emotive, introspective Robert Plant, who has a very good vocal performance here. Some of the composition feels very psychedelic even! I'm happy with it.

And finally, "Dirt in a Hole" definitely melodically has a lot to offer, including lovely female backing vocals. The main riff was familiar, but I couldn't place it.

I think, as I'm not too surprised by my feelings, I'll observe tracks that people are most excited about for his discography here on out. It's just not what I tend to look for, Prog or not. I like Robert Plant, but I guess my expectations are a tad too specific to what he did in his youth. The album fortunately did, to me, only get better and better.