DREAMLAND

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.