Robert Plant

TTony

Genius.

Mrs TT is on her annual pilgrimage to see family in far off counties, so I'm sat at home watching stuff on "loud".

Currently watching a compilation of Mr P's appearances on Jools' shows through the years.  Must span about 20 years of stuff.  A wide range of styles, starting with Fate of Nations (with Capt Sensible on guitar) through to Raising Sand era with Alison Krauss.

Jools looked very younger back then too.

I've just gone back to start to watch it all over again.  Lots of different stuff in there, but nothing even slightly dud.

Genius man.

monofin

Agreed.
This time next week I'll be watching him at Cannock chase - really looking forward to that

monquixote

Robert Plant strikes me as someone who has always tried to move forward in his music.

I always used to be annoyed at his steadfast refusal to do more Zep gigs, but comparing something like Raising Sand with the recent Zep reformation I think he's done the right thing.

not_the_dj

Totally the right thing. Compare him to David Coverdale, or other vocalists of that era. He's continued to progress and record material that means something to him, and suits his voice now. A true musical artist.

Philly_Q

TTony said:

Jools looked very younger back then too.

I'll bet he was already wearing those bloody navy or black shirts with white buttons though....

I agree with the comments about Robert Plant.  I admire him for always moving forward, doing something new, whilst ageing gracefully... and for staying so down to earth.  As for the actual music, it's often not to my taste but it's always interesting.

(I did worry that he'd popped his clogs when I saw this thread title)

scrumhalf

monquixote said:

I always used to be annoyed at his steadfast refusal to do more Zep gigs,

I read an interview where he said that he didn't want to play Zep songs without Bonxo behind him, it was too painful. I wish he'd change his mind, but you have to respect his opinion.

As for his new stuff - not really to my taste but given his previous work he can release an album of underarm fart noises and I'll defend it. He owes us nothing.

Jalapeno

He's the business.  John-Paul Jones too, less media attention, but similar diverse approach - his recent mandolin sessions with Seasick Steve were excellent.  

Whenever I've seen Sir Percy he's always lobbed in a few quirky LZ arrangements - he always makes them sound fresh. 

axisus

I loved Led Zep, but I haven't engaged with anything that he has done since.

mudslide73

I love how he's stayed normal despite what he went through in the 70s. He interviews really well and continues to bamboozle the Americans with his cryptic Black Countryisms. I've stopped keeping up with the music though I must admit.

Jimmy seems as though he's settled for being Zep's curator.

UnclePsychosis

I've never enjoyed Robert Plant in any meaningful sense. Even LZ were 90% rubbish in my opinion.

That said, I really like the fact that he keeps trying new things and moving forwards. It would be very easy to keep churning out the same stuff over and over again and live off the glory days (and too many in his position do just that). Better to move on than to become a substandard tribute act to your younger self.

EricTheWeary

I wasn't particularly aware of LZ outside of a couple of songs but bought Planty's first solo album so to me he has always been a solo artist who used to be in LZ. Probably my least favourite thing he's done was Page and Plant.

IvisonGuitars

Saw him on Sunday afternoon wandering around Bromyard Gala with his lurcher, keeps it real does our Robert :-)

ICBM

I haven't been to Bromyard Gala since I was 16... never imagined it would get a mention here!

I grew up a few miles north of there. (Upper Sapey, if you know it.)

Great to see someone like Plant turning up at little places like this, makes a total change from the usual rock star London/LA celebrity circuit nonsense .

not_the_dj

A guy I used to be in a band with wouldn't listen to LZ records after Plant nicked his parking space at a supermarket in Kidderminster.

IvisonGuitars

ICBM;693876" said:

I haven't been to Bromyard Gala since I was 16... never imagined it would get a mention here!

I grew up a few miles north of there. (Upper Sapey, if you know it.)

Great to see someone like Plant turning up at little places like this, makes a total change from the usual rock star London/LA celebrity circuit nonsense .

I know it well, my dad was born on Broadheath just up the road and my gran lived there until she died.

You were just up from the Baiting House, yes?

He comes to the Gala every year, loves it.

I used to engineer at a venue in Kidderminster that his youngest lad used to play at about 5 years ago, Robert would help them carry all the gear in and set up, just like any doting dad. He and I had many a chat about merits of an SM58 vs a Beta58!

ICBM

miserneil said:

I know it well, my dad was born on Broadheath just up the road and my gran lived there until she died.

You were just up from the Baiting House, yes?

Yes, at the Field House, on the corner where the golf club is now. My dad rescued it from a semi-derelict wreck that he bought in 1968 when I was 1! I lived there til 1983 then moved to Worcester, where I already went to school.

I have a lot of nice memories of that part of the world, including the Gala.