ROBERT PLANT ~ Carry Fire
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“… I’m seeking love and glory, just like I always do …” croons the revered Robert in “May Queen” – a track referencing Stairway (albeit in very small measure) and I’d say that pretty much sums it up. I had to listen to the album a few times because on first hearing I thought there was an awful lot of self-indulgent vocal noodling and that it was a poor sequel to lullaby and … The Ceaseless Roar – more of an extension of that than anything else. It’s obviously a slow burner though, since I have found it less easy to dismiss with each successive listen. Plant is a pro, no doubt about it and despite the fact that he could do more or less whatever he wanted and would probably still get gushing reviews, I think he actually cares about whether or not his audience enjoys his work and he takes pride in what he puts out there. Like what he’s done or not, the quality and delivery is beyond reproach, so revising my initial reaction, there are some good songs here, and the Sensational Space Shifters make an interesting array of sounds. That said, it was he himself who spoke of his voice becoming a girlish whine, which whilst an exaggeration, does contain a kernel of the truth.
I’m interested in the cover art which I think is brilliantly done; a fantastic portrait that has the feeling of the work of an old master (go figure!), a Rembrandt, or similar, with Plant highlighted by what could be the glow of a hearth, or a sunset, and which seems to indicate the ending of a day. The whole album, including the cover, feels quite autumnal, and whether intentional or not, works well for an artist entering the evening of his high profile career.
The love track for me is the title track which has Seth Lakeman on viola and someone else on what is either an oud or something that sounds like one. On the whole, it’s a cosmopolitan affair and I may pick it up at some point, just not in a hurry.
“… I’m seeking love and glory, just like I always do …” croons the revered Robert in “May Queen” – a track referencing Stairway (albeit in very small measure) and I’d say that pretty much sums it up. I had to listen to the album a few times because on first hearing I thought there was an awful lot of self-indulgent vocal noodling and that it was a poor sequel to lullaby and … The Ceaseless Roar – more of an extension of that than anything else. It’s obviously a slow burner though, since I have found it less easy to dismiss with each successive listen. Plant is a pro, no doubt about it and despite the fact that he could do more or less whatever he wanted and would probably still get gushing reviews, I think he actually cares about whether or not his audience enjoys his work and he takes pride in what he puts out there. Like what he’s done or not, the quality and delivery is beyond reproach, so revising my initial reaction, there are some good songs here, and the Sensational Space Shifters make an interesting array of sounds. That said, it was he himself who spoke of his voice becoming a girlish whine, which whilst an exaggeration, does contain a kernel of the truth.
I’m interested in the cover art which I think is brilliantly done; a fantastic portrait that has the feeling of the work of an old master (go figure!), a Rembrandt, or similar, with Plant highlighted by what could be the glow of a hearth, or a sunset, and which seems to indicate the ending of a day. The whole album, including the cover, feels quite autumnal, and whether intentional or not, works well for an artist entering the evening of his high profile career.
The love track for me is the title track which has Seth Lakeman on viola and someone else on what is either an oud or something that sounds like one. On the whole, it’s a cosmopolitan affair and I may pick it up at some point, just not in a hurry.
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
