Had Robert Plant not sung another note on the demise of Led Zeppelin in 1980, his place among the rock gods was assured. There may have been an assumption that Plant would carry on in a similar vein as a solo artist. Instead, He went where his muse lead him, and he has created a hugely diverse body of work that touches on many genres of music, from Middle Eastern-inspired to African, from jazz and folk to Americana
‘Digging Deep: Subterranea’ captures some of the restless nature of Plant’s musical anthropological search, and his ability to use such roots, as a basis for something new and dynamic.
His voice has matured and mellowed to an extent over the years, and he is perhaps not able to register the incredible vocal gymnastics of the Zeppelin years. But who is? Yet, the voice has adapted and remains a warm yet potent instrument to deliver his ever-changing musical palette.
The mystery and mysticism of his lyrics remain:
Fool in love, crazy situation, her velvet glove, marks me down, and down, and down, and down. Her kiss of fire, a loaded invitation, inside her smile, she takes me down and down and down and down. Her moves look good, a touch of desperation, from where I stood, she turned my head around and round and round and round. It comes kinda hard, when I hear your voice on the radio taking me back down the road, leads to you 29 Palms, I feel the heat of your desert heart, taking me back down the road, leads to you.
I’ve loved this song since I first heard it on 1993’s ‘Fate Of Nations’, but I’m still no clearer as to the title. If someone can enlighten me, I would be grateful. But, that’s part of the joy involved in Plant’s writing too; lyricism and poetry, and a little left to your own imagination.
Despite omitting his best selling post-Zep album ‘Raising Sand’, with Alison Krauss, and his collaborations with Jimmy Page, we are left with this hugely entertaining and diverse double album of his work.
From the huge sounding ‘Big Log’ to the classy rendering of the Los Lobos standard ‘Angel Dance’, the breathy romanticism of ‘Dance With You Tonight’ and the sheer blissful optimism of ‘I Believe’, the collection is crammed with nuggets of aural beauty.
Three new songs add to the mix with The Patty Griffin duet ‘Too Much Alike’ a hugely likable 1950s Doo-Wop pastiche, and the magnificent blues of ‘Nothing Takes The Place Of You’ a new career highlight.
The remarkable musicians in Plant’s ever-changing band are augmented on choice cuts by luminaries of the music world of the calibre of Richard Thompson, old sparring partner Jimmy Page, the previously mentioned Patty Griffin, as well as Buddy Miller, Phil Collins, and Nigel Kennedy.
Plant has always referenced his past too. Another new song, ‘Charlie Patton Highway (Turn It Up – Part 1)’ suggests:
This car goes round in circles. The road remains the same.
While the sounds and songs have changed, the quality and restless search for musical excellence remain the same!