"Somebody Knocking"

Robert Plant stands apart from other pop and rock icons who seem to have reinvented themselves years later with world music overtones. Partly, that's because there really has been no reinvention here. From the earliest days of Led Zeppelin, Plant sensed a connection between the roots blues he grew up loving and the desert music of north and west Africa, and that awareness was always there, lurking just beyond the obvious, a distinct ingredient in Zeppelin's mystic magic. Now, when Plant's band The Strange Sensation rock out on a Songhai takamba rhythm, the connection is more obvious, but perfectly continuous with the past--on the one hand, a fresh take on African desert groove music meets good ol' rock 'n roll, and on the other hand, the Robert Plant we've always known, just being himself. 

Plant describes his current music as a "collision" of genres and "our own unholy liaison," words that telegraph the robustness and confidence of his approach. There's nothing precious or reverential about even the rootsiest songs, like "Somebody Knocking," 12/8, guimbri-driven rock in which north African sounds--thrumming string melodies and deep-toned, bendir drums--dominate. The familiar swagger of Plant's vocal seem neither restrained nor out of place in this context. Plant has broadened his musical language on this release, even in comparison with earlier work by The Strange Sensation. To say he has "mellowed" would be misleading. "Freedom Fires," a punchy, riff-driven, 5/8 groove with a north African tilt, rocks as surely as any Zeppelin cranker, and covers a fantastic span of emotional ground in less than three minutes. And "Shine it All Around" would also have been right at home on a Led Zeppelin album, with its swirling symphony of guitars, wailing-to-heaven refrain, and pounding beat, enlivened by the funky syncopation of Plant's melody and a soulful crack in his voice.

Plant the Celtic balladeer is also not neglected here. "All the King's Horses" is an affecting love song in which the singer's world-weary voice manages persuasive sweetness, accompanied by mostly acoustic guitar atmospherics. The lyrical "Dancing in Heaven" recalls the classic sound of The Byrds. Guitar work on Mighty Rearranger by Skin Tyson and Justin Adams--another veteran explorer of African desert sounds--deserves special mention. Whether rocking hard, shadowing Plant's vocal with Duane Eddy twang, or mingling with the more fragile sounds of the desert, both players come through with sureness and nuance. This is Plant's first studio work since Afropop Worldwide met him at the 2003 Festival in the Desert. Two years later, it is obvious that the experience meant enough to him to find vivid expression in his music. It is also clear that the man did not lose himself to the sand jinns.

Banning Eyre

Read our interview with Robert Plant at http://www.afropop.org/multi/interview/ID/38/Robert+Plant-Mali%2C+2003 . And watch for him on tour with the Strange Sensation this summer.

15 JUNE Providence Perf. Arts Ctr. PROVIDENCE RI.

17 JUNE Bank of America Pavilion, BOSTON, MA

19 JUNE Borgata Casino & Spa, ATLANTIC CITY, NJ

21JUNE Tower Theatre, PHILADELPHIA, PA

22 JUNE Tower Theatre, PHILADELPHIA, PA

24 JUNE Mohegan Sun Arena, UNCASVILLE, CT

26 JUNE Beacon Theatre, NY

27 JUNE Beacon Theatre, NY

29 JUNE Ryman Auditorium, NASHVILLE

30 JUNE Chastain Park Amphitheatre, ATLANTA GA

4 JULY Harbor Center, PORTSMOUTH, VA

6 JULY Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON

7 JULY Meadow Brook Music Festival, ROCHESTER HILLS, MI

9 JULY Auditorium Theatre, CHICAGO, IL

10 JULY Orpheum Theatre, MINNEAPOLIS, MN

12 JULY Universal Lending Pavilion, DENVER, CO

15 JULY Dodge Theatre, PHOENIX AZ

16 JULY Las Vegas Hilton, LAS VEGAS, NV

19 JULY Paramount Theatre, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

21 JULY Bayside Concerts, SAN DIEGO, CA

23 JULY Santa Barbara Bowl, SANTA BARBARA, CA

24 JULY Greek Theatre, LOS ANGELES, CA

29 JULY WOMAD Festival Reading. UK

31 JULY Villa de Mouros, PORTUGAL

20 AUG V Festival, Chelmsford, UK

21 AUG V Festival, Staffordshire, UK

26 AUG Rock En Seine, Paris , FRANCE

26 OCT WOMEX (opening event), Gateshead, UK

30 OCT WOMEX (closing event), Gateshead, UK

Contributed by: Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org