Robert Plant said in a new interview with WFPK that he has been “talking” with American singer Alison Krauss about possibly recording a new album together.
“I’d like to make another record with Patty [Griffin], maybe. Alison and I are talking about raising hell instead of Raising Sand,” Plant said, referencing the pair’s 2007 album Raising Sand.
That album went on to win two Grammy awards in 2008: One for album of the year, and another for best contemporary folk album.
Plant said in an October interview with The Associated Press that he had been making a list of songs that he wanted to record with Krauss. “I do get letters from her, emails, [saying] ‘I don’t like it without you,'” Plant said. “And I don’t like it without her. But I like it with these guys. It’s just a volcano of joy playing with these guys.”
Plant and Krauss released a song they recorded together in 2015 for the soundtrack to the film “Love the Coopers.” You can hear “Light of Christmas Day” below:
Elsewhere in the interview, Plant said that he felt a Led Zeppelin reunion would be a “disservice.” And when asked whether he would record new music with the band, Plant replied “No, I don’t know. I have no idea. I don’t, I don’t, it’s not even within my countenance to imagine it really.”
Host Kyle Meredith asked Plant about the importance of rock music. But Plant suggested that Led Zeppelin weren’t just a rock band.
“Rock and roll kind of was Jerry Lee and Little Richard and Larry Williams and Fats Domino and, you know, that,” Plant said.
“What happened in the late sixties, you can’t call Big Brother and the Holding Company or Janis Joplin rock and roll. It was something else. And I think that we followed into the United States following people like Cream and whoever else was around in those days. Herman’s Hermits, perhaps? But whatever it was, we weren’t rock and roll, we were just a band who played some mean stuff. Tough, really, really powerful stuff which was called rock and then when it got into the hands of the misconstrued, it became hard rock. So is somebody going to tell me that you know, ‘Friends’ or ‘Battle Of Evermore’ is hard rock? I don’t think so, you know. So I find the whole thing, all of it, right the way through from 1968 to now, it’s just making music.”
And Meredith said that Plant tended to make slightly erotic music, but in a gentlemanly way.
“Well, yeah, I’m a gentleman personified, really,” Plant said. “I’ve had my days off, you know, but yeah … probably getting … I’ve seen a lot of summers now so I have to tell it the way it is in a kind of slightly different way to the bare-chested moments. It wouldn’t look quite so cool now. But it’s alright. It’s good. It still works. Everything still works.”
You can listen to the full interview here:
Robert, you and Jimmy are the best and always will be! But I don’t understand how recording new music with Zeppelin would be a “disservice.” The disservice would be to history…if the greatest rock band (no, the Beatles weren’t a rock band) to ever grace the planet never writes another song. Why not leave your fans happy? Why not kill all the expectations from yesteryear that have soured you– the Led Zeppelin “circus,” touring, the press, etc. by telling everyone up front that Zep is retired from performing –and write some new music with Jimmy, Jonesy and Jason? Cut an EP maybe, throw it out worldwide on the satellite and let a whole generation of fans (maybe two!) die happy? You and Jimmy could write and record at your own pace and not have to deal with all the other nonsense. If you can write new tunes with Patty and Alison, can’t you also do it with the partners with whom you once sold 300 millions+ records? You know new music by Led Zeppelin would sell MILLIONS more. And having Jason do the honors would honor your late friend, Bonzo, in the best way possible. Just a thought.
I love your idea, and it makes perfect sense, but unfortunately there are so many out there who would never accept the concept.
Why not leave this subject alone. If you want to hear current rocks blues, listen to other artists like Joe Bonamassa on guitar, maybe Jason for the drum and how about Josh from Greta Van Fleet. Well, there you go, put those guys together and create a super group that could create the sound everyone is clamoring for. I couldn’t imagine trying to dance ballet professionally like i did in the ’70’s. Let these guys move on in life and create new music like Robert does. Look what Petty did, performing with a broken hip and taking opiods to tour for the fans. Now dead, and not having any time for his family. All for fans.
Robert is telling it like it is. Rock. The word is distinct yet conveys a broad church of music. As soon as the style labels and musical genres started to diversify rock music, it was lost…to the emerging tribes. I was a privileged photographer to work with Robert on his first two solo albums. I can confirm he created a happy family and a dedicated team. (He was mean with the soccer ball though!)
Robert, next time you’re in the palm springs area, look me up. I’ve been playing with you for 40 years. I’m in El Centro California. About 45 minutes away from palm springs…