This Friday, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss celebrate the historic release of “Raise The Roof” (Rounder Records), their first new album together in more than 14 years. In the runup to the LP’s arrival, Plant and Krauss have continued to surprise listeners on pre-release previews like “Can’t Let Go”, “It Don’t Bother Me” and the original song “High And Lonesome”, written by Plant and the album’s producer, T Bone Burnett. Now, they have shared their rendition of Brenda Burns‘s “Somebody Was Watching Over Me”, offering one last look into the record before the full collection is finally unveiled.
Building on the Grammy-sweeping, millions-selling success of 2007’s “Raising Sand”, “‘Raise The Roof’ almost magically reclaims the spectral tone of ‘Raising Sand’, then finds ways to expand on it, delving further into both quiet subtleties and wailing intensity,” says The New York Times, in an expansive profile of Plant and Krauss‘s long-awaited reunion.
Following the monumental debut of “Raising Sand”, which won all six Grammy Awards for which it was nominated (including “Album” and “Record Of The Year”), Plant and Krauss “are still proof that sometimes the best things come from unlikely collaborators” (Entertainment Weekly). Across “Raise The Roof”, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and 27-time Grammy-winning Bluegrass Hall Of Famer step further outside their comfort zone, expanding their unexpected, unparalleled partnership in remarkable new directions.
While sessions for the album began in Nashville in November 2019, wrapping just weeks before the world went into lockdown, Krauss remembers sending Plant the Randy Weeks/Lucinda Williams classic “Can’t Let Go” at least 10 years ago — and “it seems like time hasn’t passed at all” (NPR Music). Elsewhere on “Raise The Roof”, Plant and Krauss reimagine songs from Merle Haggard, Allen Toussaint, THE EVERLY BROTHERS, Anne Briggs, Geeshie Wiley, Ola Belle Reed, Brenda Burns and more, with arrangements even more evocative and hypnotic than those on “Raising Sand”.
“It’s such a far cry from everything I’ve done before,” says Plant. “I love the whole kaleidoscope of music that I’ve explored, but this is a place where you can think within the song, you can decide how to bring home an emotion. It’s another blend that we’ve got, and long may we have more of them.”
“Raise The Roof” track listing:
01. Quattro (World Drifts In)
02. The Price Of Love
03. Go Your Way
04. Trouble With My Lover
05. Searching for My Love
06. Can’t Let Go
07. It Don’t Bother Me
08. You Led Me To The Wrong
09. Last Kind Words Blues
10. High And Lonesome
11. Going Where the Lonely Go
12. Somebody Was Watching Over Me
To mark “Raise The Roof”‘s releasePlant and Krauss will come together to deliver a series of key live performances to fans across the world.
Beginning at 12 p.m. CST / 1 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. GMT on November 19, the indomitable duo join forces with YouTube to present a global livestream. Backed by an all-star band in Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studios, they will debut a selection of songs from “Raise The Roof” exclusively for audiences on the platform. The special event will be hosted simultaneously on the official Plant and Krauss YouTube channels.
On November 19, Plant and Krauss will also appear alongside CBS News senior culture correspondent Anthony Mason for an interview. Later that night they will perform on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” before bringing more music to “CBS Saturday Morning” just a handful of hours later.
Following the YouTube livestream on Friday, viewers can head to NPR Music‘s YouTube channel for a virtual listening party at 1 p.m. CST / 2 p.m. EST. In addition to a full playback of “Raise The Roof”, Plant and Krauss will join critic Ann Powers for a discussion of the album.
Photo by David McClister
