Classic Rock Bottom

Robert Plant

lullaby and...The Ceaseless Roar

Nonesuch Records - 2014

http://www.robertplant.com

The news of a new solo album from Robert Plant (and the Sensational Space Shifters) had this reviewer rather stoked to hear it. Besides a long-time fandom for Led Zeppelin, I've also really enjoyed Plant's various solo musical adventures as well.

Unfortunately, I'm a bit disheartened to find myself saying that lullaby and...The Ceaseless Roar  is a bit of a ceaseless bore. Don't fret completely, as there are some high points on the album but overall, this CD was a big letdown.

The first issue I had with the CD was that on a few songs, Plant's vocals were delivered in a wispy, feathery style. It was almost as if the lyrics were sung so weakly as if to apologize for disturbing the music. It didn't completely ruin the opening song "Little Maggie", but it did hold back a little extra appreciation of that particular track. The song had a little bit of a Celtic influence and I think that if the lyrics had a bit more OOMPH to them, the song would've worked better.

The extremely light vocal touch also made "Up On The Hollow Hill (Understanding Arthur) pretty unbearable to listen to. As for the song "Pocketful of Golden", the vocals were seemed like nearly an afterthought, with any sense of clarity cast aside.

The album closer is called "Arbaden (Maggie's Babby") and it is a short yet vibrant track. Oddly, it feels as though it is someone else's song featuring a cameo vocal appearance from Plant.

Thankfully, there is a more intense vibe to songs like "Rainbow" and "House of Love".  Also, on the track "A Stolen Kiss", the vocals are very strong.

The material falls back to a mind-numbing bore when you get to "Embrace Another Fall". To be fair, there is a strong, quirky guitar piece about 2:30 into the song. On first listen, I thought that meant the song had kicked into another gear, but it was a tease. As soon as the guitar run finished, the song went right back to inducing sleep.

Now that isn't to say this album is a complete disaster. On "Turn It Up", Plant seems fully engaged in the vocal performance.

"Poor Howard" is a bouncy, up-tempo track with a catchy hook and note-perfect delivery.

For me, the best track on the disc is "Somebody There". This is a classic Plant track. There is a strong musical intro to the song and the quality remains high throughout. The song works itself into your head to make a strong connection with the listener.

If only more of the album had been as good.

I've been right there with Robert Plant for all of his solo discs, regardless of which musical genre he happened to be exploring upon release of a new disc. But with lullaby and...The Ceaseless Roar, Plant missed whatever mark he happened to be aiming for.

If this is the best that Plant and his cohorts can come up with, perhaps he shouldn't have turned down that reported $800 million dollar offer for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour.

No matter how true (or false) that report may have been, thanks to an almost barely there vocal presence from Plant on a number of tracks and the sleep-inducing pace on others, lullabye and...The Ceaseless Roar ends up being the most disappointing Plant solo album I've ever listened to. It taints the legacy of Plant's solo career rather than burnishing it.

ZZZRobertPlant1

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Will read this today and comment on it tonight.  Just listened to it on Tuesday.

Review is right on. It was nice background music, there's really nothing on it that grabbed me or that I can remember. Oh, well.

Thanks for the feedback Jon.

I'm gonna land somewhere between Niels' facebook feedback and Jon/Tage...  I really enjoyed the album but I don't find me reaching for it much already

I really can't see me listening to this one much more in the future now that my review is done.

I agree with Jon and TR.  It's certainly okay, but nothing moves me to want repeated listens.  My one disagreement is that the album opener is a fine song.

Thanks for the feedback RJhog.

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