Flashback CD Reviews #1 - Robert Plant - Mighty Rearranger

A quick introduction to this: I used to write for a now defunct and gone website called Rock Is Life.com. I wrote quite a few CD and DVD reviews. I'm not quite ready to post my "new" reviews of a couple of classic albums that have been reissued but I thought everyone might enjoy some of the reviews I did from the past. All the reviews come from Rock is Life.com and are in the same format that they originally appeared.

Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation

Mighty Rearranger

Sanctuary Records - 2005

http://www.robertplant.com

What's The 4-1-1?

If I need to introduce you to Robert Plant after all this time, why are you calling yourself a music lover? You know and love him from Led Zeppelin and now you can continue that affair with his seriously under-appreciated solo career. After spending most of the last decade focusing on assorted side projects and recording a covers CD, the rather legendary vocalist is back with Might Rearranger.

It's Plant's first solo album to feature all-new, all-original material since the 1993 album Fate of Nations, and 8th solo release overall. He's ably assisted in this undertaking by an outstanding group of players. He's got John Baggott on keys, Clive Deamer on drums and Billy Fuller on bass. The two guitarists are Justin Adams and Skin Tyson.

Genre

Classic Rock with the modern flair

The Good

I've long been enamored with Robert Plant from his days in the granddaddy of rock & roll groups, Led Zeppelin. The best thing is that I've also had the same admiration for his solo career. Rather than coast by on his considerable laurels, Plant continues to mine various musical genres to blend them into his own worldview of how music should be. Mighty Rearranger takes the blues and classic rock feel of his past, mixes it with his folk influences and his current passion, North African music, and turns out a decidedly modern sound album that should please long-time fans and bring about a new audience that will stand up and take notice if they haven't already done so.

I noticed on this album another point of interest. The show isn't simply about Plant extending his reign as a premiere frontman. This is a group that recorded this album. The album is billed as Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation. The cohesiveness of the band shines throughout the disc. Of particular note is the powerhouse drumming from Clive Deamer. He's outstanding on songs like "Another Tribe", the first single "Shine It All Around" and the lively rocker "Takamba". I'm not an expert on what makes a drummer sound great, but this guy was fantastic on the album. I think it goes without saying that the guitarist are given a chance to be notice on Mighty Rearranger as well. I thought the track "Freedom Fries" had some rather sweet lickes while being propelled ahead in the song by Plant's soaring vocals.

There are songs that will have the listener recalling the days of yore in Zeppelin and realizeing how at home he is in the here and now. Personally, I found four songs that really stood out for me: the title cut which ecapsulates his entire musical palate. It's got a little bit of something for everyone. I loved the simple ballad "All The King's Men" It has a great acoustic guitar combined with a vocal take that is both soft and raspy at the same time. It's a perfect example of what a ballad should be.

The third favorite is the aforementioned "Another Tribe." Plant manages to sound completely understated while the band just rips all around him. Again, Clive Deamer is fantastic on this song. Lastly, you have to hear "Tin Pan Valley" to completely get the song. The vocals and instrumentation spend most of the song in what I can only describe as a conspiratorial whisper before breaking out into a powerful rock jam at the end of the cut. It really works!

The Bad

It's really not all that notable, but the one thing that I thought was rather pointless was the final song on the album, "Brother Ray". It adds nothing to the album, and distracts from the title cut which preceded it. "Mighty Rearranger" should've been left to close the album.

The Verdict

There are some people from rock and roll's glory days of the late 60's and 1970's that are still around doing the same thing day in and day out. Robert Plant once again proves how he is both relevant and without peer as a frontman. He still has the swagger of his youth and continues to move forward while never forgetting where he came from. Mighty Rearranger is his latest statement of greatness. If you are a fan of rock music, you should run out and buy this album NOW!

Did You Know?

There is a hidden track on the album after "Brother Ray". It's literally a techno version of the first single "Shine It All Around".

RATING: 5 out of 5.

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Permalink Reply by RJhog (Admin) on April 16, 2011 at 12:54pm

Very interesting review. I think I shall check for this at the used CD store. I know they have several differen RP CD's, but I can't remember which ones.