For Week Ending:
18 May 2024

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale (1998)

[Rock]

An album by half of Led Zeppelin almost 20 years after their break up was an exciting prospect for rock fans. Although quite prolific in Zeppelin's heyday, Jimmy Page had become quite a lowkey figure by this point, with only a range of ephemeral projects that could be counted on one hand under his belt. Robert Plant on the other hand had been very productive with his solo career, but had tried very hard to break free from his 'golden god' past. Opening with the subdued 'Shining In The Light', the album immediately feels like it is trying to shake off the shackles of it's past, but it isn't long before the big choruses kick in - and the guitar phrasings of Page and the vocals of Plant lock together in that familiar way. 'When The World Was Young' feels like a modern sequel to 'Ten Years Gone', even when trying not to make comparisons with the past. None of this is bad in any way, as it showed that although the duo was looking to the future, they also knew there was no escaping their massive legacy. 'Please Read The Letter' (later re-recorded by Plant with Alison Krauss as a country crooner) adds some nice muscle, whilst 'Most High' features some subtle Indian motifs linking the album to the No Quarter sessions of four years prior. 'Heart In Your Hand' offers a western-styled reprieve from the rock. Plant's vocals are sometimes strained (most notably on 'Upon A Golden Horse'), and the extra instrumentation on tracks like 'Most High' start to touch a raw nerve after a few reptations, but these are really the only downsides of the album. Everything slows towards the end, but ends with the punchy 'Sons Of Freedom'. Admittedly, not every song is memorable - but those that do stand out are earworms that demand you listen again and again. It is a shame that the two men working together ended here, as the album feels like the start of what could have been a wonderful journey now that the ghosts of the past had been exorcised.

Arist Information
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant were an English rock band active between 1994 and 1998. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant (both formerly of English rock band Led Zeppelin), accompanied by bassist Charlie Jones and drummer Michael Lee. Formed in 1994 for an MTV Unplugged reunion, Page and Plant released the platinum-selling live album 'No Quarter' (1994), featuring both new material and middle eastern-influenced covers of classic Led Zeppelin songs.

Release Information
'Walking Into Clarksdale' is a studio album by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. The album was recorded and mixed by Steve Albini at Abbey Road Studios. The album debuted on the Billboard's Billboard 200 album chart at No. 8, while reaching No. 3 on the U.K. Album Chart. The single "Most High" was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1999, and reached No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and No. 26 in the U.K. The title of the album refers to Clarksdale, Mississippi, a town in the Mississippi Delta considered to be the birthplace of blues music.

Something For Kate - Echolalia (2001)

[Alternative Rock]

A complete shift from my normal listening party, however I do have a few indulgences outside of your typical rock and metal bands. Something For Kate is one of them. Great Australian band that are classed as Post-Grunge when they formed in the mid 90's. What the hell that means I have no idea. In any case, up to this point they had 2 releases in the bank which gave you a sense of what they were about. You could see in that, they were building on their craft and I think Echolalia, for me, easily hits the high-point to this stage in their career. So onto what to expect. Paul Dempsey is one of the great modern Australian vocalist and his reputation since this is testament to that. Musically it is Alt-Rock listen but with a smooth edge to it, with each song seeming to flow easily into the next one. No particularly call outs for specific songs as all have favourable traits. It's a perfect listen from start to finish (I don't believe there are any fillers) on a Sunday morning when you are resting up with your favourite pair of socks or slippers with a good cup of coffee (or whatever you do).

Arist Information
Something For Kate are an Australian alternative rock band, which formed in 1994 with Paul Dempsey on lead vocals and guitar, and Clint Hyndman on drums. The band have received a total of 11 nominations for ARIA Music Awards.