Now and zen --- Robert Plant --- 1988 (Es Peranza)
What's that you say? Sacrilege? How
dare I feature an album in this section by one of the gods of rock and roll? Believe me, it hurts, but this is exactly how I felt after buying, and then listening, with sinking heart, to Robert Plant's fourth solo album. Oh dear, I thought: not a whole lotta love goin' on here (sorry)!
No, when I bought an album that featured the solo efforts of the frontman from Led Zeppelin, I expected a whole lot more. Okay, I wasn't naïve enough to think this would be a Zep album, and I knew that, like most solo artists branching out, Plant was likely to try out a few ideas that might not have worked within the confines of the supergroup. I was prepared to give him a chance. But with a pedigree like his, and such talent to draw upon --- plus the fact that he was certainly not recording this album because he needed money! --- I looked forward to a reasonably good album, even a great one. What I got, sadly, was one that is quite good now and zen (sorry again!), but most of the time fails to live up to the very high standards you would expect from someone of the calibre of Mister Plant.
It starts off well enough, with the mid-paced “Heaven knows”, with his old mate Jimmy Page on guitar, which really helps to make the song, but right away you can hear that this is a lot more based on keyboard and electronic music than dirty rock and roll. It seems very polished --- which is not a criticism, but it definitely lacks the immediacy of a “Led Zep IV” or “Houses of the holy”. I know, I know: it's not a Zep album, but who could fail to make such comparisons, if only peripherally? Anyway, as I say, “Heaven knows”, the opener, is a decent enough track and sets down the marker, which sadly is not maintained throughout the album.
Because then you get “Dance on my own”...
“Tall cool one” helps to rescue things, a little faster, a little rockier, but reminds me in a strange way of the Bangles? I'm sorry, what was that? Yeah, the
Bangles!
I do like “The way I feel”
But there's something missing about “Helen of Troy”
and then you get “Billy's revenge”
“Why?” is pure Yazoo/dance/Bronskibeat. Come on, Rob!It's catchy, yes, but not what I'd expect on an album like this...
The utterly lovely “Ship of fools” stands out from the crowd...
… but then he ruins things by closing with “White, clean and neat”. Sigh!
Yes, okay, fair enough: the legend “Nice song, shame about the album” is a little unfair here, as there are a few good tracks, but hey, I'm not changing that graphic to add an “s” to the word “Song”! And four out of nine tracks may seem like a good ratio for an album, but when you're dealing with someone of the stature of Robert Plant, I think we have a right to expect a lot more. Also, this was his fourth solo album, so he could hardly claim to be “feeling his way” as a solo artist.
There is a tenth track, but it wasn't on the original vinyl release, which I have, so as I haven't heard it before I'm ignoring it. Perhaps it's good, perhaps it's bad, perhaps it would slightly change the ratio. I don't care. I was very disappointed with this album, and I didn't buy another Plant release, although he went on to record another five, up to last year. Mind you, I seem to remember Jimmy Page's solo not being that great either. Or was that the one he did with David Coverdale? So many icons, so many disappointments. It ain't supposed to be this way.