originally appeared on Blogcritics.org

by Fumo Verde

Are you ready for this? Nine Lives is a ten-disc box set that includes all nine of his solo albums, remastered and expanded with some “extras,” if you know what I mean. It also includes a sixty-minute film on DVD that takes you on a tour of Robert’s solo career, which began after Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980. But that’s not all on the DVD. There are interviews with Plant about each of the albums and with other musicians who know him and are still to this day inspired by his artistry, such as Roger Daltrey, Tori Amos, and Lenny Kravitz. ||Continue reading||

originally appeared on blogcritics.org

by Ray Ellis

Stadium shows are all well and fine, in the sense they provide fans a momentary sense of solidarity. It doesn’t matter that you’re packed in with thousands of complete strangers, or that the stage is light years away from you, or that the sound is so dissipated it might as well be a Martian broadcast. What matters is the event, and the “I was there!” bragging rights. We’ve all been there, and we’ll proudly proclaim ’til our dying breath, “That show was the best freakin’ concert I ever saw!”

To really appreciate an artist, though, you have to see them in a more intimate setting. Clubs, where the nuances of the music interact with audience reaction most intently, are the ideal venue. Smaller halls, particularly those with amphiteatre-style seating aren’t quite as personal, but the acoustics in those environments, coupled with their casual atmosphere, nonetheless leave you with the sense you’ve witnessed a performance. And that stays in your memory a lot longer than a stadium show ever will. ||Continue reading||

Originally appeared in Time Out New York November 23-29, 2006

Steve Smith

5 out of 6 stars

Robert Plant was faced with a decision when Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980: The leonine frontman could have continued churning out Zeppelinesque bombast, likely to diminishing returns. But Plant chose the road of reinvention with 1982’s “Pictures At Eleven”. What’s made clear by “Nine Lives”, a new box set that compiles all of Plant’s solo records, is that he’s seldom strayed from that path. ||Continue reading||

by John Kosik, AP Writer

Imagine the dilemma Robert Plant faced after Led Zeppelin crumbled in tragedy: Do you take the easy road and repeat the past or risk it all by trying something new?

He chose the latter.

With nine solo albums to his credit, Plant’s rich and eclectic catalog is gathered in Rhino’s sumptuous boxed set, “Nine Lives.” ||Continue reading||

Originally appeared on Northwest Arkansas News

by Philip Martin

Today sees the release of 9 Lives, a comprehensive boxed set that includes all nine of Robert Plant’s solo albums, remastered and expanded with bonus tracks, and a DVD with 20 of Plant’s videos, a 60-minute film covering his post-Led Zeppelin career and interviews with collaborators and admirers like Phil Collins, Tori Amos, former Atlantic Records president Ahmet Etregun and tennis great John McEnroe. It’s from Rhino, and the suggested retail price is $ 99. 98 (you’ll probably find it for about $ 80 ), and as usual with Rhino the package is impressive. It includes a 60-page booklet with photos and an overview essay as well as liner notes for each album written by distinguished British journalist (not rock critic ) Ed Vulliamy. ||Continue reading||

Originally appeared on Blogcritics.org

by Fantasma el Rey

Robert Plant and his backing band The Strange Sensation reel, rock and sway their way through this Sound Stage performance, covering some of his solo tunes as well as reworked Led Zeppelin classics, on this first ever music DVD from Robert Plant. The Strange Sensation was handpicked from some of the best and most varied musicians that England had to offer, from electronica to brit pop and all held together by Plant’s passionate vocal wail. These classics are approached with a world music vibe that shines and carries the day, expanding the groove where the Plant and Page project left off.

The Strange Sensation has a wonderful world music sound, percussion heavy and rhythmically funky, spitting out all kinds of keyboard tricks while holding fast to a solid rock drive. The expanded-upon Zeppelin songs include “No Quarter,” “Black Dog,” “Four Sticks,” “Gallows Pole,” and a jamming version of “Whole Lotta Love.” Sticking with the blues/rock base and expanding them by the addition of keyboards and more percussion/hand drums than you can shake four sticks at. ||Continue reading||

originally appeard in The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC

by Devin Grant

“Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation”

(Zoe/Rounder)

If there is one complaint about this new concert DVD by Robert Plant (his first as a solo artist, by the way), it is that it is far too short. Taken from a performance on the popular PBS concert show Soundstage, “Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation,” finds the aging former Led Zeppelin front man looking surprisingly spry on stage as he performs tunes from his solo albums, as well as a few Zeppelin tunes for good measure. The band backing Plant is almost as impressive as the singer’s still formidable pipes. Keyboardist John Baggott (Portishead, Massive Attack), drummer Clive Deamer (Portishead), bassist Billy Fuller, guitarist Skin and multi-instrumentalist Justin Adams (Sinead O’Connor) all do their best to keep up with Plant’s seemingly limitless energy. ||Continue reading||