from the Edmonton Sun (CAN)

By JANE STEVENSON

British hard-rock-blues wailer and now Canadian folk hero.

Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant tops Canadian folk magazine Penguin Eggs’ seventh annual critics poll for his collaboration with bluegrass superstar Alison Krauss on their album, Raising Sand.

“To anyone who has followed Plant’s career of late, that’s not as strange as it seems,” said Penguin Eggs publisher, Roddy Campbell, of Plant’s foray into folk music, in a statement. “He keeps an active eye on both the world music and roots scenes. His collaboration with Krauss has certainly paid dividends as a critical and commercial success.”

Raising Sand, released in October, is only the second foreign release to top the Penguin Eggs year-end poll. Last year, Bob Dylan’s Modern Times became the first.

The poll is an annual survey of over 50 roots music media, folk club and folk festival artistic directors, musicians, specialty music store staff and other folk music business personnel.

The results are published in the spring issue of the Edmonton-based quarterly magazine due in stores the week of March 25.

Press Release:

The Robert Plant and Alison Krauss album Raising Sand, produced by T Bone Burnett, has been certified RIAA Platinum. The Rounder Records album debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart following its release October 23, 2007, marking the highest chart position ever for the label. It remains inside the top 40 five months later.

Last month, Plant and Krauss were recipients of the 2007 Grammy® Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, for the track “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On).” The Grammy® Award was the first-ever for Robert Plant as a solo artist after numerous nominations, and the 21st for Alison Krauss.

The two musicians begin their Raising Sand World Tour April 19th in Louisville, KY. Dates have been set through July 1, with more July dates to be announced shortly.

Originally appeared on nashville95.com

By Mandy Phillips

There’s no doubt that the pairing of rock legend Robert Plant and bluegrass queen Alison Krauss is a unique match-up. In fact, the new album might well have been titled Raising Eyebrows instead of Raising Sand. But with their respective tenor and soprano powerhouse vocals, a Plant / Krauss match-up is a musical match made in heaven.

Raising Sand feels a bit like the two artists’ personal music playground, as it flirts with various styles, arrangements, and musical concepts from track to track. There is no continuity with the album, but somehow it works. The listener is left wondering what will come next - will it be a blues-infused track, a country losin’ song, or a melody that sounds like it could have been pulled straight from one of Plant’s Led Zeppelin albums.

For those who have been exposed to the released single “Gone Gone Gone,” don’t expect the same upbeat, cheery sound to resonate through the entire album. In fact, the single - which sounds delightfully like every bit of the ol’ Everly Brothers tune that it is - is one of only four up-tempo selections on the 13-track album. Plant and Krauss meet in the middle in terms of style on “Gone Gone Gone,” blending country-ish vocal arrangements with edgier instrumentation. On several other tracks, though, Plant drifts into Krauss’ country territory, while Krauss makes her way into the world of progressive rock.

And in an era when a lot of popular music sounds a lot a like, be prepared to hear some very unique songs and styles on Raising Sand. From “Rich Woman” - which could have been a 1960s country hit if not for the modern instrumentation - to “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us” - which is both eerie and entrancing in its arrangement, there are very few traditional songs on this album.

But fans of Krauss who are seeking a bit of the Alison they know and love won’t be disappointed. “Trampled Rose” offers plenty of country appeal, while several other tracks dip into the folksy waters that Krauss often visits. And if you’re a fan of Plant’s stylings, be prepared to enjoy several tracks like “Nothin’” and “Polly Come Home.”

In the end, Raising Sand offers a rare pairing of two of the most reveled vocalists in modern popular music, and while the album may not necessarily strike a chord with every country music fan, it does showcase an exciting and unique musical experimentation.