Originally appeared on reddirtreport.com

By Andrew W. Griffin

It was approximately a week ago that the stunning 2007 album Raising Sand, featuring the voices of bluegrass star Alison Krauss and rock legend Robert Plant, swept five categories at the Grammy Awards, including album of the year and best contemporary folk/Americana album.

And while it has been out for well over a year, Red Dirt Report has finally gotten a chance to listen to Raising Sand. And after a few spins, the hairs on the back of your neck are raised simply due to the album’s dark beauty, eclectic nature and spot-on production value. ||Continue reading||

originally appeared on CNN.com

By Denise Quan

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) — Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Once upon a time, the iconic lead singer of Led Zeppelin and the golden girl of bluegrass would never have been mentioned in the same sentence.

But since they won five Grammy awards — including album of the year for their surprising collaboration, “Raising Sand” — their names have been inextricably linked: RobertPlantandAlisonKrauss. ||Continue reading||

originally appeared on rollingstone.com

by Daniel Kreps

After winning five Grammys this past weekend, including Album of the Year for Raising Sand, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are already back in the studio with T Bone Burnett working on the follow-up to their platinum-selling LP. Thanks to the huge Grammy night, Raising Sand is on pace to top this week’s sales chart, despite not even being on the Top 200 two weeks ago. ||Continue reading||

Originally appeared on TuneInMusicCity.com.

by Peter Cooper

LOS ANGELES — After the Grammy Awards ended late Sunday night, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and producer T Bone Burnett came backstage to answer questions. After a liaison from the Recording Academy explained to Plant that the print media room wasn’t especially lively, he said, “That’s because there’s no alcohol in here. This is like a Swedish press conference.” ||Continue reading||

press release from americanamusic.org

Nashville, TN: Raising Sand, the 2008 Americana Album of the Year, by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, produced by T-Bone Burnett and released by Rounder Records, swept the 51st Annual Grammy® Awards last night winning the coveted trophy in each of the categories in which they were nominated; Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, Best Country Collaboration With Vocals, and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album.

“This album is a triumph for Alison, Robert and T-Bone and congratulations are in order to everyone involved with the project” said Jed Hilly Executive Director of the Americana Music Association. Hilly added, “It’s also a victory for Americana and all artists and fans who appreciate great music with integrity.”

Raising Sand won its first award of the day during the pre telecast of the Grammy’s® with the win for Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album, the category in which the album was registered. That the project was also nominated for the the overall Album of the Year marked the first time the term Americana could be tagged to this prestigious award.

A win of this magnitude highlights the emergence of the Americana genre in the ever-changing music business landscape. Additionally, Rounder Records becomes only the second independent record label to have won both the Album of the Year and Record of the Year categories.

Now in its third year, the Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album winners also include (2007) Bob Dylan for Modern Times and (2008) Steve Earle for Washington Square Serenade.

AP News

By JOHN GEROME AP Entertainment Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—If Robert Plant can rejuvenate his career in Nashville, who’s next?

What began as an unorthodox pairing of the golden-tressed singer for Led Zeppelin with bluegrass chanteuse Alison Krauss captured five Grammys on Sunday, including album of the year for their country-inflected collaboration “Raising Sand.” The duo also won record of the year for “Please Read the Letter.”

Music Row insiders expect others to follow Plant’s lead.

“I’m sure a lot of people will look at the idea of Nashville collaborations in a different light,” said Brian Philips, general manager of Country Music Television.

“Surely, Robert Plant did not feel compromised coming to Nashville. He felt energized,” remarked Mike Dungan, president of Capitol Records Nashville. ||Continue reading||

originally appeared on Chicagotribune.com

by Greg Kot

Robert Plant could have been doing something other than winning five Grammys on Sunday with Alison Krauss. He could’ve been out making mega-millions of dollars on tour with the surviving members of his old band, Led Zeppelin. ||Continue reading||

originally appeared on Scotsman.com

By BRIAN FERGUSON

HE HAS been one of the most important figures in rock music since the late 1960s – yet it has taken 40 years and a partnership with a country singer for Robert Plant to steal the glory at an awards ceremony.
The legendary Led Zeppelin frontman and the bluegrass star Alison Krauss swept the board with five gongs at the US music industry’s “Oscars” yesterday. They took home five prizes at the 51st annual Grammy Awards bash in Los Angeles, including the coveted best album honour.

Plant led a night of Grammys glory for Britain, which also saw Coldplay snap up three awards. Adele, Duffy, Radiohead and Peter Gabriel were also among the big winners on the night.

The show featured performances from the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Neil Diamond, Radiohead, Jennifer Hudson and U2.

Plant notched up sales of more than 300 million with his Led Zeppelin back catalogue. But rather than the rock epics he is known for, it was his album of heartfelt duets with Krauss that endeared him to the Recording Academy, organiser of the awards.

Their acclaimed collaboration, Raising Sand, also won best contemporary folk/American album, best country collaboration with vocals and best pop collaboration with vocals. Their single Please Read the Letter was named record of the year.

originally appeared on nydailynews.com

BY Jim Farber

In the end, Grammy voters came to their senses.

While they zigged in a commercial direction, towards Lil’ Wayne, in their nominations, they zagged back to the creativity of Alison Krauss and Robert Plant for the final, top prizes.

True, the starry pair’s album, “Raising Sand,” might not have been a career-defining work - for either of them.

But it had daring and a fine mood on its side. Before they twinned their voices for these rare songs, few listeners would have imagined bluegrass chanteuse Krauss and post-Zeppelin yowler Plant in the same city, let alone in the same studio. Yet they found a bracing mean in their mutual love of spooky folk.

Going back to such Zep songs as 1971’s “Gallow’s Pole,” Plant showed a keen interest in acoustic roots music.

Obviously, Krauss has long worked her way around that territory.

Never, though, had she mined the particular, spectral sound the two forged together, with key help from longtime Americana producer T-Bone Burnette. If “Raising Sand,” and its shadowy songs, fully deserved to steal the headlines at last night’s show, the precise categories it snagged weren’t always on point.

The album cut “Please Read the Letter” won for Record of the Year (a prize awarded for the sound and production of the piece), while Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” took the trinket for Song of the Year (a prize keyed to the composition).

originally appeared on birminghammail.net

By James Marshall

BRITISH musical talent stole the show at this year’s Grammy Awards with former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant the top winner.

Plant, from Kinver, together with bluegrass star Alison Krauss, won five Grammys including that of Record of the Year and Album of the Year. ||Continue reading||