Songwriter Albums Of The Year 2014

1. JOHN FULLBRIGHT : Songs - Proving that less is often more, the Oklahoma troubadour delivers a masterclass in simply sung Americana.

2. RYAN ADAMS : Ryan Adams - After all those years of sublime singer-songwriter subtlety, Ryan Adams finally plugs in and rocks like Tom Petty.

3. ANDY WHITE : How Things Are - Belfast boy charts his marriage break-up heartache in sublime songs ranging from fragile folk to dark rock and roll.

4. ROBERT PLANT : Lullaby And The Ceaseless Roar - Plant says this is “a celebratory record, powerful, gritty, African, trance meets Led Zeppelin” – and he’s so right.

5. JACKSON BROWNE : Standing In The Breach - His first album in six years wants to set the world to rights but don’t let that put you off such superb songwriting.

6. SION RUSSELL JONES : Lost No More - You’ve heard the Cardiff singer-songwriter’s songs in the soaps, but this set smacks strongly of classic Paul Simon.

7. NEIL YOUNG : Storytone - The ornery ol’ cuss still loves to bowl curveballs, this time bringing in a concert orchestra and a sassy, swinging big band.

8. SUZANNE VEGA : Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles -  Loved her when she started out in Tom’s Diner but soon got bored. Thankfully, Vega’s back big-time and even rocks out.

9. MARTIN STEPHENSON & THE DAINTEES : California Star - Upfront and upbeat, Stephen’s no longer as delicately Daintee as he used to be, and it’s a gold star success.

10. MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER : Songs From The Movie - Mary Chapin Carpenter’s warm vocal is caressed by the sweeping strings of a full orchestra for the first time.

Robert Plant : Lullaby and ... The Ceaseless Roar review

Rock giant Robert Plant returns with a new album on Monday - one he has described as “a celebratory record, powerful, gritty, African, trance meets Led Zeppelin”.

And he’s certainly not afraid to explore the avenues of the past without retreading old ground, mixing and matching influences, marrying East and West, and then adding new twists.

There’s much that will delight the faithful who have followed the 66-year-old West Bromwich singer’s career through blues, rock and roll, country and world music, all of which are referenced.

Lullaby And...The Ceaseless Roar finds him in the company of his Sensational Space Shifters, whose eclectic influences enable the band – and it feels very much a collaborative effort – to excel.

Old pal Justin Adams brings bendirs, djembe, guitars and tehardant to the party; John Baggott adds keyboards, loops, moog bass, piano and tabal; Billy Fuller plays bass of all shapes.

Jazz drummer Dave Smith brings busy beats, Liam ‘Skin’ Tyson plucks banjo and guitar, while newcomer Juldeh Camara adds the exotic influence of kologo, ritti and Fulani vocals.

Here’s the track-by-track verdict:  

Little Maggie: Tyson’s banjo ushers in traditional porchfront Americana but just as you’ve settled back in the rocking chair, it heads East instead, with all manner of Camara’s exotic instrumentation. Then, just when you think you’ve figured the itinerary out, it’s underpinned by Baggot’s trance synth. It’ll take a second listen to get hooked by the irresistible rhythm, and then there’s no turning back. *****

Rainbow: An atmospheric song that Bono would surely kill for, it’s driven by softly insistent guitar, with Plant adding post-Orbison vocal swoon. You can already see the pinprick light of mobiles waving in the air. This one’s immediate, a simple song at heart. ****

Pocketful Of Golden: The Eastern influences return – and is that a sly nod to Zeppelin classic Thank You? – for a lovingly layered song boasting rich reverb and a mantra-like vocal delivering lyrics that wouldn’t be out of place on the old band’s albums. ****

Embrace Another Fall: A trance-like song of regret rides in on sandy desert winds until the peace is shattered by the thunderclap of rock guitar power chords that Pete Townshend would be proud of. But the killer is the cameo Celtic folk vocal from Julie Murphy. If Peter Jackson’s still looking for the end credits soundtrack for the third Hobbit movie, he need look no further. *****

Turn It Up: A stripped back but musically muscular track does what it says on the tin, with Plant reprising the banshee wail that conquered the world. Fractured guitar from Adams ups the ante and may have you thinking of David Bowie’s Outside adventures. ***

A Stolen Kiss: Plant has never sung so sweetly as on a bittersweet beauty of a song backed just by echoey piano recorded in St George’s Chapel, Bristol. The lyrics give the album its title, and seem inspired by his painful break-up with Patty Griffin. A late mournful guitar adds to the melancholy mood. *****

Somebody There: The Zeppelin faithful will lap up the reverb-drenched 12-string electric guitar here, recalling a certain double-necked axe used by Jimmy Page on a certain song whose name shall not be mentioned. It’s another gentle song with a classic Plant vocal. ****

Poor Howard: Playful porchfront nostalgia informed by Tyson’s banjo, it’s almost like a skipping song. Nicola Powell adds backing vocals and you can almost see the big grin on an old rocker’s face. ***

House Of Love: Surprisingly straight-forward musically, it’s another song reflecting on loss and although it picks up pace is the album’s onlty lacklustre offering. Every classic album has a weak link. This is it. **

Up On The Hollow Hill: Irresistible guitar riff? Check. Hypnotic rhythm? Check. Eastern atmosphere? Check. Guitar solo? Check. Softly sung, almost ethereal vocal? Check. Okay, you know where we’re going here. *****

Arbaden: Subtitled Maggie’s Babby, it’s a reprise of the opening track but given added Eastern overtones. 

Overall verdict: Robert Plant is never going to escape a glorious past, so the trick here is to dump all the baggage, pretend Zeppelin never flew and imagine that this is the first outing by a new artist you never heard before.
And, d’you know, it’s the best debut you’ll hear all year.

Robert Plant signed guitar up for cancer charity auction

A guitar signed by Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant is being auctioned for charity.

Proceeds from the auction will go to Macmillan Cancer support and Neonatal Unit New Cross Hospital in  Wolverhampton.

Plant signed the guitar after a chance meeting with fundriaser Tony Meeham at a gig by Terry Reid at the Robin 2 club in Bilston on May 22.

It’s an Ibanez bearing the Zeppelin frontman’s signature.

Says Meehan: “Following our meeting, I was absolutely blown away that, on the spot Robert agreed to donate the signed Ibanez Guitar.

“What a thoughtful and kind gesture by such a legend! An amazing opportunity to own a guitar from such a great man, surely not to be missed.”

Meehan has raised to date £85,000 for local charities thanks to the generosity of local people

Bids for the guitar are invited by email to katatonia@hotmail.co.uk

In the meantime Plant has announced a homecoming gig for the Black Country on an intimate UK tour.

The singer, who was born in West Bromwich and is vice-president of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, will be performing at Wolverhampton Civic Hall with his Sensational Space Shifters on September 2.

Led Zeppelin : new Black Dog trailer for Celebration Day

You can't beat a bit of Black Dog ...

Yes, it's another trailer for the Celebration Day DVD out on November 19.

Or catch it early in a cinema near you on October 17.

Robert Plant : I haven't the faintest idea what Led Zeppelin anthem Stairway To Heaven is about

Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant admits he has no idea what iconic anthem Stairway To Heaven is all about.

The track is one of rock’s most revered songs – and is banned in many music stores because so many budding guitarists try playing it.

But speaking at a press conference in London today, Plant said: “I struggle with some of the lyrics from particular periods of time.

“The musicality and construction of Stairway To Heaven is peerless. Maybe I didn’t quite feel the same about the lyrics a little bit later on in life, further on down the road.

“Maybe I’m still trying to work out what I was talking about. Every other f****r is!”

The three surviving members – Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones – were back together to promote their new DVD Celebration Day, the film of their 2007 reunion gig in tribute to the late Atlantic Records supremo Ahmet Ertegun.

Drummer John Bonham died in 1980.

Cooking hell: whole lotta love lost for Led Zeppelin

Heard the unmistakable strains of Led Zeppelin’s Heartbreaker coming from the TV the other day.

I rushed into the living room, expecting to see Robert Plant and Jimmy Page in all their glory.

There were two hairy blokes on the screen, sure enough, but not who I’d been hoping for.

It was self-styled Hairy Biker celebrity chefs Dave Myers and Si King, baking up a pie.

A few minutes later they were decorating a wedding cake with pink Love Heart sweets.

Cue a blast of Zeppelin’s classic Whole Lotta Love.

What the hell’s going on?

Remember when Led Zeppelin were famously precious about their catalogue, refusing to allow its use in adverts, computer games and TV shows?

The days when hardman Peter Grant ruled with iron fist, and never mind the velvet glove? When the band refused to release singles in the UK.

Because they were an album band. Proper musicians. Proper music.

A lot has changed since then. Money clearly talks when it comes to back catalogue.

But Heartbreaker and Whole Lotta Love as the soundtrack to reality TV fluff like this? I was just waiting for Custard Pie but it never materialised.

I have no idea who owns the Zeppelin canon these days but, c’mon, give the music a little respect, eh?

Peter Grant must be spinning in his grave.

Faster than a Kenwood mixer, in fact.