Robert Plant, bless his heart, is still at it. He and his merry band of musical misfits, SAVING GRACE (because apparently LED ZEPPELIN wasn’t holy enough), have decided to “reimagine” (read: butcher) Blind Willie Johnson‘s “Gospel Plough.” You can stream it below, if you dare. It’s from their upcoming album, also called “Saving Grace,” which is allegedly a “song book of the lost and found.” More like a dumpster fire of forgotten tunes, am I right?🔥 Apparently, during the lockdown, when Plant couldn’t gallivant around the globe like the aging rockstar he is, he decided to hang out in “The Shire” (yes, like from Lord of the Rings 💍), and connect with these musicians. Because, you know, Nashville wasn’t cutting it after his fling with Alison Krauss. Good for her escaping from him. Together, they’ve been “growing” (like mold, probably) for six years, creating a “wide-ranging workshop of styles and personalities.” Sounds like a recipe for disaster.🤣
Plant, ever the comedian, says, “We laugh a lot, really. I think that suits me. I like laughing.” Well, at least someone’s enjoying this train wreck. He continues, “You know, I can’t find any reason to be too serious about anything. I’m not jaded.” Clearly not, if you think this is a good idea. “The sweetness of the whole thing…These are sweet people and they are playing out all the stuff that they could never get out before. They have become unique stylists and together they seem to have landed in a most interesting place.” Translation: a bunch of amateurs are finally getting their chance to ride on Plant‘s coattails and are producing something… unique. Let’s just leave it at that.🙄
Following his previous critically acclaimed releases on Nonesuch Records (who are they paying off to get those reviews?), “Saving Grace” is apparently another chapter in Robert Plant‘s “ceaseless roar.” More like a senile mumble, if we’re being honest. Produced by Plant and SAVING GRACE (because who else would want to take credit for this?), and recorded over six years (SIX YEARS!) in various rural locations, the album breathes “fresh life” into old songs. Songs originally performed by legends like Memphis Minnie, Bob Mosley, and, of course, Blind Willie Johnson. Because what better way to honor their legacies than to have Robert Plant sing over them? 😒
Plant told Rolling Stone (because who else would give him the time of day?) that they recorded the album in a field, using one microphone. One. Microphone. So avant-garde! He reminisces about recording vocals outside during “Physical Graffiti,” because apparently, that’s the creative peak he’s been chasing ever since. He also mentions recording in a barn owned by a friend of Steve Winwood‘s, because name-dropping is always a good look.
He claims it’s all been “organic,” which is code for “we had no idea what we were doing.” And he says there were no “huge imperatives,” which translates to “no one expected this to be any good.” 🤷 He then gets all nostalgic about his post-LED ZEPPELIN days, when he was “determined to take my music with a lot more drive.” Because this is so much better than anything he’s done since then, right? He continues, “In SAVING GRACE, I don’t think any of us live more on about eight miles apart. It’s a very familiar combination of people in every respect, because I guess we’ve come out of the same area completely. There’s a coherence even in our humor. We’ve got a good thing going on without where there’s no huge imperatives. It’s just really nice.” Translation: we’re a bunch of old geezers who live near each other and have nothing better to do. We laugh at the same prune jokes. It’s nice.😴
Robert Plant and SAVING GRACE also released a reimagined version of LOW‘s “Everybody’s Song.” Because why stop at ruining one classic when you can ruin two?
They’re even touring the US! 🇺🇸 Because apparently, Europe hasn’t suffered enough. The tour includes stops in Brooklyn, Port Chester, Chicago, and Los Angeles. So, if you’re a glutton for punishment, go check them out. Tickets are probably overpriced.💲
Here’s the tracklist for “Saving Grace,” in case you want to know what songs Plant is desecrating:
1. Chevrolet
2. As I Roved Out
3. It’s A Beautiful Day Today
4. Soul Of A Man
5. Ticket Taker
6. I Never Will Marry
7. Higher Rock
8. Too Far From You
9. Everybody’s Song
10. Gospel Plough
And here are the North American tour dates, for those of you who haven’t learned your lesson:
Oct. 30 – Wheeling, WV – Capitol Theatre Wheeling
Nov. 02 – Charlottesville, VA – The Paramount Theater of Charlottesville
Nov. 03 – Washington, DC – Lincoln Theatre
Nov. 05 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
Nov. 06 – Boston, MA – Boch Center Shubert Theatre
Nov. 08 – Port Chester, NY – Capitol Theatre
Nov. 10 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
Nov. 12 – Chicago, IL – The Vic
Nov. 13 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music
Nov. 15 – Denver, CO – Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Nov. 18 – Seattle, WA – The Moore Theatre
Nov. 19 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
Nov. 21 – Oakland, CA – The Fox
Nov. 22 – Los Angeles, CA – United Theater on Broadway
Good luck with that, Robert. You’re going to need it.🤞
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
