Robert Planti.e. former leader Led Zeppelin, as well as one of the greatest voices in the history of rock, releases premiere material from time to time. And although his solo album “Carry Fire” was released in 2017, four years later he once again joined forces with Alison Krauss recording an album warmly received by fans and critics “Raise the Roof”.
The 75-year-old singer has already announced two concert tours: with the group Saving Grace, and also with the already mentioned Krauss. As a result, he will spend almost all of 2024 on the road. The artist admits that performing with younger artists makes him very happy because, apart from the stage, they also have friendship. At the same time, he sometimes looks into his archive, looking through unreleased or unfinished projects. “I’m excited about it. I’m like, ‘Wow, what am I going to do with this?’ These are idioms, places that I’ve been to musically that aren’t finished, it’s just mind-blowing and a little overwhelming,” he says in an interview with Rolling Stone”.
Such an announcement seems to be a harbinger of new recordings by the leader of Led Zeppelin, but the reality is not so rosy. Although the singer is still recording new vocals, mainly in the privacy of his home, he has trouble putting musical concepts into words. “I have a Tascam digital recorder and I sing and I put the vocals through a guitar pedal and then I record them there and it sounds great. Why go to the studio? But I can’t find the words. “It’s a very difficult time to get lyrical.” – he admits.
By the way, Plant mentioned the live performance of the classic “Stairway To Heaven” after years of break. The singer agreed to do it for charity, and singing this one song would raise a six-figure sum for the Cancer Awereness Trust. In addition to doing something good for others, Robert Plant sees the event as something cathartic for him – something that lifted a great burden from his shoulders. He also suggests that this was truly the last time he returned to the legendary song live.
“It was cathartic. People say, ‘Oh yeah. He said he’d never do that.’ But I didn’t actually do it! I just let it out. It’s such an important song to me because of where I was at that time and where I was with Jimmy, John and Bonzo. So that night was what it was. It was trial by fire, but at the end I felt better than at the beginning,” the artist stated.
See the performance of “Stairway to Heaven” from 2023!