Together again and grateful for the chance
Former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant has multiple reasons to be impressed with fellow singer Alison Krauss, his periodic musical partner over the past 15 years.
She has a luminous voice, is a superb violinist and a skilled band leader whose national solo debut album came out when she was in 10th grade. But that’s not what impresses Plant most about Krauss, who was just 19 when she won the first of her 27 Grammy Awards.
Rather, it’s her ability to shine when collaborating with such diverse artists as Vince Gill, Bonnie Raitt, Phish, Andrea Bocelli, James Taylor, Michel Feinstein, Dolly Parton, Yo-Yo Ma, Tom Jones, the Chieftains, Bad Company or Def Leppard, whose new album features Krauss on two songs. That’s just a fraction of the list of her past musical partners.
“What is most commendable of all about you are your duets with so many people,” Plant told Krauss during a joint interview with the Union-Tribune. “I think you’ve done more duets than I’ve had girlfriends!”
In fact, the most extensive duets Krauss has done in her career have been with Plant, first on their 2007 album, “Raising Sand,” which won five Grammy Awards.
The two singers did not record again until they made the equally absorbing album, “Raise the Roof.” It was completed in early 2020, but not released until last year because of the pandemic.
Plant, 73, and Krauss, 51, spoke together by phone last week. She was at her home in Tennessee, he was at his in a rural part of England bordering Wales.
When I interviewed the two of you in 2008, Robert said: “Alison and I are telepathically looped when we work on vocal intensity. That was something I didn’t know we could do, or that it even existed.” How has your musical rapport evolved since then?
Plant Well, I just follow her instructions.
Krauss (laughing again) Oh, stop!
Plant And she is charming and lets me have quite bit of rope. Then, she corrects me and does what is best.
Krauss That’s an interesting take on the telepathic process!
Plant We’re very intuitive … My phrasing is sometimes questionable, so it’s like a workshop we have and it’s really interesting. It’s developed nicely.
We are sadly still in the midst of a global pandemic. Not that either of you ever took music for granted, but does it mean something more or different you than it did before?
Plant Well, I didn’t realize what a sad personality I am without being able to extend the abstractions of my unpredictability. So, yeah, it was such wake-up call to find everything was gone. You just take it for granted that this (music) is not a career, but a life.
Krauss I was never so grateful as now for getting to … play music (in concert) for an hour and a half. There’s been so much separation during the pandemic that I didn’t know if we’d ever get to play again.
I ask this tongue-in-cheek, Robert, but was part of your motivation for reuniting to keep Alison from becoming more involved with Def Leppard?
Plant (laughs) Well, I mean, she has my blessing! These kids from the ’80s have a certain way about them, (but) I can’t see Alison going on the road with them. (Def Leppard singer) Joe Elliott is a really good friend of mine, and he’s a good singer and a great guy. But if Alison had to go on the road with them and other ’80s bands, I think she’d wish she hadn’t been driven to distraction!
Robert, in 2019, you began working with Suzy Dian in your new band, Saving Grace. Did Alison open a door for you, in terms of feeling more comfortable singing with a woman?
Plant Yes. Well, so also did some the stuff I did with (Plant’s ex-wife) Patty Griffin (in 2013), which is a totally different thing. … As a duettist, I get to go to places Alison has gone (musically), with a certain knowledge that: “I know my gig and this is a different gig.” It’s intriguing for me.
Alison, back in 1999, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon did a tour together with their respective bands. Each night, when Bob and Paul would do a song together, Paul would face Bob rather than the audience so that he would be less likely to get lost trying to harmonize with Bob. Robert may not take the kind of liberties that Bob does, but he keeps you on your toes. When you are on stage together, are you watching him intently or are you purely reacting to the audible twists and turns he might make?
Krauss Oh, I’m watching him. He’s sneaky!
You’ve done two albums and two tours together, almost 14 years apart. What comes next?
Plant Well, waiting another 14 years would make me 88! I can’t do that, although Willie Nelson is going to be 90 next year and he’s still got it. I don’t know. I’d like to think we can turn a corner and find some crazy stuff. And I’m sure we can do that and we just talked about it, (although) we said that in 2008. But I’m very optimistic we can hold each other’s attention a little longer!
Krauss (laughs) I’d like to continue. We’ve had a really wonderful time and I’m really proud of what we’ve done.