Robert Plant “More Roar” EP (Record Store Day 2015)
On Record Store Day 2015, Robert Plant issued a 10-inch EP titled More Roar, which contained a few live tracks recorded with his band called the Sensational Space Shifters during their 2014 tour in support of the album lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar. Three of the four selections on the EP were drawn from that album. The vinyl-only EP was limited to 10,000 copies.
Of course, neither the album nor the EP emits the type of heavy metal “roar” that Plant once epitomized. The legendary Led Zeppelin screamer has evolved into an eccentric crooner, and his latest album is an arty and unusual mixture of blues and Eastern folk music. It’s very unlike the music Plant is best known for, although it does sometimes echo Zeppelin’s otherworldly qualities. Plant’s now-understated vocals just seem to naturally fit the material, because he owns it.
The EP contains live performances of three songs from the lullaby album, and – even in the strange case of “Arbaden (Maggie’s Babby)” – they are faithful reproductions of the studio versions. But that description certainly does not apply to the EP’s rendition of the Zeppelin classic “Whole Lotta Love”, which doesn’t resemble the original very much until it is near its end. Before it finally kicks into electric gear, it is made to sound like another Eastern-influenced folk song, and its lyrics are mixed up with those of Bo Diddley’s “Mona” and “Who Do You Love”. It's quite an unexpected and enjoyable reinterpretation.
For fans of the lullaby album, the More Roar EP is a pleasing, though not essential, accessory.
Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters “More Roar” EP (Nonesuch 548242-0) 2015
SIDE A:
1. Turn It Up – Arbaden (7:40)
SIDE B:
2. Poor Howard (4:53)
3. Whole Lotta Love (medley) (5:25)
Of course, neither the album nor the EP emits the type of heavy metal “roar” that Plant once epitomized. The legendary Led Zeppelin screamer has evolved into an eccentric crooner, and his latest album is an arty and unusual mixture of blues and Eastern folk music. It’s very unlike the music Plant is best known for, although it does sometimes echo Zeppelin’s otherworldly qualities. Plant’s now-understated vocals just seem to naturally fit the material, because he owns it.
The EP contains live performances of three songs from the lullaby album, and – even in the strange case of “Arbaden (Maggie’s Babby)” – they are faithful reproductions of the studio versions. But that description certainly does not apply to the EP’s rendition of the Zeppelin classic “Whole Lotta Love”, which doesn’t resemble the original very much until it is near its end. Before it finally kicks into electric gear, it is made to sound like another Eastern-influenced folk song, and its lyrics are mixed up with those of Bo Diddley’s “Mona” and “Who Do You Love”. It's quite an unexpected and enjoyable reinterpretation.
For fans of the lullaby album, the More Roar EP is a pleasing, though not essential, accessory.
Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters “More Roar” EP (Nonesuch 548242-0) 2015
SIDE A:
1. Turn It Up – Arbaden (7:40)
SIDE B:
2. Poor Howard (4:53)
3. Whole Lotta Love (medley) (5:25)
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