Artist: ROBERT PLANT & THE STRANGE SENSATION
Album: SOUND STAGE (DVD)

Release date: 2006
Media type: DVD

Celebrating the magic of live musical performance was the impetus behind the landmark PBS series, Soundstage. The program initially ran for 11 years (from 1974 through 1985) and featured some of the most prestigious names in popular music, including Bob Dylan, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, Arlo Guthrie, Jose Feliciano, and theTemptations, to name but a few. Taped before small studio audiences, these intimate performances offered home viewers a unique concert experience and fresh perspective on the performers and their craft. The program was recently resurrected and has been captivating a new generation of music fans with one-hour live sets by a diversity of artists.

So it is fitting that Robert Plant‘s first-ever DVD release is his Soundstage performance which was filmed at the Soundstage Studios in Chicago on September 16, 2005, with his band, Strange Sensation. The quintet features Clive Deamer (drums) from Portishead and Roni Size projects; John Baggott (keyboards) of Portishead and Massive Attack; Billy Fuller (bass) from Bristol band Fuzz Against Junk; ambient guitarist Skin, formerly of Brit Pop phenomenon Cast; and Justin Adams (late of Sinead O’Connor, Jah Wobble, and the Wayward Shakes) playing gimbri, darbouka, and guitar.

Clocking in at 66 minutes total, the program was captured live in high-definition and mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound. The set ran the gamut from reinvented Led Zeppelin classics to some striking selections from Plant‘s solo career. “No Quarter” is infused with rich world music flavors; “Black Dog” is fueled by a deeper, funkier groove, and an inspired version of “Four Sticks” is dedicated to the late, great Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, whose death in 1980 marked the end of the band. Material from 2005’s twice Grammy- nominated Mighty Rearranger, Plant‘s first album of all new material in more than ten years and a collection described by Rolling Stone magazine as an infusion of “exotic melodies and blues thunder” includes “Freedom Fries,” a roots rocker with a political twist. The concert closes with a bang-an extended rendering of Zeppelin’s orgasmic opus, “Whole Lotta Love” which loses none of its vim despite a more subdued arrangement and low-key setting. Bonus tracks include a rendition of “Hey Joe,” the William Roberts classic popularized by guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix and featured on Plant‘s twice Grammy-nominated 2002 album Dreamland and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country.”

“It‘s quite something to watch successive generations of music fans discover and appreciate your work,” Plant observes. “It’s kind of like rediscovering the world through a child‘s eyes. You find fresh nuances in the music and the songs continue to grow with a life of their own. As I’ve explored the rich musical traditions of North Africa and the Middle East, elements of those musics have worked their way into some of the most unlikely songs-and that kind of constant reinvention keeps your creativity piqued.”

Great music has the power to continue captivating people over time. This DVD is a modest testament to the timelessness of Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant.

TRACKLIST DVD:

1. No Quarter
2. Shine It All Around
3. Black Dog
4. Freedom Fries
5. Four Sticks
6. Tin Pan Valley
7. Gallows Pole
8. The Enchanter
9. Whole Lotta Love

Bonus songs:

10. Hey Joe
11. Girl from the North Country

Extras:

Morning Dew - video
29 Palms - video
29 Palms - live on Top Of The Pops ‘93
Big Log - live on Top Of The Pops ‘83
Juke Box


“THE STRANGE SENSATION” LINE-UP:

Clive Deamer (drums) from Portishead and Roni Size projects
John Baggott (keyboards) of Portishead and Massive Attack
Billy Fuller (bass) from Bristol band Fuzz Against Junk
Skin - ambient guitarist, formerly of Brit Pop phenomenon Cast
Justin Adams (late of Sinead O’Connor, Jah Wobble, and the Wayward Shakes) - gimbri, darbouka and guitar