A worthy collection for a stellar career
Written: Dec 31 '03 (Updated Sep 09 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Rarities, packaging, Plant's self-penned liner notes, 35 of his best songs...more or less
Cons: Where's Pictures at Eleven?
The Bottom Line: You get all of Plant's best solo tracks and 19 rarities and hard-to-find gems in one excellent package. What could be better?
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| excremento's Full Review: Sixty Six To Timbuktu [Hyper CD] - Robert Plant |
For as long as I’ve followed his solo career, Robert Plant has been anything but predictable. Never one to rest on past glories, Plant has always been willing to try something new, to experiment, to let his abundant hair down, as it were. Plant makes music for music’s sake, not for chart position or magazine covers. Perhaps only with 1990’s Manic Nirvana has Plant been stale musically.
Sixty Six to Timbuktu captures his uncompromising career gloriously. It is perhaps not a perfect set, as I’ll explain below, but as Plant himself compiled and devised this collection, I won’t quibble with it.
With wonderful packaging and detailed liner notes written by Plant, Sixty Six to Timbuktu is a worthy addition to any fan’s collection. If you’re like me, you may already have most or all of what’s available on Disc 1, but very little of the rarities and one-offs from Disc 2. Certainly without Disc 2, this set would have been superfluous in my collection.
Sixty Six to Timbuktu also unlocks a decent website with videos (“Big Log,” “Little By Little,” “Tall Cool One,” and “Tie Die on the Highway” from Plant’s 1990 Knebworth performance) and “interviews”-commentary from Plant regarding influences and moving his career forward.
Here’s what’s in store for you:
Disc 1
The first disc clocks in at 73 minutes and focuses on the hits…er, the songs that have defined Plant’s solo career. Surprisingly, Pictures at Eleven, Plant's first solo album, is not represented on this set at all. There is no explanation in the liner notes why Plant decided to leave that album off.
The disc also offers three new tracks. "Upside Down" was recorded during the Now and Zen sessions, but didn't make it onto the CD. It's not hard to understand why. It's not a bad track, per se, but it's definitely '80s.
"Dirt in a Hole" made it onto copies of Dreamland in the UK, Japan and Australia, so the rest of us get it here. I like it quite a bit. In fact, I would have preferred this over some of the stuff that made it onto Dreamland.
We also get an alternative take of “I Believe” from Fate of Nations, the subject matter being the unexpected death of his son Karac. I would have to say I prefer the original, but it’s nice to hear it in a different way.
The other 13 tracks break down as follows:
Just one track from The Principle of Moments, the supreme “Big Log.” I actually thought “In the Mood” was on this set, but it’s not. Of all the tracks from Principle, “Big Log” is definitely the one to include. It’s one of Plant’s best songs.
One track from Honeydrippers Volume 1, “Sea of Love,” of course. Plant as retro-crooner still makes me smile. Paul Schaeffer plays keyboards, and the legendary Jimmy Page provides the guitar solo. A lot of fun.
One track from Shaken and Stirred, “Little by Little.” When Plant’s career was revived with Now and Zen, MTV featured Plant quite prominently. I still have some interview clips on video. He talks about “Little by Little” and making the audience wait for the lift in the tune. There’s something about Plants’ voice on this song. It’s so crisp and clear. One of my favorites.
Three somewhat predictable but suitable selections from Now and Zen: “Tall Cool One,” “Ship of Fools,” and the song that sort of changed my life in 1988, “Heaven Knows.” The latter two still seem fresh, but for me, “Tall Cool One” has lost some of its luster. Still, I can’t imagine this set without it.
One track from Manic Nirvana, “Tie Dye on the Highway.” This is a great choice; I’ve always liked this track and it’s wonderful to have it on this set. One could make a case for “Liar’s Dance,” and perhaps "Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night," but oh well. Manic Nirvana is a hard album to evaluate. Certainly it’s not an album you would want as a first exposure to Plant’s solo career.
Four from Fate of Nations, (five if you count the alternate "I Believe"), “Promised Land,” “Calling to You, "29 Palms." and “If I Were a Carpenter.” Fate of Nations is one of my favorite albums ever, so I can understand why there are so many on this set...but I've already got them.
For me, "29 Palms,” and “If I Were a Carpenter” are two of Plant’s five best solo songs (never mind the fact that “Carpenter was written by Tim Harden). Both have a special place for my wife and I. It might have been a better choice to leave off "Calling to You" and perhaps "Promised Land" and included a track or two from Pictures at Eleven.
Finally, two highlights from Dreamland, the exquisite “Darkness, Darkness,” and Jeff Buckley’s delicate “Song to the Siren.” These are actually radio edits. Ironically (or amazingly), this version of “Darkness, Darkness,” cuts out the last two minutes, which I suggested should have been done in my review of Dreamland. Unfortunately, we also lose the first 30 seconds, which was simply John Baggott’s superb keyboards setting the stage.
Disc 2
Ah, here’s the new stuff! Disc 2 is nearly 73 minutes spread over 19 tracks, five of which are pre-Led Zeppelin. Two of those, “For What It's Worth,” and “Hey Joe,” are from Plant’s days with the Band of Joy and include Zeppelin’s legendary drummer John Bonham.
“You’d Better Run”, a Young Rascals song, is a blusey wailer recorded in 1966…the “Sixty Six” of the collection’s title. At first, it didn’t sound like Plant to me. With a little concentration, though, one detects the young Plant. Interesting how there’s a hint of Steve Winwood in Plant’s vocals.
“Our Song” is a bona-fide “Top of the Pops” love song. In one sense, it seems very far from what Plant would do with Zeppelin. But it has the same fire, the same raw power that Plant would perfect with Zepp.
“Hey Joe,” the same song Jimi Hendrix made famous, is fantastic. Plant doesn’t hold anything back. Plant’s version compares favorably with Hendrix’s; there’s a lot of drama in this song. And, Bonzo sounds good.
In Plant’s hands, Buffalo Springfield’s "For What It's Worth" is less grave, but no less stirring.
“Operator,” performed with Alexis Korner and recorded in 1968, gives a clear, bluesy hint of what awaited Plant. By the end of that year, Plant would embark on his journey with Page in the fledgling Led Zeppelin. This is a great glimpse at what Page must have seen in the young, raw singer.
The 14 post-Zeppelin tracks include outtakes, soundtrack items, and Plant’s contributions to tribute albums for Rainer Ptacek, Skip Spence, and Arthur Alexander.
Highlights among the last 14 tracks include:
* Charlie Rich’s “Philadelphia Baby,” originally appearing on the soundtrack for Porky’s Revenge. From Plant’s notes, “With upright bass and loads of compression and big backing vocals we entered the rockabilly world.” “We” on this track includes guitarist Dave Edmunds and Phil Collins, Plant’s drummer on Pictures at Eleven and The Principle of Moments.
* “Louie, Louie,” from the Wayne’s World 2 soundtrack. It’s somewhat ironic that with Plant’s version, the words are fairly intelligible. But, are they the same as the original Kingsmen’s version? Who knows?!
* Moby Grape’s “Naked If I Want To,” all 46 seconds of it, is a gem. This track was originally released on the UK "Calling to You" single. I would rate “Naked” much higher than "Calling to You."
* "21 Years," a collaboration with Czech guitarist Rainer Ptacek, was yet another UK bonus track, this time on the "29 Palms" single (was that intentional, 21 and 29 together?). This spare, bluesy tune hearkens, in a way, to Zeppelin’s “Hats off to (Roy) Harper.” A singer, a harmonica, and a guitarist. Excellent. I’ve been aware of Plant’s contribution to the Rainer Ptacek tribute album for some time, but never knew much about the man himself. He really knows how to play.
* Speaking of Rainer Ptacek, “Rude World” is a Ptacek-penned grinder that Plant, with Jimmy Page, recorded for The Inner Flame, the Ptacek tribute album. (Apparently "21 Years” also appears on this album). This song is awesome! Page is in fine form (is that his Transperformance Les Paul perhaps?), and Plant’s subdued voice (resembling some of his work on Walking into Clarksdale) is untouchable. A new favorite.
* Plant’s rendition of Skip Spence’s “Little Hands.” This track originally appeared on Spence’s album Oar in 1969. Plant covered it for More Oar – A Tribute to Skip Spence. I’ve tried to come up with words that would define this song, but all I can come with is “smiling children.” The song is full of hippie idealism and it would be easy to shrug the song off, but it’s too lovely for that.
* "Life Begin Again" is the result of Plant working with the Afro-Celt Sound System. This track is a lot of fun. Given Plant's love of Moroccan and Celtic music, this is a perfect vehicle for him. I wouldn't be surprised to see him collaborate with the Afro-Celt Sound System again.
In terms of movement and drama, it reminded me of Zeppelin’s “Achilles Last Stand.” In addition to Plant, fourteen musicians contribute to this track. It’s a wild ride. While strangely not mentioned in the notes, "Life Begin Again" appeared on the Afro-Celt Sound System album Volume 3: Further In Time.
Plant wraps it all up with a live performance of Dreamland’s brooding “Win My Train Fare Home.” This fine version was recorded in 2003… in Timbuktu, thus completing Plant’s journey for now.
Some of the stranger tracks include:
* The previously unreleased “Red for Danger,” a techno excursion.
* “Let’s Have a Party,” originally appearing on The Last Temptation of Elvis. It’s fine, but it bears no resemblance to the original song.
* “If It’s Really Got to be This Way,” appearing on Adios Amigo: A Tribute to Arthur Alexander. Can you say country? Actually, there’s a good chance this track will grow on me.
I suppose the only shortcoming of Sixty Six to Timbuktu is that one is left to think, “What else is there?” The somewhat inexplicable absence of any tracks from Pictures at Eleven is truly odd. The absence on Disc 1 of true Plant classics (notably “In the Mood”) will surely have fans scratching their heads.
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: At Work
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excremento
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Member: Jason Russell
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