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Robert Plant – Saving Grace

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What does it sound like?:

I never much liked Led Zeppelin – there, I’ve said it. I found their particular brand of tight-trousered rock’n’roll posturing very contrived. Robert Plant never impressed me as a front man. Rather than embodying the charisma of the West Coast free spirit he aspired to be, I always felt he looked like a builder’s labourer who couldn’t quite believe his luck. It’s probably sacrilegious to report that there are some Led Zep albums I have never listened to, and at this late stage of the day probably never will.

Then again, there are the solo albums, some of which from the 80s and 90s began to pique my interest, and which from as recently as Mighty Rearranger onwards became essential listening. There will be those of you on here who are familiar with Robert Plant’s entire musical history, back catalogue and influences, so I won’t attempt to draw any clever conclusions from my more cursory knowledge. The albums released as Strange Sensation, Band of Joy, Sensational Space Shifters and with Alison Krauss all demonstrate those influences whether they be Welsh mysticism, blues, desert blues, World Music, folk, Americana or rock’n’roll. On those recent solo albums, and on Raise the Roof and Raising Sand it’s a heady and compelling brew. Plant somehow now looks the part too; the tight-trousered pompadour has morphed into the grizzled grand old man of rock’n’roll, still sporting a crafty smile, but thoughtful, enigmatic and mannered, with a voice that sounds controlled and better than ever.

Which brings me to Saving Grace, the album named after the band Plant has been recording and playing with since 2019. It’s an album that reimagines and reinterprets songs written by an eclectic bunch of people, ranging from Blind Willie Johnson to The Low Anthem, but the style is embedded in English folk, even though it sports all of Plant’s musical influences and flourishes from his long and storied career. As such it is instantly recognisable as him. Apparently recorded over 6 years in studios in the Cotswolds and Welsh borders, it credits Suzy Dian on the cover and features other members of the Saving Grace band. Although it is nominally a Plant album, it feels like a collective effort, evidenced by the fact that lead vocals are shared. The tone is quiet, contemplative and brooding, often acoustic but with splashes of clanging electric guitars creating a moody soundscape that is both familiar and intoxicating. It is quite simply a fantastic album, a mere 40 minutes and 10 songs, but one of the best things that you will hear this year, a kind of Bonny Light Horseman with balls.

What does it all *mean*?

Another strong release from a rock’n’roll survivor who continues to reinvent himself without resting on his musical laurels.

Goes well with…

Any of Robert Plant’s recent solo albums.

Release Date:

September 2025

Might suit people who like…

Folk…..rock…..folk/rock…..oh, anything really.

6

Comments

  2. Your opening salvo seems to imply that you’re going against the norm – but you’re not! It’s become clear – every time Zeppelin is mentioned – that a good section of the AW are more than happy to give ‘em a good kicking.

  4. It is a very good album indeed. The track shown is the nearest thing to screech mode across the whole disc, which the rest offering a far more pastoral side. Indeed, I would say that track is broadly unrepresentative, available mainly to appease those who only want him to play and sound like the old days.

  5. I reckon the mystique of ‘Ver Zep is now passing hugely. You needed to be an adolescent in the 70s to really get them. The worst things about them (viz., screechy vocals, cough Axl, Coverdale, cough) were repeated well into the 80s and 90s, whilst Zeppelin’s occasional lightness of touch and range was generally lost. Zep live recordings benefit from judicious programming, and as soon as I could tape my LZ II to remove the drum solo from “Moby Dick”, and leave the super (if half-inched) bursts of “Watch Your Step”, I did. I don’t need 30 min workouts of “Dazed and Confused” any more, impressed as I was as a stoned teenager. JPJ lives with discrete dignity, and presumably never has to work again. The fact that Jimmy Page has done nothing particularly as good or better since the Zeppelin crashed doesn’t help.

    Jimmy knows this, which is sad. But maybe more dignified than turning into “Deep Purple”. Not digging Americana or 60s west coast music, I didn’t expect to enjoy Plant’s more recent work, and he really needs to get a haircut, but this music is genuinely Plant, and the music is generally excellent.

  6. Only someone from Wolverhampton could think there’s anything mystical about Wales. But anyway… it’s a good album, although not a million miles from what LZ would probably sound like now, I reckon.

  7. On first listen, the album sounds outstanding. I’ve seen Saving Grace fairly recently and am going again in December. They were great the first time, and the quality of this album has really whetted my appetite for the seasonal show.

  8. You’re right about Plant’s output in recent years. He seems to be able to use various collaborators to great purpose. I have seen him with Saving Grace and with the Sensational Space Shifters (who were absolutely fantastic), but it was interesting at Cropredy this year in that brief guest appearance – two Zep songs had the crowd in raptures. They are still incredibly popular.
    As an aside, I have been going through my sister’s LPs this week after she got them out of long term storage and checking values on Discogs – guess what, the Led Zeppelin ones are probably the most valuable, only beaten by Nick Drake first pressings, but that’s a story for another time.

  9. Gosh what’s happening here? Diminishing love for Led Zep – what’s next? Someone will say Richard Thompson isn’t really all that great and everyone will chime in saying yes they thought that all along.

    Anyway I’ve listened to this record and it sounds like every other Plant solo album, worthy but a little boring. Led Zeppelin can still thrill me – Immigrant Song, Kashmir etc.

    OTOH I just listened to 500 Songs Ep 2 of Dazed and Confused and Andrew Hickey severely puts the boot into Jimmy Page.

    • It’s not a recent phenomenon, Mousey! Tiggs is first off the blocks, I see!

      Also, putting the boot into Jimmy Page has become prime sport for a particular constituency, on here and elsewhere. You’d almost think he was the only one who “borrowed” material and passed it off as his own (he wasn’t) – and don’t get me started on musicians who borrow melodies from classical composers without acknowledgment. Out of copyright, maybe – but still someone else’s big tune.

      FWIW, I agree with your comments on solo Plant albums – I enjoy many of them but they can be a bit meh. I don’t listen to Zeppelin as much as I used to – but when I do, they still hit the spot. I shall now retire to bedlam and wait for the Massive to tell me in how many ways I’m wrong.

      • I’m with you Fitz. I’ve said before I think Jimmy is hugely overrated as a soloist – his solos especially live are a shambles – but he’s a great producer and riffmeister.

        As for the Planty albums, including the one with Alison Krauss which I like very much usually, they’re a bit limp. Never really get going. I’ve seen him live and the best bit was when Patty Griffin took over on vocals. The Band of Joy album is probably the best one.

        The Zep albums up to and including Physical Graffiti still sound great.

        • Agree about Page as a soloist – all over the shop. And as you say excellent producer (although according to that episode of 500 songs I mentioned, JP refused to give Gyn Johns any production credit).

          And yeah the first album with Alison Krauss is excellent, although I put a lot of that down to her and also T Bone Burnett’s production

      • My lack of enthusiasm for Led Zep dates back to the sixth form when the smellies dominated the stereo. That was 1976. The records were sooo ooold. My mate livened things up with New Rose and Anarchy (on EMI – he sold them later for a pretty penny).

        However, Anna Mantronix says that the best sex is to be had soundtracked by side one of Led Zep IV, in the back of a van. Intriguing. Now, side one of Led Zep IV is my favourite Led Zep. 😉

        I like a lot of solo Plant and I’ll be buying this.

      • I guess it depends what styles of music you came to first. My dalliance with “heavy rock” came at the same time I was already assimilating a love of folk, blues and country, each of which have lingered longer. I like a smattering of the Zep, so the blues progression of Dazed and Confused, the psych-folk of Thank You, side 1 and Goin’ To California from 4 and not much else. In Plant’s solo oeuvre I prefer it when he has a vocal foil to balance, so Alison Krauss, Patty Griffin and, now Suzi Dian. The fact that these are more leveraged toward country and folk has some obvious impact on that.

  10. I saw him play this album live on Monday night in Kingston and it’s excellent
    The Low cover in particular is superb. His voice is unparalleled amongst his peers

    Also never a fan of Led Zep despite trying a lot, but this is well worth a listen

  11. Percy is on Later…. this weekend, which should make that worth watching for once. Cue awkward chat by the piano as Plant is forced to watch old Led Zep clip…

  12. As a fellow Moby Grape fan I gave his version of ‘It’s a Beautiful Day Today’ a listen and thought it was rather marvellous. Spurred by this I gave the album a quick spin on Spotify but, even though the ‘right’ buttons were pushed none of the other songs connected with me for some reason. Possibly too produced and clean. Also, not a great deal of Planty around, which was disappointing. For what it’s worth, I loved LZ up to and including Physical Graffiti (apart from the atrocious Houses of the Holy).

  13. There are quite a few reasons to dislike Led Zep: the non-credited riffs nicked from old blues guys, the sub-Lord of the Rings lyrics, and Jimmy Page dating a 14-year-old girl.

    • Those old blues guys never credited the even-older blues guys they stole from either. But yes, The Stones always gave credit where due. Zep could have. Probably under Peter Grant’s influence, but they could have insisted.

  14. Oh, the fickle tides of fashion and the uninformed whimpering of those too young to have been there, too noisily busy with their cancellation spree and all too quietly jealous at the same time.

    When Fluff signed off after a century of the Saturday show, who’s session, unheard for aeons, was it that he inserted into his last show? It wasn’t the f*cking Damned or the Pistols, that’s for sure.

    /for those about to rock mode

    Planty’s new album is super – I’m only on spin 2 but I like it already.

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