Label: Warner-Pioneer (Japan), 32XD-945
Style: Rock, Arena Rock
Country: West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England (20 August 1948)
Time: 47:08
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 320 Mb
Robert
Plant's 1988 release 'Now and Zen' was a hugely significant milestone
in this process of reeducation, an album I already knew well from my
youth, and one I'd not re-listened to since the advent of the compact
disc. My childhood memories were that this was an overwhelmingly cheesy
80s album and I approached this rediscovery with a fair amount of
scepticism born from investigating most of Led Zeppelin's back catalogue
in the interim period; my expectation was that this album would fall
rather short in comparison but, to my great surprise, the reality was
quite different.
Like a lot of rockers who made their name in the 60s
and 70s Robert Plant was widely regarded to have gone hopelessly adrift
by the mid 80s. By 1987 he'd released three solo albums and each had
been an exercise in denial; here was an artist going to untold lengths
to hide from his rock heritage. 'Now and Zen' marks the point Plant
stops trying quite so hard at distancing himself from his roots and
allows himself to throw some of those familiar rock god shapes again;
tellingly he even goes as far as inviting old stomping partner Jimmy
Page to play on one of the album's singles 'Tall Cool One'. As
successful as this reunion proves to be, intriguingly it's a more
unexpected collaboration that reveals itself as the true secret to this
album's success.
This release sees keyboardist Phil Johnstone
establish himself as a perfect songwriting foil for Plant, a partnership
that would continue long into the future. While guitars certainly flesh
out many of the arrangements here they remain in the most part an
embellishment, rather it's the keyboard that forms the musical backbone
in the place of any rhythm guitar. This inspired choice gives the sound
an unexpectedly rich pop lustre that you perhaps wouldn't have thought
Robert would run with. Surprisingly this sound is one that fits bluesy
horndog Plant to a tee as he sands off the rough edges of his voice to
deliver a masterclass in smooth and faintly mystical pop vox. Whether
tackling the consummate 'ballad-writer's ballad' 'Ship of Fools',
rockabilly doo-wopping 'Billy's Revenge' or the super-slick dance pop
(and unexpected masturbation ode) 'Dancing on My Own' the man never
fails to impress.
Looking back at Plant's solo career you can't help
but see 'Now and Zen' as an all important confidence boosting shot in
the arm that paved the way for future successes like 93's eclectic 'Fate
of Nations' and the well received Jimmy Page collaboration 'Walking
Into Clarksdale'. He'd eventually settle into the traditional elder
statesman 'tasteful' genre territories of folk and country but strangely
his song writing would never again match the immediacy and easy melodic
charm of the tracks included here. The 80s sucked hard for a lot of us,
and Mr Plant more than most you'd think, but it's important to remember
they weren't all bad. Just mostly terrible.
(full version: sputnikmusic.com/review/70638/Robert-Plant-Now-and-Zen/)
01. Heaven Knows (04:06)
02. Dance on my Own (04:30)
03. Tall Cool One (04:40)
04. The Way I Feel (05:41)
05. Helen of Troy (05:06)
06. Billy's Revenge (03:33)
07. Ship of Fools (05:01)
08. Why (04:15)
09. White, Clean and Neat (05:28)
10. Walking Towards Paradise (04:43)
