Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters – Live at David Lynch’s Festival of Disruption
Eagle Rock Entertainment
https://www.amazon.com/Live-David-Lynchs-Festival-Disruption/dp/B077MQC3DY

Rating: B

Robert Plant can do whatever the #$%^ he wants these days. He is the one and only Robert Plant, after all.

Most of the music as of late I do not care for at all. I am sure that does not hurt his feelings one bit. Still…come on Rob….would it kill you to make a rock album? 

I found his last album so boring that I refused to review it out of my respect for him as an artist. That said, I saw him in a bowling alley in Vegas a few years ago and must admit I loved the show. It was impressive. 

Good news for people like me…Plant has a new live Blu-Ray where he helps raise money for David Lynch’s Foundation out now on Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The David dude is kind of a hippie—but so is Robert. The two are fighting for a good cause, though…anyone trying to help kids and make more peace in the world is okay in my book. 

I will warn you that if you are not a hippie then skip the bonus features where David drones on about meditation and peace and love and all of that sticky goodness…it will bore a real rocker to death. Sure…I suppose we need more of it in life…but this is a rock ‘n’ roll website… not a place to save your soul.

I totally suggest sticking to the concert. Plant is an icon and legend so that makes this sucker cool. The video and sound quality is excellent on this sucker.

Plant and his band continue with their quest of making rock music that mixes rock with exotic beats and African rhythms. It is good stuff, I suppose. They are a batch of very talented performers. The shtick does wear a bit thin on repeated listens for any true hard rock fan, though.

Hearing the Zep classics like “Black Dog” and “Whole Lotta Love” done in new versions with this vibe is cool. Robert can sing in his normal to lower register much better these days than in his high voice. The reworking of these songs help keeps him from stretching to places he left behind long ago. It is a very smart move.

“Going to California” and “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You” are pretty much damn worth the price of admission. Yowza! On these tunes the  magic drips like honey. They are just amazing.

Plant, even when he does stuff I don’t like has a certain magic about him.

I will end this review by simply saying I liked the concert. I will watch it again and recommend it to others.

That said…I am not one that wants Plant to jump on his Led Zep catalog and not perform the newer compositions he is obviously so passionate about. He has earned the right to do what he wants…and I will bow to his greatness.

This is an entire show by Plant & Band for 2018…not 1972. 

If you have not seen Plant for a few decades then this is a Plant you’ve never seen before. You should check it out. While it is different…and may not be to everyone’s induvial likings…it is still good…in fact, it’s damn good.

Now…if we can just him to tour in 2018 and do NOTHING but tracks from his first two solo albums I can die a happy man.

Showing Rob’s heart is in the right place…proceeds from the concert Blu-ray will also support his friend’s foundation. 

Track Listing
01. Poor Howard
02. Turn It Up
03. Black Dog
04. Medley: The Enchanter / Rainbow
05. Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You
06. Little Maggie
07. Medley: Hoochie Coochie Man / Whole Lotta Love / Mona
08. Going To California
Bonus Features include:
01. David Lynch on Creativity
02. David Lynch on Meditation
03. David Lynch on Music

By Jeb “Wanton Song” Wright