NEW ON CD
COURTESY PHOTO Strange Sensation puts
unique touch on 8 old gemsFormer Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant breaks his nine-year silence with his latest solo disc, "Dreamland," as he and his Strange Sensation band remodel eight historical American folk, psychedelic and blues tracks by Bob Dylan ("One More Cup of Coffee"), Tim Buckley ("Song to the Siren"), Bukka White ("Funny in My Mind (I Believe I'm Fixin' to Die)"), Robert Johnson ("Milk Calf Blues") and John Lee Hooker ("Crawlin' King Snake").
The album's a self-produced affair, with Plant's distinct blend of folk, psychedelic, Middle Eastern, Asian and blues sounds. U.K.-based Zep author/expert Dave Lewis said that the album's influence "comes before Zeppelin, when he was in Band of Joy (with future Zep drummer John Bonham). It's the type of music he was hearing in the mid-'60s, before he took it to Zep. Even the (two) new songs ('Last Time I Saw Her' and 'Red Dress') sound of that era."
Plant's backup band include ex-Cure guitarist Porl Thompson, Sinéad O'Connor's guitarist Justin Adams, longtime Plant & Page bassist Charlie Jones and new members John Baggott on keyboards and drummer Clive Dreamer.
ALSO OUT:"Austin Powers in Goldmember" soundtrack
"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," The Flaming Lips
"Busted Stuff," Dave Matthews Band
"Live in New York City 1967," Simon & Garfunkel
"Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories," Swizz Beatz
"Highly Evolved," The Vines
By Gary C.W. Chun
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