Search - Robert Plant :: Mighty Rearranger

OK there is such thing as a 56 year old rock star.

William Miller | Ocala, Florida | 05/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have suggested in this very forum that it is mystifying to me that people will fork over huge sums of hard earned money to see a middle aged rock "star" whose last relevant music was decades old (hello Mick Jagger, how ya doin' Rod Stewart?). That sentiment certainly does not apply to Robert Plant. He has never released a truly bad album and this one ranks with his best. There is not a bum track on this disc, and "Tin Pan Valley" alone is worth the price of admission.



While there are other 60's and 70's heroes of mine who have aged gracefully (see e.g. Van Morrison), only Neil Young comes to mind as being able to rock as convincingly thirty plus years into a career. Here's to another decade of great music from arguably the best rock and roll voice of them all."

I' for one, "LIKE THIS!"

Music Enthusiast | Glendale, CA | 05/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is simply a fine album. Reflects the wisdom of a 56 year old mega rock star who's seen it all, done it all and has been surrounded by the best; coupled with the young raw talent of today. Unlike albums like Page/Plant, "Walking towards Clarksdale", where there is basically guitar/bass & drums, Plant has always, and continues to expand all horizons with jazz, techno, and instruments and beats from around the world. All of the above factors come together on Mighty Rearranger. What's different here, is Plant really speaks his mind about world affairs, as opposed to singing about lemons, shaking down nightgowns, and hearing the back door slam. He started the rant about world issues in the last song in Fate of Nations, but really ran with that baton with Mighty Rearranger. In fact, "Freedom Fries" could have been written by Eddie Vedder or Bob Dylan.



The sound mix is incredible. You are going to get a great soundstage effect on even a modest system. Go to a high-end stereo store, and have them play "Somebody Knocking". You feel like you are sitting across a 40 foot wide stage.



The whole album flows nicely. You can hear from afar as background, as well as enjoy as a listening centerpiece. Play it at a party! Here are the songs, blow-by-blow:



Another Tribe blew me away. I heard the album for the 1st time using headphones and I think I played this song 10 or 12 times before letting it roll to Shine it all around. Opens with them banging on a Bendir(Moroccan drum) to the beat of the opening of Zep's Rock n Roll, and with acoustic guitars, clever techno effects, and a waltz-like orchestra-like effect, I was completely living outside my body. Pure entertainment; mission accomplished! Subtly, the bass-line seems like a sped up version of the line used during the bow-solo in the studio version of Dazed n Confused.



Shine it all around has a Bonham type of drum beat with a murky bass line. A typical Plant-solo rocker. A perfect single for the album, also the one most unlike the others.



Freedom Fries is a venomous attack on the situation in the middle east. Musically, they're attacking the Bendir to an off-beat guitar. As one reviewer put it, you'd need 3 legs to dance to this beat. The song is sung in a similar fashion as Tall Cool One, or the song that opens the Manic Nirvana album.



Tin Pan Valley is Plant's introspection and statement about staying young in his profession. Musically, like a cross between Pearl Jam's Faithfull (slow part) with The Who's keyboards from Eminence Front while Plant whispers along. Then the song explodes in the climax like the Wanton Song on steroids. Should silence all the people maintaining Robert's lost his voice.



All the Kings horses is a cross between Song to the Siren(Dreamland) and Going to Calif(Zep IV).



The Enchanter is an album highlight. Like a Pink Floyd song in many respects. So many things going on here. John Baggot's keys are a highlight. When the solo hits, the speakers all but jump off the ground. Seems like you hear something new during each listen. In the outtro, play it loud and on good speakers. The pounding bass is at such a low frequency, you hear things in the house/car shaking as opposed to hearing the actual bass.



Takamba is a rocker, plain and simple. This attack on Blair has shades of Black Dog and Nobody's Fault but mine. This song could have easily fit onto Zep's Presence album.



Dancing in Heaven is a soothing listen. Similar to an acoustic version to Dancing Days.



Somebody Knocking is classic. Using a myriad of Moroccan and Malaian instruments, mixed very well, has Plant singing his heart out like southern blues. Again, a classic experience on very high-end audio equipment.



Let the Four winds blow is a rocker and features the rhythm section. The drum/bass is punchy like a heavyweight on the large hanging bag.



Mighty Rearranger reminds me of early, pre-Machine Head Deep Purple. The beat reminds me of a kid skipping down the sidewalk and the guitar riff is vaguely reminiscent of How Many More Times(Zep 1). Includes Honky-Tonk piano and Harmonica.



Brother Ray is about a minute of chanting; a small tribute to Ray Charles. Then 16 seconds of silence pass, and the hidden track is a 7 minute techno remix of Shine it all around. Not even vaguely detectable as originating from Shine it all around; but is fun nevertheless.



In summary, this is a great album for anyone into good rock n roll. It reflects talent, wisdom and the openness to experiment with non traditional instruments, and incorporate them into good rock songs to make them better. I strongly recommend this album."

Percy's Best Album In Ages

Thomas E. Hoke Jr. | Atlanta, GA | 06/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It bothers me to read some of the reviews here from "fans" who apparently think Robert Plant should go on singing the same Led Zeppelin songs from now until the end of time. I love Zeppelin too, but this album is extremely solid. It's easily the best record Robert has put out since "Manic Nirvana". His voice still sounds quite good, even if it has inevitably lost some of it's power over the years, but what makes this CD so great is the fact that Robert is taking chances with the music. He doesn't have anything to prove at this point, and he is just making the music he wants to .... and it's really, really good. There really aren't any tracks here that seem crafted for radio play, and that's part of the album's charm. The instrumentation is dense and lush, the production forward-looking and modern sounding, and Plant's voice still has that eerie, otherworldly quality that can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when he phrases something just right. Another interesting thing about this record is the fact that Robert has written some political, contemporary lyrics here that express his disillusionment with the world today. "Freedom Fries" levels a particularly pointed criticism at the Bush administration and the Iraq war, as Plant sings "Freedom fries and burns and scars / The liberator goes too far" over a scorchingly psychadelic groove that might make Jimmy Page green with envy. Other standout songs include the title track, "Another Tribe", "The Enchanter" with it's slow burn Eastern motif, and the haunting "Tin Pan Alley", in which Plant criticizes his contemporaries who are happy to coast on past glories. Judging from this album, there's no need for Plant to do that; he shows that he still has plenty of creativity and passion, and also that he can still rock just as hard as singers half his age when the spirit calls him to do so."