stairway to union station
Raising Sand is the title of the forthcoming album from one of the more unlikely partnerships since Eminem and Elton John: erstwhile Led Zep lemon squeezer Robert Plant and Union Station fiddler/songbird Alison Krauss. Produced by T Bone Burnett—no stranger to genre mash-ups and inspired forays into left-of-center musical investigations— and recorded in Nashville and L.A., it’s due Oct. 23 from Rounder. Among the players are guitarists Marc Ribot and Norman Blake, multi-instrumentalist Mike Seeger, drummer Jay Bellerose, and bassist Dennis Crouch.
This, I gotta hear. I’m especially looking forward to “Killing The Blues” which has been covered umpteen times (yes, that’s an official number) by many many folks yet remains an intriguing song for it’s sadness and oddball structure.
Chris Smither - “Killing The Blues” (Hard to top this version)
“Nothing is sadder than losing yourself in love”
- This is a live recording from I don’t know where. I’ve heard Chris perform it about five times myself and he brings the pain everytime. This version is a little vocally warbly but you get the picture.
A fascinating guitar version of the song by Ed Gerhard
Ed Gerhard on Us Folk playing Killing the blues from CTD3 and Vimeo.
Wow, I love this song! Chris Smither sounds like Glen Hansert — the voice, the sadness and the oddball structure of the song. The guitar version is great, too.
The heartbreak, the lonely torn up pathos in Chris Smither’s version of Killing the Blues ‘kills’ me–I mean there is horrible pain in my gut now. Oh my God —the richness of the sorrow. Chris wins — but I love the metal slide Ed Gerhard version. That one is full and mournful in its own very different way. Gee Shouter, I need an antidote fast…. Yikes I think I need some nice shallow Dancing Queen about now if I’m going to get past the pain of these two cuts and actually function tonight. And I do need to function because I have ‘promises to keep and miles to go before I… ‘ can descend into any more Killing the Blues.
On the topic of “Killing the Blues”, have you heard Roly Salley live?
Hadn’t heard Chris Smither’s version. I’m with Meg.
Unfortunately, the song that keeps spinning in my head now is “Lines on My Face”. Robert Plant should never be photographed with Alison Krauss again. It brings new meaning to “rode hard and hung up wet”.
Lainie said: ” Robert Plant should never be photographed with Alison Krauss again. It brings new meaning to “rode hard and hung up wet”.
I say, Lainie!!!
I can’t stop laughing. I need more sleep.