Robert Plant Recalls His ‘Most Difficult Piece of Music to Sing’

Robert Plant has revealed that “Polly Come Dwelling,” one of many covers he recorded alongside Alison Krauss for 2007’s Elevating Sand, ranked among the many most difficult songs of his profession.

“It’s simply essentially the most tough piece of music to sing on the tempo that we sang it at,” Plant defined on the most recent episode of his Digging Deep podcast. “It’s one of many hardest calls I’ve had, other than my audition within the Yardbirds.”

Whereas Gene Clark’s unique model of the music — launched in 1969 on the Dillard & Clark LP By means of the Morning, By means of the Night time — was a mid-tempo nation tune, Plant and Krauss opted to gradual the tempo right down to an intoxicating sway.

Take heed to “Polly Got here Dwelling” by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

“It’s such a outstanding really feel and it’s such a good looking music,” Plant remarked. “The music itself is simply, it’s so poignant. And it’s so gradual. So the very opening line of the music, in my chest, my lungs, my vocal cords, in my sense of timing… It was, ‘How am I gonna get these phrases proper to the top of that bar with out collapsing?’ It was simply such a good looking lilt.”

“So that is the man that sang ‘Immigrant Tune,’ he’s simply gonna go and sing this music right here the place I would like an iron lung to offer me just a little extra air to get the music out,” Plant continued. “It’s simply such a fantastic music, however the tempo… it was so languid, it was magnificent. But it surely was a hell of a problem.”

In fact, Plant reaped loads of rewards for difficult himself. Elevating Sand offered greater than 1,000,000 copies within the U.S., whereas critics celebrated the traditional rocker and Krauss for his or her superb musical chemistry. The LP earned the duo 5 Grammys, together with File and Album of the 12 months. The musicians are reportedly prepping a follow-up, although particulars have been scarce.