Raise the Roof

by Alison Krauss, Robert Plant

Overview

Raising Sand, the first collaborative effort between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, seemed to come from out of the blue in 2007. The pairing of golden rock god and bluegrass troubadour was as unexpected as the album's subdued, nuanced Americana, a sound that existed at the crossroads of the past and the present. It seemed like lightning in a bottle, the kind of magic that couldn't be reproduced, and the subsequent decade or so suggested that suspicion might be true. Plant and Krauss attempted a sequel a couple of times during those ten years, leaving the project behind when the moment didn't seem right. Suddenly, the pieces came together at the end of the 2010s, as Calexico's "Quattro (World Drifts In)" gave Krauss insight into how to proceed with a new record. Soon, she and Plant reunited with producer T-Bone Burnett along with a few Raising Sand session musicians, plus some new hands such as Buddy Miller and Bill Frisell. The resulting Raise the Roof is something of a wonder: a record that proves lightning sometimes does strike twice. If the slow, murky crawl of Raising Sand came as a soft shock in 2007, the surprise of Raise the Roof is that Plant and Krauss can reconnect with that spirit without pandering or replication. Aside from the cinematic atmosphere sculpted by Burnett, there are a few connective tissues between the two records -- both contain songs written by Allen Toussaint and the Everly Brothers (here, it's "Trouble with My Lover" and "The Price of Love," respectively) -- but the true unifier is how Plant and Krauss create a unified vision of roots music that feels respectful yet untethered to the past. Here, they expand their purview to include British folk -- Anne Briggs' "Go Your Way" and Bert Jansch's "It Don't Bother Me" are highlights -- and barroom country ("Going Where the Lonely Go," a mid-career masterpiece from Merle Haggard), shaping the two styles to sound as airy and deep as their interpretations of Americana. Raise the Roof often moves at a deliberate pace -- the liveliest moments of the Plant/Burnett co-write "High and Lonesome," which is the only original here, and Brenda Burns' "Somebody Was Watching Over Me" -- arrive at the very end of the record, but even with the modest tempo, the album feels joyful. There's a palpable pleasure in hearing Plant and Krauss harmonize and trade lines. It often feels like they're delighted that they're making an album that lives up to their debut, and it's hard not to share their thrill. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/19/2021
Label:	Rounder
UPC:	0888072270329

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Robert Plant   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Alison Krauss   Primary Artist,Vocals,Strings,Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Marc Ribot   Banjo,Guitar,Clapping,Guitar (Baritone),Guitar (Electric),Requinto,Handclapping,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic),Bass
Bill Frisell   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Dennis Crouch   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Colin Linden   Guitar,Resonator
Buddy Miller   Mandolin,Guitar (Electric),Electronic Mandolin
T-Bone Burnett   Mellotron,6-String Bass,Guitar (Bass),Vocal Harmony,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Jay Bellerose   Drums,Clapping,Percussion,Handclapping
Viktor Krauss   Bass,Mellotron,Double Bass,Guitar (Bass),Bass (Upright)
David Hidalgo   Guitar,Jarana,Clapping,Handclapping,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electroacoustic)
Jeff Taylor   Marxophone,Bass Accordion,Piano,Zither,Celeste,Dolceola,Accordion
Russell Pahl   Guitar,Pedal Steel,6-String Bass,Guitar (Bass),Bass (Electric)
Lucinda Williams   Vocals (Background)
Stuart Duncan   Banjo,Cello,Fiddle,Mandolin
David Hildago   Guitar,Clapping,Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Bobby Moore   Composer
John Convertino   Composer
Geeshie Wiley   Composer
Gavin Lurssen   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Joey Burns   Composer
Dean Holloway   Composer
Ola Belle Reed   Composer
Merle Haggard   Composer
Anne Briggs   Composer
Hank Williams   Composer
Brenda Burns   Composer
T-Bone Burnett   Composer,Producer,Recording Producer
Bert Jansch   Composer
Don Everly   Composer
Richard Evans   Design,Artwork
Robert Moore   Composer
Tom Overby   Composer
Robert Plant   Composer
Lucinda Williams   Composer
Phil Everly   Composer
Randy Weeks   Composer
Tim Oliver   Engineer
Allen Toussaint   Composer
Ivy Skoff   Project Coordinator
Michael Piersante   Mixing,Engineer,Recording
Rachael Moore   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Tiffany Eveland   Production Assistant
Carrie Lelwica   Production Assistant
Charlotte Hass   Production Assistant
Chris Berkey   Photography