Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation
Mighty Rearranger
Tracklist:
1. Another Tribe (3:15)
2. Shine It All Around (4:03)
3. Freedom Fries (2:52)
4. Tin Pan Valley (3:47)
5. All The King�s Horses (4:20)
6. The Enchanter (5:27)
7. Takamba (4:04)
8. Dancing in Heaven (4:25)
9. Somebody Knocking (3:47)
10. Let the Four Winds Blow (4:52)
11. Mighty Rearranger (4:25)
12. Brother Ray (1:12)
Total: 54:19
Introduction
Robert Plant has had a rather successful solo, post-Led Zeppelin career. He has released a total of 8 albums, including this album, titled Mighty Rearranger. His back-up band for this album, The Strange Sensation, is the same as the one from his 2002 album, Dreamland.
With this album, Robert Plant incorporates his fascination with world music into each song, with rather good results.
Synopsis
�Another Tribe� is a great opener, with some good guitar riffs, catchy drumming, and great singing from Robert Plant. I think it�s great that Plant can still sing so well. He�s 58 years old, as of this writing, and he can sing better than some of those younger singers out there.
Next up is the first single off of the album, �Shine It All Around�. This song is a radio-friendly one. It�s got a catchy drumbeat (it reminds me of the one from Led Zeppelin�s �When the Levee Breaks� a bit, for some reason), great vocals, interesting keyboard effects, and good guitar and bass work. Plant�s singing is excellent in this song. There�s an okay guitar solo here too, although it�s nothing too spectacular.
�Freedom Fries� took a few listens for me to like. Like the two songs before it, it�s got a catchy drumbeat, great singing, and some cool guitars, bass, and keyboards. It�s a pretty good song overall, but it�s really short.
The intro to �Tin Pan Valley� sounds like the opening of some Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive to all you non-US readers) game. Seriously. It�s pretty funny when you hear it. But anyway, this is another song that eventually grew on me. Plant�s voice gets pretty high on this song. Well, nothing like his high-pitched wails in his Zeppelin days, but fairly high nonetheless.
�All the King�s Horses� features some good acoustic riffs and some excellent, soft singing from Plant. This song is great, and is one of the best songs on the album. It�s a calm, acoustic tune somewhat in the vein of Led Zeppelin�s �Going to California�. The two songs are nothing alike, though.
�The Enchanter� is a blues-influenced track, with a bit of a hard rock edge. Plant�s voice here is rather low, but it picks up during the chorus. The instrumental work here is pretty good as well.
The middle-eastern influenced �Takamba� is up next. Overall, it�s a good song with an interesting sound. Not much else to say.
�Dancing in Heaven� is another great acoustic track. Unlike �All the King�s Horses�, �Dancing in Heaven� is a faster paced tune and features percussion. Great vocals and excellent instrumentation make this one of the best songs on the album.
Plant shows more of his world music influenced with �Somebody Knocking�. It�s another interesting song with a lot unique sounds, namely, the tribal-like percussion and acoustic guitar riffs to go along with it.
A jazz-like influenced intro begins the next song, �Let the Four Winds Blow�. Some great bass lines and excellent singing, as well as a cool guitar solo, highlight this song.
The title track, �Mighty Rearranger�, is one of the best songs on the album. There�s a great, steady drumbeat, jazzy guitar riffs, and outstanding vocals from Plant. He even plays a harmonica solo, just like in the good old Led Zeppelin days.
�Brother Ray� is a short tribute to the late blues singer, Ray Charles. I find this song to be a bit odd. The track sounds like it was recorded in a garage, and Plant�s vocals aren�t very audible. Not listed on the track list, a remix of �Shine It All Around� immediately follows �Brother Ray�. It�s got a techno feel to it. It�s okay, but I�d rather listen to the actual version than the remix anyday.
Highlights
�Shine It All Around�, �Dancing in Heaven�, �Mighty Rearranger�
Bottom Line
This is Robert Plant�s best solo album since Now and Zen. It�s very much worth picking up if you�re a fan of his previous solo works.
Final Grade: B
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Last Updated ::
6/1/2005
Album: Mighty Rearranger
Album line-up:
Robert Plant � Vocals, Harmonica
John Baggott � Keyboards, Electronica, Moog Bass
Clive Deamer � Drums, Bendir
Justin Adams � Electric Guitar, Bendir, Tehardant, Lap Steel, Bass
Skin Tyson � Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Lap Steel, Bass
Billy Fuller � Electric and Double Bass
Additional Personnel:
N/A
Release Year: 2005
Label: Sanctuary
Produced by: Steve Evans (?)