Retro Spins: Robert Plant - Shaken 'N' Stirred

 

By 1985, Robert Plant was looking towards a different musical direction. In his mind, he was bound and determined to become the opening act for Talking Heads, and as a result of this started crafting more oblique pieces of music. The stylistic pivot, particularly on tracks like the single Too Loud, was largely rejected and ridiculed by his mainstream audiences at the time, and he never actually secured the opening slot he sought.

Regardless, his third solo effort, Shaken 'N' Stirred garnered him another gold record, and the Mainstream Rock chart number one hit, Little By Little. It would further reach number thirty-six on the Billboard Hot 100. Sixes And Sevens would also make its way to the mainstream charts, peaking at number eighteen.

On thing is for sure. This album is different from his previous work. It starts off with the strangely intriguing Hip To Hoo and only goes deeper down the rabbit hole from there.

Too Loud reminds me of the experimental shifting sounds that Prince dove into between 1986 with his Camille persona. It almost has that quirky charm that you would get from something like Housequake.

I think its overall uniqueness is what makes it stand out, and mind you, that's in a good way. I actually kind of dug it. Mainly because it was so different. With that said, I honestly only grabbed one more track for the shuffle list, that being Easily Lead.

You definitely have to come into this one with a clear mindset. If you're expecting a traditional rock and roll album, you're not going to get that. Though you will get moments of it, such as on the track, Trouble Your Money. However, if you're interested in hearing an experimental Robert Plant trying on different hats, then you'll be in for a treat.

Personally, I'd like more from him like this. While I'd love that to be what happened on future albums, sadly, I'm already aware that by 1988's Now And Zen, he had retracted back to his rock roots.

Following its release, Led Zeppelin reunited for an appearance at Live Aid. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones, joined by guest drummers Phil Collins and Tony Thompson, alongside bassist Paul Martinez performed Rock And Roll, Whole Lotta Love, and Stairway To Heaven.

The performance would be widely panned by critics, and Plant himself would later call it horrendous. Throughout it, the dual drumming of Collins and Thompson was out of sync, Page's guitar out of tune, and Plant's voice strained. It was considered so bad that the band have blocked its release from subsequent home video releases, including the 2004 four-disc DVD release.

In the band's defense, Plant's appearance at Live Aid was initially planned to be with his side project, The Honey Dippers. However, this quickly spiraled into a full-blown reunion, putting the members on stage, but having not played together since 1980. Essentially, little practice and rehearsal time garnered the end results.

With that said, this wouldn't be the last time Robert Plant would be part of a massive concert, only to perform so poorly that he's block future releases. Such was the case at the 1991 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, where he absolutely butchered his cover of Innuendo. So, you know, say what you want, but I think at the end of the day, this is a Robert Plant issue. Either from not being prepared or not having the talent his legacy professes. Regardless of which it is, it's unprofessional.

As noted above, Plant would go on to release 1988's Now And Zen, a return to form album for him. It would become his biggest selling solo album of all time, and his final release in the decade. It's where I pick up tomorrow and wrap things up.

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