Robert Plant - Lullaby & the Ceaseless Roar

2X 180G vinyl LP pressing plus bonus CD. 2014 self-produced album from the superstar vocalist. It features 11 new recordings, nine of which are original songs written by Plant with his band, the Sensational Space Shifters-Justin Adams: bendirs, djembe, guitars, retardant, background vocals; John Baggott: keyboards, loops, moog bass, piano, tabal, background vocals; Juldeh Camara: kologo, ritti, Fulani vocals; Billy Fuller: bass, drum programming, monochord, upright bass; Dave Smith: drum set; and Liam 'Skin' Tyson: banjo, guitar, background vocals. Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar is Plant's first record since 2010's Band of Joy, which followed 2007's six-time Grammy Award winning collaboration with Alison Krauss, Raising Sand. Justin Adams and John Baggott of the Sensational Space Shifters appeared on Plant's 2002 release Dreamland, while all but Camara and Smith appeared on 2005's Mighty Rearranger. This album's line-up toured the world in 2014 before recording lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar at Helium Studios in Wiltshire and Real World Studios in Bath, UK. The track 'Rainbow' was recorded in Contino Rooms in London. Tchad Blake mixed all but three tracks on the album. 'It's really a celebratory record, powerful, gritty, African, Trance meets Zep,' Plant says. 'The whole impetus of my life as a singer has to be driven by a good brotherhood. I am very lucky to work with the Sensational Space Shifters. They come from exciting areas of contemporary music.I have been around awhile and I ask myself, do I have anything to say? Is there a song still inside me? in my heart? I see life and what's happening to me. Along the trail there are expectations, disappointments, happiness, questions and strong relationships,' Plant explains, 'and now I'm able to express my feelings through melody, power and trance; together in a kaleidoscope of sound, colour, and friendship.'