Track Listing

1. Funny In My Mind (I Believe I'm Fixin' To Die)
2. Morning Dew
3. One More Cup Of Coffee
4. Last Time I Saw Her
5. Song To The Siren
6. Win My Train Fare Home (If I Ever Get Lucky)
7. Darkness, Darkness
8. Red Dress
9. Hey Joe
10. Skip's Song
11. Dirt In A Hole

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11766 in Music
• Released on: 2002-06-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 59 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Dreamland is Robert Plant's first solo album--in name at least--for nigh on a decade. Plant's latest backing band--who toil under the slightly naff cabaret-circuit moniker of Strange Sensation--have a lithe and serpentine approach to fusing American revivalist folk with the blues and modernist alt-rock (Plant even namechecks the Flaming Lips as an influence)--all this in spite of the fact that they are drawn from such non-Kerrang!-subscribing musicians as Porl Thompson (The Cure), Justin Adams (Jah Wobble), Clive Deamer (Portishead) and John Baggott (Portishead, Massive Attack). Occasionally, this spontaneity finds them following their investigative noses down a blind alley--"Hey Joe", for all its free-form psychedelia, has "jam session" written all over it--but these trifling shortcomings are eclipsed by the hauntingly meditative "Morning Dew" (Bonnie Dobson's flicker of light in the darkness of 1960's nuclear war neurosis) and terrifically reinterpretative versions of familiar standards and neglected jewels, particularly Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren" (with warm Arabian strings) and an Anglicised-roots-via-heavy-rock shuffle through Bukka White's "Fixin' To Die". Often, covers albums are rot-stopping attempts to stall for time issued by dried-up "has-beens" but Dreamland exudes devil-may-care, barrier-smashing self-belief. --Kevin Maidment

CD Description
This is the seventh solo album from former Led Zeppelin vocalist, Robert Plant. 'Dreamland' is a collection of new material and cover versions of classic songs written by artists such as Bob Dylan and Tim Buckley. The single 'Morning Dew' is also included.

Customer Reviews

Plant's voice still lightyears ahead
I first listened to this on holiday in France. My brother had bought a copy on a day out in one of the cities in Provence.
We put it on the car stereo on the way home and listened to it from start to finish.
By the time we pulled up to our villa, both my father and I had vowed not to leave the country without our own copies.

This album is essentially a list of cover-versions, but don't be mislead. Each and every one of these tracks has been soaked in Plant's own styling and his voice drips rich textures over each track.
The opener, as I learnt from Mr Plant himself in concert at the Hammersmith Appolo, was written in 1939 by an old bluesman on death row in America and is as good a piece of simple blues done magnificently well as you could hope to hear outside of the mississippi delta.
Each and every song on this album would stand up on its own but there are two tracks that linger in my mind after listening.

Firstly, his version of Tim Buckley's "Song To The Siren" is so pitch-perfect to be truly moving and a song that both sinks you into a love-torn despair and lifts you with its sheer beauty at the same time. Just magnificent musicianship.

The second track is his version of "Hey Joe". Who else in their right minds would EVER even consider trying to out-do Jimi Hendrix?
The scary thing is he produces a version so dark, brooding and sinister whilst remaining totally controlled, that he pulls it off! This is a very different version to Hendrix' and as such it is not possible to say which is better. I simply say this is how I had always imagined that song should be. After all, the story is a dark one, so should the song be.

In conclusion, for anyone who likes Led Zeppelin, go have your faith reconfirmed. For those newer to the scene, go find the master at his best, setting the bar higher and higher for others to follow.
For purists, buy the CD, learn to appreciate the songs and then go see him play them live and marvel at how seamlessly they blend into his Zeppelin back catalogue.

Finally, a word to the doorman who took my ticket stub at the concert last night. I appologise for misleading you when you asked me if Robert Plant was from Def Leppard, I cheekily replied "no,ZZ Top". Too my amazement, he replied "oh yeah, that's right!" and ushered me on my way.
You musn't laugh, just buy the poor man a copy of this cd and he will never forget the answer.

This is Robert Plant. This isn't Led Zep 2
This is an ecclectic collection of cover versions - not bland copies of the originals but thoughtful and provocative reworkings. 'Hey Joe' becomes a sonic acrobatic drive through the cosmos, 'Song to the Siren' (always a treat, whoever does it) a gentle lament and 'One More cup of Coffee' a delicate introspection with muted vocal. Justin Adams seems to have brought some transendental N African qualities with him from his time with Jah Wobble's Invaders.

'Morning Dew' and 'Fixing to Die' contrast each other dramatically but open the album and set the tone perfectly - a great reflection of what's to come. Porl Thompson adds a second guitar so that the two players are almost fencing at times. Plant becomes a passenger. 'Red Dress' (a rocker)and 'Darkness Darkness' (a moody drawl) are also stand out tracks where I've never heard the originals but now I'm curious. I'll bet they sound nothing like these versions.

Dreamland - Robert Plant
Takes a bit of getting used too but when you finally get the feel for this album it really is excellent.
Plant has that unmistakable voice, but on this album it really is superlative. The music is a welcome change and proves that Plant can not only hack it with the rest, but clearly is better than the best. Try to take time to listen to the music with headphones on, as a lot of the subtle production & mixing is lost when listening through speakers. Don't judge this album based on the fact that most of it made up of cover versions, the Plant interpretation/execution is unique & very cleverly delivered. The other tracks are brilliant as well. The single I have no doubt will be received with great gusto by those who appreciate good music, but I don't think the current singles "charts" have a space for this type of quality music,(I hope I am wrong). Well done Robert Plant & band a superb work of art & something no doubt they are proud of.
This is an album which you must own, and I have no doubt that it will be a great addition to the Robert Plant collection.
BUY IT NOW.