From Billboard.com:

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss put their collaborative stamp on an eclectic repertoire of material on "Raising Sand," due Oct. 23 via Rounder. Among the tracks appearing on the T Bone Burnett-produced project are the Everly Brothers' "Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)," Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan's "Trampled Rose" and "Please Read the Letter," first released on the 1998 Plant/Jimmy Page album "Walking Into Clarksdale."

Plant and Krauss first performed together in 2004 at a Leadbelly tribute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, but it took several years before they found time to team up in the studio with Burnett in Nashville and Los Angeles.

Among the musicians contributing to the project are guitarists Marc Ribot and Norman Blake, multi-instrumentalist Mike Seeger, drummer Jay Bellerose and bassist Dennis Crouch.

As previously reported, "Raising Sand" will be released just ahead of a Led Zeppelin retrospective and a deluxe reissue of the live album and film "The Song Remains the Same."

Here is the track list for "Raising Sand" (with songwriter):

"Rich Woman" (Dorothy LaBostrie/McKinley Millet)
"Killing the Blues" (Rowland Salley)
"Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us" (Sam Phillips)
"Polly Come Home" (Gene Clark)
"Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)" (Phil and Don Everly)
"Through the Morning, Through the Night" (Gene Clark)
"Please Read The Letter" (Robert Plant/Michael Lee/Jimmy Page/Charlie Jones)
"Trampled Rose" (Tom Waits/Kathleen Brennan)
"Fortune Teller" (Naomi Neville)
"Stick With Me Baby" (Mel Tillis)
"Nothin'" (Townes Van Zandt)
"Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson" (Milt Campbell)
"Your Long Journey" (A.D. Watson and Rosa Lee Watson)

I'm a really big Plant fan but this does not interest me much-perhaps I'll change on that, but this screams "Play me in Borders"!

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Description
The musical collaboration of the decade, Raising Sand is the sound of two iconic figures stepping out of their respective comfort zones and letting their instincts lead them across a brave new sonic landscape. Despite hailing from distinctly different backgrounds, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant share a maverick spirit and willingness to extend the boundaries of their respective genres. This spirit, expertly honed by producer T Bone Burnett, has resulted in an album pitched three steps beyond some cosmic collision of early urban blues, spacious West Texas country, and the untapped potential of the folk-rock revolution. Supported by the unparalleled musicianship of Marc Ribot, Dennis Crouch, Mike Seeger, Jay Bellerose, Norman Blake, Greg Leisz, Patrick Warren, and Riley Baugus, Plant and Krauss -- as both solo and harmony vocalists -- tackle an intriguing selection of songs from such tunesmiths as Tom Waits, Gene Clark, Sam Phillips, Townes Van Zandt, The Everly Broth! ers, and Mel Tillis. Raising Sand finds Robert Plant and Alison Krauss exploring popular music's elemental roots while still sounding effortlessly, breath-takingly contemporary.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UMQDHC/?tag=imwan-20

Funny - I'm an Alison Krauss fan, and I feel the same way !
Maybe we will both be pleasantly surprised......

what an odd, odd pairing?

renny

I must be an odd-duck. I'm actually fascinated by this pairing for some reason. I plan on picking this up. I like the idea that Plant would try to do a collaboration of this sort.

From a weirdness factor, it reminds me of the recent Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris records. At first, I was very skeptical on those two sounding good due to their very opposite voices but I thought they were great together and on record. I play the studio one a lot and will be putting the live one into rotation soon. (have only played it once so far)

I agree, it could go the way of a Border's "muzak" white noise thing but it could also bring out RP's inner country child that still rocks. Now, if they go the Elton. Broadway route, then we are in for an ugly mess.

Hmmm, can we speculate some more between now and Oct? You bet we can!

This is one I would have never expected.

This may not be as weird as it first sounded. After all, on Led Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore", Robert Plant sang with Sandy Denny.

However, I'll have to listen to it at Borders or Barnes and Noble before I take the plunge.

Wow... there sure are a lot of pessimistic thoughts on this release -- how does one know anything until you hear it first?

Amazon has posted an 8-minute video preview of Raising Sand with interview segments with Palnt, Krauss and producer T-Bone Burnett:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UMQDHC/?tag=imwan-20

This CD has some serious promise IMO, and the sound clips sure sound *tasty* to me... a bit like the impressive pairing of Mark Knopler & Emmylou Harris' All The Roadrunning, which turned out to be a spectacular album! Don't write this off until you hear it and give it a chance... it may just surprise you... instead of shock you.

....................................

"Please Read The Letter" (Robert Plant/Michael Lee/Jimmy Page/Charlie Jones)

This song credited to four of the five gents making up Page & Plant's last touring band for the Walking Into Clarksdale CD, and this track also appears on that CD.

Actually...I don't find this pairing that surprising at all. In spite of the fact that Alison Krauss is one of the best known Bluegrass artists going, she's long admitted to loving "Classic Rock". Look at her cover of "Oh, Atlanta" for instance. I'm very interested to see how this all turns out.

And Robert Plant has shown a lot of affection for the folk traditions of the British Isles which is one of the roots of bluegrass.

This pairing doesn't seem odd to me at all. Might be pretty good.

I'm just about to listen to it...
I'm looking forward to hearing the version of "Please Read The Letter" which was on Road to Clarksdale. That song seems right to me.

This pairing makes total sense to me. Neither artist has ever been restricted by the idioms for which they're most known: Krauss has been responsible for taking bluegrass into pop/contemporary folk directions in interesting ways, and Plant's musical wanderlust should be obvious to anyone whose followed his directions since Zeppelin broke up.

I'm extremely excited about this pairing and it's obvious to me that both artists ought to have found some great inspiration working with each other. And Marc Ribot being on board certainly doesn't hurt! Can't wait.

I should add that Alison recorded "Big Log" on her brother's album about 3 years ago. Very nice version.

Oh well...I'll have to listen to it again, but on first listen, it really didn't grab me the way I'd hoped it would. It was very low key and dare I say it, kind of boring.

God, what a dissapointment. It's just one slow-tempo Plant dirge after another with Alison singing harmony. She sings lead on one or two, plays a violin solo on one and that's about it. There's a couple uptemp numbers but nothing cltic or bluegrassy.

Approach with caution.

I heard Gone, Gone, Gone on the radio over the weekend. It was nice but didn't kill me. I would have liked to hear something with more intensity. I'm not giving up on this but I want to try out more before buying.

See I was hoping she would bring him up rather than he bring her down.

His last two cd's have really blown for me and I wanted to read some good reviews but it sounds like a promo only for this one. That's still ok, I guess

I'm an Alison Krauss fan.

I did not care for this album at all, for what its worth.

i know i won't buy this CD new, used or a promo yes, new no way.

renny

If it shows up first week in the sales circulars, I'll bring one home...

I'm not surprised at the reviews here-this sounded like cafe folk right off the bat. I'm still going to look for it used (should happen quickly), but I'm not eagerly going to do so. I heard the single and it was really weak. But I didn't expect much either.
People are allowed to speak freely which is nice to see even if an icon makes something deemed mediocre or worse.
I still love Plant and I find his solo catalogue for the most part amazing-this one just seems like a forgettable one.

I'm warming up to it a bit. I still wish it was more varied rythmically. GGG is about the only uptempo number on it.