‘Digging Deep’ Into Robert Plant’s Solo Catalog

In a decade when most of his '70s rock god peers have either retired or settled comfortably into life as a nostalgia-fueled touring act, Robert Plant reached a creative zenith. The former Led Zeppelin frontman released two of his most cinematic LPs, 2014's lullaby… and The Ceaseless Roar and 2017's Carry Fire, in his late '60s—the latest artful chapter in a five-decade career of continual surprise.

Since his former band's demise in 1980, Plant has shape-shifted from style to style—often adding his own color to the canvas of contemporary radio (the hard-rock/New Wave hybrid of 1988's Now and Zen), sometimes using trendy sounds as a launching pad for experimentation (the wacky art-pop of 1985's Shaken 'N' Stirred). At one point or another, he's reveled in blues, Americana, psychedelia, art-rock and country—but it's really all just felt like Robert Plant.

The singer-songwriter surveys that nonlinear evolution with Digging Deep, a new seven-inch vinyl box set featuring cuts from across his solo catalog. To mark the occasion, we've rounded up one track from each of Plant's 11 studio albums (and two collaborative records), showcasing his elite artistic range.

"Pledge Pin" (from 1982's Pictures at Eleven)

It was a strange year: Five months before Led Zeppelin closed the curtain with their final LP, rarities compilation Coda, Plant ventured forth with his stylish debut solo record—which paired the muscle of In Through the Out Door-era Zep with a more polished production style befitting 1982. The centerpiece is "Pledge Pin," which taps into a Police-like mood with its punchy, reggae-rock riff and Phil Collins' bombastic tom-tom fills.

"In The Mood" (from 1983's The Principle Of Moments)

Working again with guitarist Robbie Blunt, a chief collaborator on the first three solo albums, Plant recaptured his debut's contrast of heaviness and buoyancy on The Principle Of Moments. But where Pictures At Eleven thrived on atmosphere, pieces like the minor hit "In The Mood" were more blatantly melodic: On the verses, Plant wrangles maximum catchiness out of two notes, his staccato rhythms dancing over Blunt's dreamy licks and Phil Collins' funky, syncopated groove.

"Hip To Hoo" (from 1985's Shaken 'N' Stirred)

Plant detoured into New Wave quirkiness on Shaken 'N' Stirred, exemplified by the jagged, idea-per-second arrangement of opener "Hip To Hoo." The track opens in a dark prog landscape that recalls period King Crimson, but the storm clouds part into a carnivalesque synth-pop swirl with a tinge of Talking Heads surrealism.

"Ship Of Fools" (from 1988's Now And Zen)

Plant was clearly a fan of Phil Collins' drumming, having enlisted the Genesis member's services on his first two albums. But this atmospheric ballad suggests he also admired the art-rock side of his songwriting. "Ship Of Fools," a minor hit featured in an episode of Miami Vice, finds Plant belting about the rocky tides of romance over a muted drum machine pattern and Doug Boyle's intricate hammer-on guitar riff.

"I Cried" (from 1990's Manic Nirvana)

Like most pop artists operating in the mid-to-late '80s, some of Plant's material from that period feels frozen in ice—defined by neon-tinted production and dated synth sounds. The singer leaned into a renewed hard rock style on Manic Nirvana, but most of the songs feel processed within an inch of their lives. One exception is "I Cried," which conjures Led Zeppelin III vibes with its ghostly acoustic guitars and Plant's subdued croon.

"Calling To You" (from 1993's Fate of Nations)

Plant draws on Eastern-tinged anthems of Zeppelin past with "Calling To You," which recalls the grandeur of both "Dancing Days" and "Kashmir." The guitars squeal with zeal; the drums boom with a Bonham-like thud; and the strings carry the singer's rallying cries out "beyond the river, over the sea."

"Shining In The Light" (with Jimmy Page) (from 1998's Walking Into Clarksdale)

Expectations were impossibly high for Walking Into Clarksdale, the lone studio project from Page's reunion with Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. And the duo's heavy, pummeling LP—recorded with producer Steve Albini, best known for working with Nirvana and Pixies—did not clear that daunting bar. But the album is full of majestic moments, like opener "Shining in the Light," which pairs mellotron strings and country-rock strumming over a "Ramble On"-styled groove.

"Morning Dew" (from 2002's Dreamland)

Plant assembled a brand-new backing band, Strange Sensation, for his seventh solo LP, reinterpreting deep cuts and standards from blues, folk and classic rock. They offered an expansive facelift to the Bonnie Dobson folk tune "Morning Dew," draping the song's post-apocalyptic words in shimmering guitar effects and droning electric piano.

"Freedom Fries" (2005's Mighty ReArranger)

Plant's second record with Strange Sensation vastly improved on the first by experimenting further with progressive arrangements and non-rock instruments. One highlight is "Freedom Fries," which recalls the staggering splendor of Zeppelin's "Black Dog." Over a greasy blues-prog riff and an impossible drum groove counted in nines, Plant gazes out at a war-torn wasteland nation.

"Killing The Blues" (with Alison Krauss) (from 2007's Raising Sand)

After building momentum in a rock band setting, Plant naturally decided to tear the whole thing down. But it was a wise move: Raising Sand, his team-up with country star Alison Krauss, opened new doors, both creatively and commercially—allowing him to roam purely Americana terrain while picking up five GRAMMYs in the process (including Album of the Year). Their breezy cover of Roly Salley's "Killing the Blues"—which took home Best Country Collaboration With Vocals—follows the duo's voices in a perfectly symmetrical harmony, their balanced timbres supported by brushed drums and tremolo guitar. It's the sound of reclining in the middle of a grassy field, no idea what time it is or why you'd want to check.

"Silver Rider" (from 2010's Band Of Joy)

Plant revived the moniker of his obscure '60s band for his ninth album—covering traditional spiritual tunes, folk standards and songs from a surprising range of modern artists, including slowcore act Low. Band Of Joy's interpretation is more monolithic, with the singer's breathy moan navigating waves of shoegaze-y fuzz.

"Rainbow" (from 2014's lullaby… and The Ceaseless Roar)

Another album, another band: The Sensational Space Shifters, featuring several returning members from Strange Sensation, pushed Plant to explore a hybrid of East and West, electronic and acoustic, unsettling and soothing. The sparse backdrop of "Rainbow" allows the singer to showcase the purity of his voice, ascending to a divine falsetto on the chorus.

"Bones Of Saints" (from 2017's Carry Fire)

Plant ruminates on the senseless destruction of gun violence throughout this tense, bluesy rocker. "I hear the children scream/But then the fear abound," he sings over a crunching riff and pounding drums. "And ask a leading question/Where all the money come?/And say, who makes the bullets?/Tell me, who sells the guns?" The sound feels ancient, but the message is, sadly, more current than ever.

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‘Digging Deep’ Into Robert Plant’s Solo Catalog

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