Album: Raising Sand

Introduction
"Raising Sand" is a collective studio album released in 2007 by English rock vocalist Robert Plant and American bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss. The album was produced by T-Bone Burnett and includes a diverse blend of folk, rock, nation, and blues songs, reinterpreting tracks from different artists such as Tom Waits, Gene Clark, and The Everly Brothers. "Raising Sand" received critical praise upon its release, ultimately winning five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album in 2009.

Background and Production
The partnership between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, two artists with backgrounds in different genres, grew out of their shared love for American roots music. After being presented to each other at a homage performance for Lead Belly in 2004, the 2 musicians discovered a special chemistry and chose to work together on a full-length job. Working together with manufacturer T-Bone Burnett, who himself is renowned for his deal with artists like Elvis Costello and the soundtrack for the Coen bros' movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", Plant and Krauss set out to create an album that would explore numerous musical designs.

"Raising Sand" was tape-recorded mainly at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, with extra sessions held in Los Angeles. The majority of the tunes were selected by Burnett, who also assembled a first-class support band to accompany Plant and Krauss on the record, consisting of guitar player Marc Ribot, drummer Jay Bellerose, and bassist Dennis Crouch. The album was taped utilizing a live setup, with the musicians playing together in a room, aiming to capture an organic and intimate noise.

Music and Lyrics
"Raising Sand" includes a variety of remodelled cover songs, with a strong focus on American roots music and traditional genres such as folk, blues, nation, and bluegrass. Significant tracks on the album include their take on The Everly Brothers' "Gone Gone (Done Moved On)", Tom Waits' "Trampled Rose", and Gene Clark's "Polly Come Home". The diverse choice of songs serves to display the versatility of both Plant and Krauss's vocals, as well as their shared enthusiasm for these genres.

The styles and lyrics of the songs on "Raising Sand" reflect the variety of its source material, with styles of love, loss, yearning, and the passage of time. A number of the tracks include detailed storytelling, characteristic of standard American roots music and country ballads. The album is additional enriched by Plant and Krauss's distinctive vocal styles, with Plant's powerful rock background combining flawlessly with Krauss's fragile and pure bluegrass-country tones, creating a distinct sound that's both haunting and fascinating.

Reception and Legacy
Upon its release, "Raising Sand" was met with widespread critical acclaim, with lots of praising the unique chemistry in between Plant and Krauss, along with the seamless production of T-Bone Burnett. The album reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, and by 2008, it had sold over one million copies worldwide. "Raising Sand" went on to win 5 Grammy Awards in 2009, consisting of Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album, Record of the Year (for "Please Read The Letter"), Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals (for "Rich Woman"), and Best Country Collaboration With Vocals (for "Killing The Blues").

Today, "Raising Sand" is kept in mind as a revolutionary partnership that effectively bridged the gap in between rock, bluegrass, and nation, tough conventional category borders. The album's success helped seal both Robert Plant and Alison Krauss as extremely appreciated and prominent artists and stays a shining example of their shared passion for diverse and classic music.