Band of Joy is English rock singer Robert Plant's ninth solo album and the first with his new backing group, the Band of Joy.[1][2] It was released on 13 September 2010 in the UK and 14 September in the US.
| Band of Joy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 13 September 2010[1] | |||
| Studio | Woodland Studios (Nashville, Tennessee) House of Blues Studios (Nashville, Tennessee) Clinton Recording Studio (New York City, New York) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:32 | |||
| Label | Decca, Rounder | |||
| Producer | Robert Plant, Buddy Miller | |||
| Robert Plant chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background edit
In addition to the song "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down", which is the opening theme for the Starz television series Boss, the credits of BBC One's Luther for an episode aired on 16 July 2013 and the season two finale of the Syfy series Defiance, the album is notable for the song "Monkey". The song, originally by the band Low, is slowed-down to a grinding, spooky Gothic Rock tempo and mood that is different from Low's version. It is arguably the least similar to other tracks on the album (except for Satan), which for the most part carry folk rock or progressive rock moods. Although it is not a staple at Plant's live performances, there have been instances where he has performed it.[3]
The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart and at #3 on the UK Albums Chart. The first single released from the album was "Angel Dance".
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Angel Dance" | David Hidalgo, Louie Perez | 3:50 |
| 2. | "House of Cards" | Richard Thompson | 3:14 |
| 3. | "Central Two-O-Nine" | Robert Plant, Buddy Miller, Jason Friedman[4] | 2:49 |
| 4. | "Silver Rider" | Zachary Micheletti, Mimi Parker, Alan Sparhawk | 6:06 |
| 5. | "You Can't Buy My Love" | Billy Babineaux, Bobby Babineaux | 3:11 |
| 6. | "Falling in Love Again" | Dillard Crume, Andrew Kelly | 3:38 |
| 7. | "The Only Sound That Matters" | Gregory Vanderpool | 3:45 |
| 8. | "Monkey" | Micheletti, Parker, Sparhawk | 4:58 |
| 9. | "Cindy, I'll Marry You Someday" | Traditional, arranged by Plant, Miller | 3:37 |
| 10. | "Harm's Swift Way" | Townes Van Zandt | 4:19 |
| 11. | "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down" | Traditional, arranged by Plant, Miller | 4:12 |
| 12. | "Even This Shall Pass Away" | Theodore Tilton, arranged by Plant, Miller | 4:03 |
| Total length: | 47:32 | ||
Personnel edit
- Robert Plant – vocals, backing vocals (1, 2, 3, 5, 11), arrangements (9, 11, 12)
Band of Joy
- Darrell Scott – accordion, acoustic guitars, mandolin, octave mandolin, banjos, pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitar, backing vocals (1-4, 6, 7, 10, 11)
- Buddy Miller – electric guitars, baritone guitar, mando-guitar, 6-string bass, backing vocals (2, 3, 6), arrangements (9, 11, 12)
- Byron House – bass
- Marco Giovino – drums, percussion, backing vocals (3)
- Bekka Bramlett – backing vocals (1, 2)
- Patty Griffin – vocals, backing vocals (2-5, 8, 10, 11)
Production edit
- Buddy Miller – producer
- Robert Plant – producer, sleeve design
- Mike Poole – recording, mixing, editing, reconstructions
- Gordon Hammond – assistant engineer
- Tim Mitchell – recording assistant
- Ted Wheeler – studio assistant
- Jim DeMain – mastering at Yes Master (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Alex McCollough – mastering assistant
- Richard Evans – character audition, compilation and assembly
- Michael Wilson – photography
- Bill Curbishley – management
- Nicola Powell – management
Critical reaction edit
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [6] |
| Rolling Stone |  [7] |
| Spin |   [8] |
Band of Joy was received positively. Metacritic's aggregate score for the album is 80 out of 100,[9] indicating "generally favorable reviews". Rolling Stone, while only giving the album a three-and-a-half-star review, ranked it #8 on its list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.[10] Q Magazine in its January 2011 edition ranked Band of Joy as the second best album of 2010, stating that, "free from having to imitate his 20-year-old self in Zeppelin, the sexagenarian sings to his strengths here, with Miller and Griffin his not-so secret weapons on an album that pinwheels between gentlemanly country-blues ("Cindy, I'll Marry You Some Day"), spooky lo-fi ("Silver Rider") and charming '60s pop ("You Can't Buy My Love")."[11]
Awards edit
The album was nominated for two Grammy Awards, including Best Americana Album and the song "Silver Rider" for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance. Frontman and vocalist Robert Plant was nominated for best British Male Solo Artist at the Brit Awards 2011.[12]
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
Year-end charts edit
| Chart (2010) | Rank |
|---|---|
| European Top 100 Albums[15] | 100 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[21] | 77 |
| United Kingdom Albums Chart[22] | 97 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[23] | Gold | 15,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ a b c "Robert Plant announces 'Band of Joy' release date – Music, Arts & Entertainment". The Independent. London. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original on 13 June 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ "Band of Joy (September 13th)". Robert Plant – Official Website. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ "Robert Plant – Band Of Joy (2010, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Band of Joy by Rober Plant". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ^ "Band of Joy review"., Allmusic. Retrieved August 2011
- ^ Hermes, Will (16 September 2010). "The Led Zep golden god is reborn as a rootsy force of nature". Rolling Stone. No. 1113. pp. 75–76. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "Robert Plant – Band of Joy"., Spin.com. Retrieved August 2011
- ^ Metacritic, Critical Reviews for Band of Joy. Retrieved on 13 January 2011.
- ^ "Rolling Stone's Best Albums of 2010". Rolling Stone. 7 December 2010. Archived from the original on 10 December 2010.
- ^ "Q's 50 Best Albums of 2010 – 2: Robert Plant – Band Of Joy". Bauer Media. 16 December 2010.
- ^ The Brit awards 2011, Brits.co.uk, Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Robert Plant – Band Of Joy" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "Robert Plant Chart History". Billboard Canadian Albums. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ a b European Top Ten Albume 2010, Billboard.com. Retrieved August 2011
- ^ "OLiS: sales for the period 13.09.2010 – 19.09.2010". OLiS.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. 19–25 September 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "Robert Plant". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "Robert Plant Chart History". Billboard 200. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "Robert Plant Chart History". Billboard Top Rock Albums. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "Årslista Album – År 2010" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2010". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 15 October 2021.