The most “powerful” song Robert Plant has ever performed live
Robert Plant knows what it means to be powerful. As the frontman of one of the biggest rock bands in the world, Plant’s own brand of music extended further than the stadiums he played in, reverberating through the hearts and souls of millions of fans worldwide. As a soloist, Plant continued to represent the importance of pushing boundaries and singing from the soul.
Aside from his obvious rock influences, Plant has been guided by various genres throughout his career, including blues, folk, bluegrass, and country. In his solo ventures, he often allows these more abstract interests to trickle through the cracks of his sturdy foundation, enjoying the often unpredictability of where his instincts lead him.
After the disbandment of Led Zeppelin in 1980, Plant soldiered on, continuing to nurture the intricate cloves of inspiration he held so dearly. The end of Zeppelin wasn’t the end of Plant, a fact he was eager to prove on intuition alone. As he put it during an interview with Vulture, “I’ve sort of woven my way through it all.”
Interestingly, Plant doesn’t necessarily view power the same way he used to, which is as much an indicator of maturing as it is changing interests. Although he once referred to himself as a “golden god”, he has since shunned the title, opting for a more complex approach to self-identification. Many of Led Zeppelin’s tracks are still brimming with meaning, of course, but there are now many more contenders that have a hold on him.
When discussing the most powerful song to play live, Plant opts for one of his own songs, citing its ability to epitomise “a meld of everything I hold close to me musically”. This is ‘Embrace Another Fall’ from Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar, a song he described as filled with “jaw-dropping and dramatic” performances.
Describing the immense experience of playing it live, the musician explained: “The personality of each player flooded the stage, and it was unbounding. Although it was organised with the dramatic and the explosive, it still had a sort of crazy way it would take off and dissolve again, and return to a West African riff and rhythm. All the lyrics are so poignant to me because it’s about my return to the Shire.”
Explaining his personal connection to the song, Plant labelled ‘Embrace Another Fall’ a “major moment for me” but one that was “difficult to get” because “it was crazy just trying to keep it under control.” He also detailed his time in North Africa, explaining the significance of watching musicians perform in cafes or aimlessly listening to “life go by.”
Although ‘Kashmir’ had similar connotations, Plant says he “brought the whole thing home” with ‘Embrace Another Fall’, combining “elements of everything that I loved and that trip.” This particular song might not immediately come to mind when you think of explosive Plant songs, but the intimacy with which he constructed it makes its performances particularly special.
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