Today, Robert Plant begins the third season of his podcast Digging Deep with Robert Plant on which he reflects on his storied career and shares the stories behind the music. To coincide with the season premiere, Plant has announced a new career-spanning 2-CD set. Due on October 2 from his own Es Paranza label, Digging Deep: Subterranea compiles 30 tracks on two CDs (or streaming/digital) from his solo body of work.
Digging Deep: Subterranea will be the first 2-CD collection of the Led Zeppelin frontman's solo works since 2003's Sixty Six to Timbuktu and the first overall anthology since 2006's 9-CD/1-DVD box set Nine Lives which featured expanded editions of all of his albums (also available separately) and a bonus DVD. The new anthology takes Plant's story further, featuring highlights from every one of his solo albums between 1982's Pictures at Eleven and 2017's Carry Fire with the exception of 1985's Shaken 'n Stirred. None of his collaborative albums with Jimmy Page, Allison Krauss, or The Honeydrippers are represented.
In addition to highlights from those acclaimed albums - including the chart-topping Rock hit "Hurting Kind," Grammy-nominated "Shine It All Around," and acoustic version of "Great Spirit" (previously available only as a bonus track on Fate of Nations) - Digging Deep premieres three previously unreleased selections. The Toussaint McCall-penned "Nothing Takes the Place of You" was recorded for the 2013 film Winter in the Blood. "Charlie Patton Highway (Turn It Up - Part I)" previews Plant's next studio album, a follow-up to 2010's Band of Joy. The third and final "new" track is a duet of Charley Feathers' "Too Much Alike" with Patty Griffin. She's just one of the talents featured on the collection, along with Jimmy Page, Phil Collins, Richard Thompson, Buddy Miller, and many others who have lent a hand to Plant over the years.
While waiting for Digging Deep: Subterranea to arrive on CD, fans can enjoy the podcast for which five new episodes will premiere every two weeks. All of the episodes were recorded earlier in the year at London's Rough Trade East in front of a live audience; they can be heard on services including Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.
The upcoming anthology reflects Plant's own brand of "world music," taking in folk, blues, and rock-and-roll influences from around the world and filtering them through his own sensibility. Look for it on October 2 from Es Paranza. You'll find the track listing and pre-order links below. (Only the digital version is currently up for pre-order, but we will update with CD links as soon as they go live.)
Robert Plant, Digging Deep: Subterranea (Es Paranza, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD)
CD 1
- "Rainbow"
- "Hurting Kind"
- "Shine It All Around"
- "Ship of Fools"
- "Nothing Takes the Place of You" *
- "Darkness, Darkness"
- "Heaven Knows"
- "In the Mood"
- "Charlie Patton Highway (Turn It Up - Part 1)" *
- "New World"
- "Like I've Never Been Gone"
- "I Believe"
- "Dance with You Tonight"
- "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down"
- "Great Spirit (Acoustic)"
CD 2
- "Angel Dance"
- "Takamba"
- "Anniversary"
- "Wreckless Love"
- "White Clean & Neat"
- "Silver Rider"
- "Fat Lip"
- "29 Palms"
- "Last Time I Saw Her "
- "Embrace Another Fall"
- "Too Much Alike (Feat. Patty Griffin)" *
- "Big Log"
- "Falling in Love Again"
- "Memory Song (Hello Hello)"
- "Promised Land"
CD 1, Track 1 and CD 2, Track 10 from Lullaby...and the Ceaseless Roar, Nonesuch 543973-1, 2014
CD 1, Track 2 and CD 2, Track 3 from Manic Nirvana, Es Paranza 7 91336-2, 1990
CD 1, Track 3 and CD 2, Track 2 from Mighty Rearranger, Es Paranza/Sanctuary 06076-84747-2, 2005
CD 1, Tracks 4 & 7 and CD 2, Track 5 from Now and Zen, Es Paranza 7 90863-2, 1988
CD 1, Tracks 5 & 9 and CD 2, Track 11 (*) previously unreleased
CD 1, Track 6 and CD 2, Track 9 from Dreamland, Universal 314 586 962-2, 2002
CD 1, Track 8 and CD 2, Tracks 4 & 12 from The Principle of Moments, Atlantic/Es Paranza 7 90101, 1983
CD 1, Tracks 10 & 13 from Carry Fire, Nonesuch 563057-2, 2017
CD 1, Track 11 and CD 2, Track 7 from Pictures at Eleven, Swan Song SS 8512, 1982
CD 1, Track 14 and CD 2, Tracks 1, 6 & 13 from Band of Joy, Rounder/Es Paranza 11661-9099-2, 2010
CD 1, Track 15 from Fate of Nations: Deluxe Edition, Rhino/Es Paranza R2 74164, 2007
CD 2, Tracks 8, 14 & 15 from Fate of Nations, Es Paranza 7 92264-2, 1993
Eliot Wien says
This is a Great Collection, but would have liked to see a 3rd disk including:
Burning Down One Side
Pledge Pin
Other Arms
Sea of Love
Rockin at Midnight
Little By Little
Tall Cool One
Hurting Kind
Your Ma said you cried in your sleep Last Night
If I Were a Carpenter
Little Sister(From The Concert for Kampuchea)
Bill says
Amen!
Eliot Wien says
OOPS! hurting Kind is on the new collection. My mistake!
Bill says
Unacceptable when artists or labels omit major hits or milestones from these collections. "Little By Little" or anything from hisn1985 album. Insulting to fans. Like WINGS GREATEST not having "Listen To What The Man Said".
Charles says
It’s amazing that with physical sales down so much that labels still do this. It was infuriating back in the day when a hit on some compilation was omitted or replaced with a live or reworked version. I would prefer they just stop releasing these comps in general.
Guy Smiley says
I suspect that these are tracks selected by Plant himself, as keeping with the “Digging Deep” theme.
Honestly, not surprising he’s mostly ignoring the “hits” (Although there a few here) since he strikes me as a guy who’s not concerned with that.
Since the label’s his own, Plant probably finds a collection of some of his favorite songs, or lesser known gems he wants to spotlight, or whatever, more interesting than an obvious run of the mill “Greatest Hits” collection.
I find this pretty interesting myself. Although I like Zeppelin, and I liked The Honeydrippers too, I never really warmed to solo Plant until his Dreamland album. I loved that one, and I’ve bought several of his albums since.
I’ll probably check this out, since there’s some odds and ends that never got released before, and some other songs I don’t know. Need to check out his podcast too. Never knew about that!
Anthony says
rather odd omissions here, especially for a two disc set. I picked up his first comp years back when it came out. This does have several tracks that I don't own so maybe I'll grab it.
Guy Smiley says
Well, like I stated above Plant probably compiled the collection he wants to make and not a Greatest Hits set.
Since he already did a compilation a while back, he’s probably looking to do something different. Whether music buyers find it as interesting as he does is up to them.
Guy Smiley says
Having said all that, I sure wish his performance of “Little Sister” (Backed by Rockpile) would be rescued from obscurity and released.
Ksgemini says
I miss LittleSister but as someone said he picked his great songs. This not a greatest hits. He already did that. I actually prefer more obscure and varied Songs like this by far. I’d hate to see him follow Page’s Zeppelin past rehashes -4 on cd and I guess there were custom downloads for the 59th. I don’t need to hear tall cool one again when great Tracks like these r available.