With the release of both a superb live album and a comprehensive DVD, it's already been a great year for Led Zeppelin fans. So here's the icing on the cake - a long-overdue double-CD compilation of Robert Plant's solo work. The first disc, providing 16 songs from his eight albums, is a mixed bag - some of the material is little more than a pale imitation of past glories, but the best moments show Plant branching out in a more organic, soulful direction. The second, more rewarding, disc covers his pre-Zeppelin years with the groups Listen and Band of Joy, as well as taking in his more recent preoccupation with techno and drum'n'bass. Overall, this eclectic collection shows Plant to be a much more adventurous spirit than is sometimes claimed, and at the very least proves that he's always been a truly exceptional singer. Now, if only he could do something about that haircut.
