No, it's not Clarksville, it's Clarksdale. So stop thinking about those Monkees references.
There, with that out of the way, let's get to business.While "No Quarter: Unledded", the reunion album by former Led Zeppelin figures and current rock music legends Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, was an album composed of new takes on Led Zep classics, "Walking to Clarksdale" is a slew of new material.
And though many Zep fans will hear some vintage LZ-styled hooks and riffs, there is more to this album than a trip into nostalgia.
The music contains influences from the Middle East. It combines jazz, blues and folk. In fact, it's the same stuff Led Zeppelin had been playing around with during the '70s. The difference is the fact that these are new songs.
The grooving "Shining in the Light" and the vibrant "When the World Was Young" are pleasant and nice on the ears.
Led Zeppers, however, will find "Upon a Golden Horse" much more satisfying. The chord progressions and driving rhythms are reminiscent of vintage LZ styles.
Then fans of Robert Plant's solo works will find similarities between "Please Read the Letter" and his 1983 hit "In the Mood" striking and haunting - but hey, he wrote both, so why worry?
The real textures begin with the exotic "Most High," which sounds like a Middle Eastern folk song on steroids. Then there's the surf-inspired "Heart in Your Hand." "When I Was a Child" could be mistaken for an underhanded ode to the dreamy arrangements of Chris Isaak.
This album isn't anything spectacular. But there are some nice tunes and works here.