Van Morrison had a busy 2023, releasing three albums. The projects included another album of skiffle music, (Moving on Skiffle), one of instrumentals of unreleased material from the 1970s to the present (Beyond Words), and one of covers of rock, R&B, and country (Accentuate the Positive). His new album very much follows in the same vein of these releases.
Rather than a studio album of mostly new compositions, Morrison presents previously unreleased big band arrangements of songs from his catalog and some newer duets recorded between 2014 and 2019. While an instrumental album from one of the greatest singers in rock history seemed a bit odd, revisiting older songs and presenting them in a new way works beautifully for Morrison, given the quality of the songs and the vast singing and musical styles with which he is comfortable.
Also, while it would seem daunting for any living singer to match vocals with Morrison in a duet, the collaborators he chose here—Kurt Elling, Joss Stone, and Willie Nelson—are all up for the challenge and help Morrison draw from various musical styles from his background. This entire affair has a timeless quality and a first-take spontaneity that reminds one of Frank Sinatra at his studio peak, although there are times where Ray Charles seems a closer vocal touchstone. That’s some pretty heady company, but even at 79, Morrison makes it seem effortless and his voice has not lost any of its luster, which is truly remarkable.
Morrison revisits music from every decade of his solo career since the ’70s except the 2020s. From the classic His Band and Street Choir from 1970 he redoes the obscure “I’ll Be Your Lover Too.” From Period of Transition, released in 1977, he remakes “You Gotta Make It Through the World.” The ’80s is represented by “The Master’s Eye” from Sense of Wonder from 1985, and “Someone Like You” from Poetic Champions Compose from 1987.
There are two from Enlightenment from 1990: “Avalon of the Heart” and “So Quiet in Here,” as well as “So Complicated” from Hymns to the Silence from 1991.The title cut from What’s Wrong with This Picture is from 2000 and there are three songs from 2002 from Down The Road: “Only a Dream,” “The Beauty of the Days Gone By,” and “Steal Your Heart Away.” The most recent reinterpretations are both from 2018: “Ain’t Gonna’ Moan No More,” the opening track from The Prophet Speaks, and “Close Enough for Jazz” from You’re Driving Me Crazy, Morrison’s collaboration with jazz organist Joey Defrancesco.
The big band arrangements work well and match Morrison’s full, commanding vocal style. It’s also clear that like a jazz recording date, these sessions were done quickly with an exquisite feel and a freshness sorely lacking in much pop music today. While it’s true that Morrison does not redo any of his ’60s or ’70s classics, he does songs from his canon that have become Morrison evergreens and are favorites of his die-hard legion of fans.
This is also a beautiful package with the two vinyl albums housed in a gatefold with art that recalls the simplicity and elegance of the seminal era of Blue Note Records’ album cover graphics. The albums were pressed in Germany and there are very few vinyl albums of new music released in 2024 that sound this good and natural.
It’s remarkable how productive Morrison is these days and how his voice shows no signs of age or wear. He remains one of the singular most important and peerless vocalists of the past 60 years. This release is one of the first batch of what promises to be a treasure trove of previously unreleased material. It’s hard to imagine the riches that live in Morrison’s vaults. Given the wealth of material in his archives and his continuing relevance based on his newer music, while he may be heading toward 80, for Van Morrison, it’s too late to stop now.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B+
