Van Morrison - 'Keep It Simple' (Polydor) Released 17/03/08

To use the ethos behind ‘Keep It Simple’ you could simply sum the album up as a collection of back to basics Van Morrison. Although that’s a perfectly valid statement it also fails to take into account many.phpects of the album. Morrison’s extensive career combined with the fact that this first new material for over two years means that there’s a lot resting on these 11 songs. His most notable releases of late have been three separate and well received compilations. Given that ‘Best Of’s’ and the like can be seen to herald the death knell of an artist’s musical life, ‘Keep It Simple’ works not only to put paid to this idea, but also emphasises Morrison’s musical roots.
 
Amazingly this release is his 32nd studio album and although there are times when the lyrics do get a little predictable, the sheer ease and charm of delivery lift them far from doggerel verse. Van’s distinctive voice lies at the very epicentre of the sound from the opening chords of the bluesy ‘How Can A Poor Boy?’ It’s positively drenched in testosterone and skill. Trying to pick just one sound to hold up as an example of this album’s musical prowess is like trying to distinguish between raindrops.
 
The musicianship has an enduring quality on every single track. Within minutes of declaring that he ‘was educated by the school of hard knocks’ he shows glimmers of tenderness in ‘That’s Entrainment’ and all the talk of ‘hollering’ and ‘shaking on down’ belie his age. The 62 year old has a timelessness that seems to be lacking in a lot of younger musicians. This playfulness extends to the use of the word entrainment which isn't a typo but a synchronisation of brainwaves or the entrapment of one substance by another.
 
In some ways this is a very soothing and relaxing release but every now and then it feels like Van’s auditioning for the BBC’s ‘Grumpy Old Men’ no matter how well he crafts it. ‘Don’t Go To Nightclubs Anymore’ is a cracking little blues number but the premise of the song smells faintly of clichéd nostalgia.
The line ‘Alcohol was too big a price /Listen I just said no dice’ stands out like sore thumb.
 
But you can forgive Morrison for gilding the lily a little when he delivers such sweetly simple songs like ‘Lover Come Back’ and ‘Song of Home’. Perhaps the one of the most stand out moments of is ‘Soul’ which is not only deeply uplifting but also has the ability to linger in your mind for hours. It has a gentle forcefulness to it that makes it a joy to listen to.

‘Keep It Simple’ may draw heavily on Van Morrison’s musical past but it has a vitality all of its own and his fans should be sated.