At the age of 15, I stole my brother’s “Moondance” CD. After listening to it 15 times, I went out and purchased every other Van Morrison album released in the early 70’s. Those CDs became the soundtrack of my youth.
Then I bought some of the man’s later works - from the 80’s and beyond. But the music there seemed confused, overly-sentimental, religious, and a bunch of other shit kids don’t need to hear. So I put a lid on my Morrison spree, and focused on the 7 studio albums he released between ‘68 and ‘74.
Not to dog a musician’s career; Morrison put out some quality cuts in the 80’s and 90’s, but none of it resonated quite so heavy as those early works. And we all know why: beauty prefers youth.
Ah, but the ramblings of a man approaching death are some mind-blowing shit. And as Morrison comes around full circle, his music is peaking once more. The title of his latest album, “Keep it Simple,” defines the attitude that makes it happen.
“Wrote about disappointment and greed,” he sings on the album’s title track, “wrote about what we didn’t really need, ” and with that reproach comes the reprise, “Now we’ve got to keep it simple and that’s that.” There are moments in this song when you actually hear Morrison’s voice break with the emotion he delivers. Or maybe it’s just old age. Either way, it sounds awesome.
You can feel the years closing in on the man. On such tracks as “Don’t Go to Nightclubs Anymore,” “Song of Home,” and “End of the Land,” he laments on parties long gone, family far beyond the sea, and bodies tied to mortality. But he’s not bitter anymore. There’s a touch a sadness in the air, but only because he loves life, and sees the end of his on the horizon.
Oh, but the memories are sweet. And what better way to end his best album in 34 years than with the free-flowing jam track “Behind the Ritual,” a song about perfect memories - “Making time with Sally… talking all out of my mind… drinking that wine… and getting high.” So simple. So profound.
And perfect for a sunny Sunday drive on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
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