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 The Legends of Laurel Canyon
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
It’s So Hard To Tell Who’s Going To Love You The Best
Karen Dalton
Transfiguration of Vincent
M. Ward
Muswell Hillbillies
Kinks
Christmas in the Heart
Bob Dylan
Glitter and Doom Live
Tom Waits
Let It Roll: The Best of George Harrison
George Harrison
Secret, Profane & Sugarcane
Elvis Costello
Playing for Change
Songs Around the World
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Van Morrison
I am predisposed to like anything that Van Morrison releases, and the reason is simple. He has released an incredible number of song collections, and I’ve liked virtually every one of them, so why wouldn’t I expect his latest to be just as satisfying?
“Keep It Simple” is as predictable as it is enjoyable. After forty-plus years in the music business, Morrison is not interested in reinventing the wheel. He knows what works, and he holds to it. “Keep It Simple” sticks fairly close to its title’s implication, with the majority of songs based on blues changes and country styles. His themes are also consistent. “How Can a Poor Boy?” and “School of Hard Knocks” both address dissatisfaction, and his bitterness is usually aimed squarely at the music industry. Over a steady groove, he sings “Tell me who’s gonna patronize me now? They’ve brainwashed the suckers again and perpetrated the myth, Propaganda far and wide.” Morrison has been doing this too long to suffer fools, and he speaks plainly with an honesty that is refreshing for an industry that builds its reputation on false promises and lies.
As far as I can tell, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan are the only two artists who can cover this ground with any artistic success. As elder statesmen, they can express thoughts that would sound ridiculous coming from a less seasoned artist. Morrison’s music may not be as exciting as Bob’s latest work, but it is just as vital, because his perspective is so refined. Who else but Van Morrison could write a song of praise to a loved one and entitle it “That’s Entrainment”? He is still obsessed with truth and enlightenment, even as all evidence derived from a lifetime of ‘hard knocks’ points him in the opposite direction. It is this dichotomy that makes Morrison’s music so intriguing and consistent. He gives us the impression that he likes to “Keep It Simple,” but like most all of his recordings, there is still something deceptively complex and intriguing about his perspective. In “Don’t Go To Nightclubs Anymore,” he sings “I’m not a legend in my own mind,” but luckily for the rest of us, he is a legend everywhere else. Later in the disk, he tells us that “Soul is where everything begins,” and that certainly holds true for a seasoned artist who still strives to “Keep It Simple.”
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