Three Chords and the Truth [2 LP][White]

At this point in, 50 plus years since the start of his career, it would be odd to expect many surprises.The easy groove of Three Chords is lovely, there are beautiful, delicate touches on March Winds and Fame Will Eat The Soul. The long, slow blues of You Don't Understand is a highlight. This album seems to me closest in feel to Poetic Champions Compose. It's mostly laid back and contemplative, with the usual rumbling complaints running through its length, although there is a new sense of regret in evidence. Days Gone By and Up On Broadway are magnificentsummations of a lifetime of yearning, trying and failing and trying again. Dark Night of The Soul would grace any Best Of and would make a fitting finale to the career of the greatest singer songwriter to come out of these islands.

Van Morrison has certainly increased his output over the last few years and I for one am enjoying this creative burst. What I immediately noticed when playing this latest release is that compared to the Joey DeFrancesco collaborations, the band is more straightforward, pared back sounding, but they can certainly play!Compared with the lush sophistication of Keep Me Singing, this album sounds cleaner and like they had a great time putting the tracks down.Certain musicians will be immediately familiar to Van fans over the years: Jay Berliner (Astral Weeks) on guitar, 'brother' David Hayes on bass and Teena Lyle on percussion (both were part of the Caledonia Soul Orchestra) and have played with Van many times both live and on albums.But of course what makes a good Van album is his haunting vocals and I'm pleased to say he is on good form with his distinctive timbre and phrasing well to the fore.Perhaps the songs are not as polished as in the past but they make up for it with the verve and enthusiasm of the recording.Another good one from Mr Morrison.

Now some Van fans have seemed to have been a bit letdown at recent records (and theres been a lot of recent records) and Ive enjoyed all of them so when you read initially reviews of this album raving about this one you think ah so what! But if your one of those fans who liked roll with the punches, Versatile, when the prophet speaks and didnt think they were bad, well then you will love this one. No covers all originals, there are many great songs on here. And if you didnt know it age is just a number.There will be better reviews than mine, Im still absorbing things and im a bit flummoxed by how many belters are on this record,and he reckons hes already planning the next one.One of my albums of the year.

Van Morrison has been on a prolific roll over the last couple of years, releasing a new album every 6 months or so. However, most of these have been covers albums, with just one or two new Van songs thrown into the mix. They have also been in genres which the great man sometimes explores, like Jazz, and R'n'B, fine, but a more specialist niche, not for everybody, and outside of his mainstream work for which he is renowned.Here at last is a brand new mature Van Morrison album full of his own new original songs, with a crack band of high class supporting musicians, that represents a return to his top form. The legendary session guitarist Jay Berliner who so memorably performed on the iconic Astral Weeks features on several tracks with his fluid playing adding a touch of real class. Hammond organ is well used throughout, and the sound and production is carefully considered and top notch. Some of his other more recent genre albums have felt a bit bashed out live in comparison.Van is on fine form vocally, on many songs stretching out in his trademark way, repeating a particular phrase perhaps a dozen times, and going off into a trance like state. Some of the songs are more uptempo, with a jazzy feel, like fine opener March Winds in February, which starts the album off well. Some of Van's regular themes emerge and are explored, Fame Will Eat Your Soul is a return to musing on the perils of the commercial music business, selling out your soul, but with a duet with Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers memorably , outgrowling one another.A couple of the songs look back to earlier musical times, In Search of Grace to the hippy period around 1967/8, and Early Days to the start of Rock and Roll, with Van fondly reminiscing. Nobody In Charge is a rant inspired by " politicians that waffle endlessly....getting paid too much for screwing up", in the current Brexit and General Election malaise we can all readily relate to that. You Don't Understand relates to his frustration with interviewers always trying to find deep meaning and over analysing his work, when he just wants to make music, and his familiar mistrust of sharks in the music business who have tried to take advantage of him. A recent Guardian journalist interview highlights his frustration with the press analysis, and reinforces his grumpy non co-operative persona.In contrast Does Love Conquer All? is one of Van's classic feel good love songs, beautifully performed with fine sentiments, a classic of its type, like Have I Told You Lately That I Love You. If We Wait For Mountains is co-written with Don Black, and Up On Broadway stretches out in a leisurely contented overview of a city from a commanding viewpoint. The final closing song Days Gone By interweaves refrains from Auld Lang Syne and is a relaxed reflective end to proceedings.For me this is his best album for a long time, with lots of choice moments to savour, great to have a full set of original new songs, a classy band of empathetic musicians, and Van on fine vocal form doing what he does best. It is fantastic for someone now approaching his mid 70's. he has still got the passion and desire to produce some lovely music , and this album comes highly recommended.

I am really puzzled by the positive reviews of this. I think some people are kidding themselves.Van has totally phoned this one in. It's a muddle of half-hearted performances and yet more songs about how tough it is to be Van Morrison. Really?This album is a head scratcher. After several albums of jazz and blues covers where he really sounded up for it, he puts out an album of original material, on which he sounds as though he can't be bothered. Not nearly good enough.