Van Morrison - Keep Me Singing (LP)
- LP
- 1 piece(s)
- 2016
- 13 tracks
- 56 min
Keep Me Singing
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3.5
Average of 6 reviews
3
0
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3
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First, despite my age, I am not as old as the music found here on Keep Me Singing, where Van Morrison, after some 36 individual albums, no longer seems to be a calculated force in music. Of course one can inject the premise that Morrison was never innovative, suggesting that he found his style a very long time ago and has been developing it in a linear fashion ever since. Yet even within that context, there have been brilliant and unexpected outings … just consider the work he did with John Lee Hooker on Too Long In Exile, where he and Hooker were nothing short of smoking on the track “Gloria.” And then there were his stunning albums Philosopher’s Stone and Down The Road. And while I haven’t even gotten to his groundbreaking early material, material that set him apart from everyone, with Jimi Hendrix saying, “This is the man, this is the man who gave us Gloria,” putting him on par as a Dylan-different, here, in true R&B fashion, Van Morrison though sounding strong, seems to be well along his path of lamenting away the rest of his life.There are those who are going to tell you that this album swings, and while the songs are lush and perfect, perhaps too perfect, the truth is that Morrison has set himself up to say goodbye as he turns up the air conditioning, and though tunefully, softly, soulfully and sincerely lays out a selection of quaalude induced songs that don’t cause him to break a sweat, shuttering my thinking with the notion that this is nothing short of dinner club music, where hearing Morrison today is but a memory of the once was and never to be again.Yes, already I’ve heard the arguments, arguments that say this is a ‘listening’ album filled with strings, a controlled Hammond B3 organ, and subdued guitars that back Morrison’s stream of consciousness rhymes and meanderings. Some have even said that Keep Me Singing is a mature version of Moondance, where he’s channeling the ghosts of Chet Baker and Bobby Blue Bland to make things all cozy warm and comfortable. Though for this listener, I must insist that sweeping piano lines and tasteful ballads don’t rule, they just cause me to look up at my stereo every five minutes actually wondering what I’m listening to, because the album spins ‘round, but it fails to speak to me, challenge me, or even cause me to applaud Morrison for a clever twist of vision or note.If this album had not floated in through my door, I would have been very disappointed in having had to pay for it. Why it seems that no one is willing to inform listeners regarding what they’re actually getting, more content to infer the lackluster-ness between the lines, is beyond me, because Keep Me Singing holds nothing of the magic I so cherished from Van Morrison. Though having said all of this, I was surprised when I looked over my collection and discovered just how many of his albums I took apart, albums that held but one or two good tracks on them, making them ripe for creating my own compilation of his most wonderful material.So … while those who want to be hip cool and in the know will tell you that Keep Me Singing is a delivery of mid tempo steamy grooves appended to excellent backing vocals and musicianship … I’m not afraid to inform you that this album is but a rather sad journey down memory lane.Review by Jenell Kesler
First, despite my age, I am not as old as the music found here on Keep Me Singing, where Van Morrison, after some 36 individual albums, no longer seems to be a calculated force in music. Of course one can inject the premise that Morrison was never innovative, suggesting that he found his style a very long time ago and has been developing it in a linear fashion ever since. Yet even within that context, there have been brilliant and unexpected outings … just consider the work he did with John Lee Hooker on Too Long In Exile, where he and Hooker were nothing short of smoking on the track “Gloria.” And then there were his stunning albums Philosopher’s Stone and Down The Road. And while I haven’t even gotten to his groundbreaking early material, material that set him apart from everyone, with Jimi Hendrix saying, “This is the man, this is the man who gave us Gloria,” putting him on par as a Dylan-different, here, in true R&B fashion, Van Morrison though sounding strong, seems to be well along his path of lamenting away the rest of his life.There are those who are going to tell you that this album swings, and while the songs are lush and perfect, perhaps too perfect, the truth is that Morrison has set himself up to say goodbye as he turns up the air conditioning, and though tunefully, softly, soulfully and sincerely lays out a selection of quaalude induced songs that don’t cause him to break a sweat, shuttering my thinking with the notion that this is nothing short of dinner club music, where hearing Morrison today is but a memory of the once was and never to be again.Yes, already I’ve heard the arguments, arguments that say this is a ‘listening’ album filled with strings, a controlled Hammond B3 organ, and subdued guitars that back Morrison’s stream of consciousness rhymes and meanderings. Some have even said that Keep Me Singing is a mature version of Moondance, where he’s channeling the ghosts of Chet Baker and Bobby Blue Bland to make things all cozy warm and comfortable. Though for this listener, I must insist that sweeping piano lines and tasteful ballads don’t rule, they just cause me to look up at my stereo every five minutes actually wondering what I’m listening to, because the album spins ‘round, but it fails to speak to me, challenge me, or even cause me to applaud Morrison for a clever twist of vision or note.If this album had not floated in through my door, I would have been very disappointed in having had to pay for it. Why it seems that no one is willing to inform listeners regarding what they’re actually getting, more content to infer the lackluster-ness between the lines, is beyond me, because Keep Me Singing holds nothing of the magic I so cherished from Van Morrison. Though having said all of this, I was surprised when I looked over my collection and discovered just how many of his albums I took apart, albums that held but one or two good tracks on them, making them ripe for creating my own compilation of his most wonderful material.So … while those who want to be hip cool and in the know will tell you that Keep Me Singing is a delivery of mid tempo steamy grooves appended to excellent backing vocals and musicianship … I’m not afraid to inform you that this album is but a rather sad journey down memory lane.Review by Jenell Kesler
Outstanding record. Great songs, excellent pressing and cover art is beautiful. Van the Man’s last great album - now he’s fully the cranky curmudgeon that plagues so many of his later albums. This one is romantic, whispy, and mystical in a way that best expresses his muse.
First, despite my age, I am not as old as the music found here on Keep Me Singing, where Van Morrison, after some 36 individual albums, no longer seems to be a calculated force in music. Of course one can inject the premise that Morrison was never innovative, suggesting that he found his style a very long time ago and has been developing it in a linear fashion ever since. Yet even within that context, there have been brilliant and unexpected outings … just consider the work he did with John Lee Hooker on Too Long In Exile, where he and Hooker were nothing short of smoking on the track “Gloria.” And then there were his stunning albums Philosopher’s Stone and Down The Road. And while I haven’t even gotten to his groundbreaking early material, material that set him apart from everyone, with Jimi Hendrix saying, “This is the man, this is the man who gave us Gloria,” putting him on par as a Dylan-different, here, in true R&B fashion, Van Morrison though sounding strong, seems to be well along his path of lamenting away the rest of his life.There are those who are going to tell you that this album swings, and while the songs are lush and perfect, perhaps too perfect, the truth is that Morrison has set himself up to say goodbye as he turns up the air conditioning, and though tunefully, softly, soulfully and sincerely lays out a selection of quaalude induced songs that don’t cause him to break a sweat, shuttering my thinking with the notion that this is nothing short of dinner club music, where hearing Morrison today is but a memory of the once was and never to be again.Yes, already I’ve heard the arguments, arguments that say this is a ‘listening’ album filled with strings, a controlled Hammond B3 organ, and subdued guitars that back Morrison’s stream of consciousness rhymes and meanderings. Some have even said that Keep Me Singing is a mature version of Moondance, where he’s channeling the ghosts of Chet Baker and Bobby Blue Bland to make things all cozy warm and comfortable. Though for this listener, I must insist that sweeping piano lines and tasteful ballads don’t rule, they just cause me to look up at my stereo every five minutes actually wondering what I’m listening to, because the album spins ‘round, but it fails to speak to me, challenge me, or even cause me to applaud Morrison for a clever twist of vision or note.If this album had not floated in through my door, I would have been very disappointed in having had to pay for it. Why it seems that no one is willing to inform listeners regarding what they’re actually getting, more content to infer the lackluster-ness between the lines, is beyond me, because Keep Me Singing holds nothing of the magic I so cherished from Van Morrison. Though having said all of this, I was surprised when I looked over my collection and discovered just how many of his albums I took apart, albums that held but one or two good tracks on them, making them ripe for creating my own compilation of his most wonderful material.So … while those who want to be hip cool and in the know will tell you that Keep Me Singing is a delivery of mid tempo steamy grooves appended to excellent backing vocals and musicianship … I’m not afraid to inform you that this album is but a rather sad journey down memory lane.Review by Jenell Kesler
Outstanding record. Great songs, excellent pressing and cover art is beautiful. Van the Man’s last great album - now he’s fully the cranky curmudgeon that plagues so many of his later albums. This one is romantic, whispy, and mystical in a way that best expresses his muse.
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This LP was released in 2016.