Van Morrison - Keep It Simple
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Free Music Notes for Keep It Simple
Free Music Review: Deceptively Complex
Hit: 4 Stars
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." B+ Tom Ryan
Free Music Review: keep it simple
Hit: 5 Stars
It has been a long time coming, but we fans got an earful. i always enjoy this man and his music. this is a wonderful treat, or ear candy as some might say.
Free Music Review: better with age
Hit: 5 Stars
van is back (again) with not only many of his most heartfelt songs
in years but with a deeper edge.
(or is that age?)
although some of his lyrics are recycled,
some are extraordinarily original
and the magic soulful voice has aged wonderfully.
the more i listen, the more i like.
keep chopping wood
and carrying water, man. inspirational
bluesy belfast zen. pared down
for the long haul.
it feels right for van. most likely, it'll look
good on you too. make the effortless effort
to spin this timeless
classic disc as you drift
into a deeper mystic.
Free Music Review: Another good album!!
Hit: 4 Stars
I have to confess that I own all of Van's CDs. I look forward to each new release. This one did not disappoint. I always appreciate new songs from Van, and enjoy listening to them on a regular basis, as a variety from past CDs. This new CD has more than satisfied my 'jones' for his music (at least until his next release)!!Free Music Review: Mellow and Soulful
Hit: 4 Stars
If anyone has any doubts as to whether Van Morrison retains a substantial fan base, just a glance at the large number of reviews written for Keep It Simple in the two weeks since its release should dispel them. Read the reviews and you will see that the fan base is passionate as well. Now some folks like to live in the musical past and have a particular album in mind by which they gauge all others. That's kind of unfair to the artist. You don't want all Van Morrison albums to sound like the one that is your favorite, do you? I don't. While I have my favorite Van Morrison albums, I want to hear him play something new and possibly great everytime he makes a record.
It's natural of course to make comparisons, but I try to hear an album rise or fall on its own merits. And though Keep It Simple will probably not be seen as one of Morrison's best, it has quite a lot going for it. For one, it is mellow and is one of the most soulful records he's made in a long time. My favorites are How Can A Poor Boy?, Don't Go To Nightclubs Anymore, and Song of Home. There is nothing unlistenable except the blah, blah, blah passage in the final cut that almost ruins it. Some say that Van is having a little fun there, but its at our expense. Given the subject of the song, maybe the most charitable interpretation would be that he is expressing what he thinks about the chatter of the jabbering drunks he's leaving in his past.
Those who buy Keep It Simple will get nearly fifty minutes of music and a small booklet containing lyrics and all the info about who plays what on which song. Most people who have followed Van Morrison's career for years will like this album just fine. I like it as least as well as his last album and will certainly listen again from time to time.