Van Morrison
★★★
Moving On Skiffle
EXILE. CD/DL/LP
‘The Man’ pauses his war on ‘The Man’.
Notwithstanding one’s opinion of the views expressed on Van Morrison’s last two albums – Latest Record Project, Volume 1 and What’s It Gonna Take? – where bitter blasts of Covid dissidence merged with broad-brush conspiracy theorising, it would be fair to say that they did not play to his strengths, their tone being more Blowin’ Your Nose than Blowin’ Your Mind!. What a relief it is, then, to see the clouds part and Morrison’s loving light shine on a collection of skiffle songs never less than warmly sung. In fact, it’s arguable that Morrison and his smooth, jazzy pards skew a tad too good-natured – more of OG ’50s skiffle’s rough bite would not have gone amiss. Still, he saves the best ’til last: a meditative, nine-minute Green Rocky Road supported by Seth Lakeman’s birdsong violin that casts a transporting, Astral Weeks-ish spell. Did ye get healed (of your Covid fixation)? Let’s hope so.