Album Review: Van Morrison, Keep Me Singing

Coming in the wake of the expanded reissue of his classic 1974 album, It’s Too Late To Stop Now – without doubt one of the greatest live albums ever made – Keep Me Singing presents the mellower, more laid-back side of the now 71-year-old legend.

But it’s still Van as we know him; that voice is as strong and expressive as ever, while the songs are a mix of familiar-sounding, soulful ballads and mid-tempo jazz-influenced tunes. There are lush arrangements too, no more so than on the string-laden opener ‘Let It Rhyme’, which also boasts a lovely minor-key melody, as well as a harmonica solo and Hammond organ textures.

Van is in particularly romantic mood on ‘Every Time I See A River’, in which he croons longingly, “I remember when I was yours and you were mine.” He continues the nostalgic theme on ‘Memory Lane’, which has echoes of ‘Coney Island’, and also references Astral Weeks in the lyric “I’m stuck here again...” On the sumptuously engaging title track, Van sings of “going down to a corner” and, not for the first time, he namechecks Sam Cooke – this time referencing his songs ‘That’s Where It’s At’ and ‘Let the Good Times Roll’.

The singer’s spiritual side emerges on the atmospheric meditation ‘Holy Guardian Angel’, which over six epic minutes builds into a powerful, gospel-influenced tour-de force.

Elsewhere, a solid version of ‘Share Your Love With Me’ – originally recorded by Bobby Bland – is a nod to the artist’s early inspirations. Elsewhere, the bluesy ‘Going Down To Bangor’ comes across as a kind of a sequel to Van’s classic story-telling yarn ‘Cleaning Windows’, and finds him reminiscing about times past at the County Down seaside resort.

Jerky rhythms and soulful brass abound on ‘Too Late’ (the title of which is surely a sly nod to that reissued live album), while ‘Caledonia Swing’ sounds like its title – a jaunty, jazzy instrumental that harks back to his showband days.

Fans of the singer’s ‘Have I Told You Lately’ phase will warm to these songs, while long time devotees will also find plenty to keep them happy.