Back On Top

There's this idea abroad that Van Morrison has been working the same groove too often over the past few years. The purpose of this paragraph is simply to state that this is a misapprehension. You might as well accuse all reggae of sounding the same, Bob Marley of having only one tune or Shane MacGowan of slurring his vocals. The devil, as they say, is in the detail - so that's what you gotta listen for.

And for the most part the detail on Back On Top is mighty fine. Here be Van Morrison, singer, producer, arranger, songwriter and harmonica player at the apex of his craft, doing the business, and doing it more than well. Listen, for example, to the magnificent harmonica tone on 'Philosopher's Stone': it ain't just what he plays it's the way he plays it that's so resoundingly impressive.

Almost certainly, the title track 'Back On Top' will be used to illustrate the idea that Van is back to some kind of mythical best, and in a way I can understand why. It's feisty and upbeat, giving a new twist to Dylan's observation in 'Idiot Wind' that "You find out when you reach the top/You're on the bottom." But in truth there's an elegiac quality to the album as a whole that marks it out as familiar Morrison country.

Perhaps the most beautiful song is 'When The Leaves Coming Falling Down', a remarkable slice of major seventh melancholia that resonates beautifully even with the first listen. But this beauty reflects accurately the overall autumnal tone of the record, admirably captured in the browns and blacks of the sleeve artwork. "Precious time is slipping away", Van sings on 'Precious Time', "But you're only king for a day/It doesn't matter to which God you pray/Precious time is slipping away." Ain't it funny how . . .

Even 'High Summer' is shot through with sepia, its curious identification with Lucifer suggesting that Van retains a sense of irony. 'Reminds Me Of You' is more heartfelt and genuinely touching, with Van in fine voice as he acknowledges his vulnerability: "My head says no/But my soul demands it/Everything I do/Reminds me of you."

It would be remiss not to mention the strange 'Golden Autumn Day'. Musically quite beautiful, with Fiachna Trench's string arrangements to the fore, it veers into the most ill-fitting territory lyrically, with Van contemplating aloud the possibility of taking a couple of perps out into the fields and flogging them. Let's hope he's got that out of his system!

Otherwise it's a case of Back On Top equals Still On Top. The search for the philosopher's stone continues . . .