Keep Me Singing

Available 30-September-2016

Van Morrison's 36th Album

The Plain Dealer
Van Morrison was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in in 1993, a member of the same class that saw the enshrinement of such artists as Cream, the Doors, Dick Clark and Creedence Clearwater Revival, among others.

The question could be who is among the more illustrious company – them or him?

The difference is that most of those folks were brought into the Rock Hall well after their careers had peaked – and in some cases, after they had died. So it's safe to say that their best work was behind them.

Not so with Morrison, and his newest album, "Keep Me Singing,'' his first collection of new music in four years, is proof of that.

Morrison, now 70, formed his first band at the age of 12, and has been improving ever since.

His song "Brown-Eyed Girl'' is a staple for every classic rock cover band in the free world – and some bands in the not-so-free world. But as popular as it is, it's not his best tune; that would be "Into the Mystic.''

And that's why this album is so good: Every song on it, from the LP-opener "Let It Rhyme'' to the instrumental "Caledonia Swing,'' is a winner, on a par with "Into the Mystic.''

The 12 originals and lone cover – "Share Your Love With Me,'' previously covered by artists like Aretha Franklin and Kenny Rogers – allow Morrison to wrap his emotional baritone around the lyrics and give them meaning beyond the actual words.

"Too Late'' is a bit of that doo-wop skiffle sound that began his career. "Holy Guardian,'' with its "nobody knows the trouble I've seen lament,'' is a love song for the woman of his dreams.

One of the more touching songs is "Memory Lane,'' which is about exactly what it says. But it's great because it lets Morrison fans – especially those of us who view ourselves as contemporaries of the 70-year-old star – to sit back and recognize that is what's left for us, all without a trace of self-pity.

The only real hope is that this isn't the final address on any Morrison Memory Lane. Grade: A
-Chuck Yarborough, The Plain Dealer

Keep Me Singing
Van Morrison
Caroline International