Jazzy-bluesy Terrain

A pause of about four years since the last studio album "Keep it simple" it has not been given to Van Morrison in 47 years. With "Born to Sing: No Plan B" Morrison presents a jazzy-bluesy plate. The disc runs just outside it snows, the smell of coffee in the cup, the wine is in the basement and the music fills the room.

Some comments refer to the cover and the title. Granted, the cover is not exactly succeeded well for my taste. But Van Morrison has always had a knack for giving strange cover in order or by waving at least. Here you can "Moondance" (but what), "Wavelength" (like me), the two spacy cover of "Beautiful Vision" or "inarticulate speech of the Heart", "Sense of Wonder" (front and rear, bizarre or ironic? Looks so terrible that it could almost be called again ...) or even the back of "Poetic Champions Compose". As we show, the man from Ulster in stippelig-stiff poses which instruments he plays on the disc so. The list goes on and probably still continue. In flattering light with a suitable environment, it can put to little or no or it is simply a matter of indifference to him either. To sell well as the product or type or

The title sounds only times also inappropriate for a singer with Morrisons format. Another reviewer noted here that such a title and Dieter Bohlen may occur for one of his countless productions Two-Kasper. But fits well Born to clone: ​​Plan A1 -Z999 ... better. On closer inspection, the title makes sense but. If you listen to his music, Early as "TB Sheets", "Vanlose Stairway" from the eighties or even later songs like "End of the Rainbow", then you hear that he was born to sing. A Plan B, for what?

May surprise Van Morrison fans and critics since about twenty years hardly, including? He fishes for a long time in the same waters and does not go to him ne charge with a mixture of jazz, blues and soul into the net, but Country or Skiffle, then he does not care probably how the goods valued in the market place, weighed and is filed. Especially the country and folk things are valued by many fans / critics negative. Innovative he was (approximately) to the inside Eighties, he probably will not again surprise us with a new sound.

I like "Born to Sing: No Plan B". The plate is homogeneous, smooth jazzy sound. An old-school disc and that fits well, ten good songs. In "Goin down to Monte Carlo" I like the organ figure to Morrisons song and a good band, a successful, relaxed number. "Born to Sing" is very classic, a trombone solo like old jazz recordings. "Mystic of the East" does not apply to Far Eastern enlightenment, but to Morrisons home, the East Belfast. Because its roots lie, as he cleaned windows ("Cleaning Windows") and found the love of jazz and blues. "End of the Rainbow" is a beautiful, moving song. When you hear how Morrison "So much for capitalism so much for materialism ..." sings, it's tangible real, what is going wrong. That money, the new God, the most that leaves unsatisfied. Even most of those who scramble and dance around the golden calf to gain a higher dose. "If in Money We Trust" deals with the same subject in a convincing manner. Jazzy, rhythmic accents, plus twists and turns Morrison text phrases. And for "Educating Archie" has the Belfast Cowboy also not get in touch with Springsteen, to better understand the man in the street (as it was advised in a previous review). I think the song is not condescending. Van Morrison is certainly not known as a protest singer, on the present board he takes but repeated comments on current financial and social crisis.

One may hold Van Morrison that he managed his inheritance and scattered his words well-known riffs in same old tunes. I see this not so. I find it beautiful as he classic look, but presents new songs like "Born to Sing" or the great Blues "Pagan Heart" in such a convincing manner.

In "Born to Sing: No Plan B" Van Morrison moved to familiar territory. I do not share the view that musicians like Morrison or Dylan have to reinvent the wheel again. That they have done so often enough. There may be works of Morrison that impress more or are subjectively considered better. But I have already made in Morrison, as well as in Dylan's experience that drives over time may be larger. Not impossible that I will eventually give the board also five star. And Morrison's current board can listen well and gives me joy. This requires not the famous bottle of red wine. Not even the snow, though it's nice that it's snowing now. Just his songs, his voice and the good-humored band.