Too Bloody Much Tunes: Van Morrison's Massive Music Issue
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Excessive Tune Collection: Van Morrison grapples with a lavish challenge. - High Volume of Music Compositions: Van Morrison Faces the Wealthy Songwriter's Dilemma
Good ol' Van the Man ain't slowing down! The 79-year-old Scottish legend keeps pumping out music, causing a bloody hell of a backlog. Morrison himself admits it, stating, "New arrangements and projects just stack up, gathering dust." He's got so much tunes, he wonders if two albums a year would be a bloody nightmare!
Last year's "Remembering Now" helped clear the decks a bit. This new Van Morrison album features tunes he recorded ages ago. One of them, "Down To Joy," might sound familiar to keen film buffs. It was used in Kenneth Branagh's 2021 flick "Belfast," earning an Oscar nod.
"It should've been out years ago," Morrison grumbled. "It's just a matter of priorities and timing." Earlier cover albums like "Moving On Skiffle" and "Accentuate The Positive" grabbed the limelight instead.
The bluesy "Belfast," the title track, is also about the wee fella's birthplace and home, Belfast. "This is me. This is here. Back in Belfast. This is where it all began," he sings. "Feels like you never left where you started."
"Remembering Now" marks Van Morrison's return to original tunes in three goddam years, a bloody long gap for him. The man with the unique, unmistakable voice serves up a timeless blend of pop, folk, soul, blues, jazz, and country. Classic Morrison, indeed.
Studio fun 'gainst COVID frustration
Morrison whipped up these new tunes during the lockdown. During that time, he caused a stink with his frustration over some of the COVID restrictions and the ban on gigs.
"Got a lick of flak at the time," he shared, keepin' quiet about the juicy details. "So I just wanted to do something. Musicians just wanted to have a laugh. It weren't about makin' a bloody statement."
The melancholic "Haven't Lost My Sense Of Wonder" and the groovy soul number "Back To Writing Love Songs" are standouts. The lyrics for "Every Time I See A River" are by legendary songwriter Don Black, known for penning classics like "Diamonds Are Forever" and "(No Matter What)." "He keeps sendin' me lyrics, and it usually works out," Morrison said. "Were not gonna get technical here."
Morrison's secret: "Ain't about bein' popular"
"Remembering Now" makes it 47 songs on Van Morrison's studio discography, and he shows no sign of crackin'. He gives us his secret: " I come from jazz, not pop, not rock, nothing commercial." He takes a jazz approach, avoidin' the pop charts and the record industry manipulations.
"I ain't botherin' myself with what the audience thinks," the singer declared. "That ain't my job. My job is to make the music." And Van Morrison ain't finishin' any time soon – "There's still more tunes to be made."
- Van Morrison
- Music
- "Luxury Problem"
- Belfast
- Oscar
- Kenneth Branagh
- Jazz
- Coronavirus
- Don Black
"*♪ I'm not going to let you go ♪ ♪ I'm not going to let you go ♪" finds a home in Van Morrison's latest album, a collection of tunes recorded years ago but only released now due to "priorities and timing." With the release, Van Morrison signals his return to original music, a timeless blend of pop, folk, soul, blues, jazz, and country, reflecting his unique, unmistakable voice.
In the realm of lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, entertainment, and music, not everything vanity-driven matters to Van Morrison. Kenningham Street's own stays focused on his original roots, eschewing commercial success with an approach reminiscent of jazz that values creativity and authenticity over popularity.
