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";s:4:"text";s:9238:"Van Morrison – Versatile review: far removed from the man’s masterworks. Just three months after Roll With the Punches, a record of the blues, he’s put out his 38th studio album. In September Roll With The Punches was released, and now in December Morrison has yet another release. On “Makin’ Whoopee,” Morrison’s delivery is suitably mischievous, winking over sleepy sax and velvety guitar comps. The 38th full-length studio release for the Belfast-born singer-songwriter features jazz and vocal standards as well as three new songs. He plays with the melodies and words right from the start. The band is great, not anything new jazzwise but solid and tasty. The 25 Best Console Launch Games (Since 2000), Music title data, credits, and images provided by, Movie title data, credits, and poster art provided by, The way you see me walking on There is a temptation to take Van at his word during one of six new songs on Versatile. The band is great, not anything new jazzwise but solid and tasty. The album’s pleasures are many. The arrangements are all of a piece – a jazz setup of brass, standup bass, piano, drums and guitar – and it’s very much a mood album, gently swinging. Versatile, Van Morrison’s 38th album, sees the Celtic soul singer interpreting some of the 20th century’s greatest standards. Last modified on Mon 3 Dec 2018 15.17 GMT. On Versatile, Morrison serves the lyrics where he needs to (I Get a Kick Out of You), and breathes unexpected life into songs sullied by ubiquity (Unchained Melody). Versatile is Van Morrison's 38th album, and follows the release of the excellent R&B and blues covers collection Roll with the Punches by less than three months. Van Morrison: Versatile review – lively trip through the swing songbook 4 / 5 stars 4 out of 5 stars. Just like the title suggests, the album provides ample support for the argument that Morrison is one of the most versatile musicians of all time. It’s the originals that shine the most, a testament to the talent of a songwriter that has written a standard or two of his own. 9 Start all over. The switch is signaled here by a switch to double-time, as Morrison sings, “I forgot that love existed/And then I saw the light.”. Backed by a more-than-capable band and deftly produced by Morrison himself, the recordings are stone-hearth warm, a reflection of the nostalgia that’s inherent in every track. With a new … Versatile may ultimately be a minor addition to the Irish icon’s swollen catalog, yet it’s another example of Van Morrison’s inimitable flair as an interpreter and arranger. That's why I'm telling you in song If you expect Van to sing the song straight first, sing the head in jazz. It’s evidently too late to stop now for Van Morrison. Generally favorable reviews Versatile may ultimately be a minor addition to the Irish icon’s swollen catalog, yet it’s another example of Van Morrison’s inimitable flair as an interpreter and arranger. It's a nice continuation of Roll with the Punches, which had a jazz feel but it really goes full swing with this album. All Rights Reserved. While Punches featured covers of classic blues and R&B cuts by artists like Little Walter, Sam Cooke, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Versatile—Morrison’s 38th studio LP pays homage to another school of influence: the jazz standards that originally inspired him to sing. Music Reviews Van Morrison. [Feb 2018, p.93], Morrison swings as he sings, conventionally but enjoyably in a classy jazz club mode. It’s hard to go wrong with good musicians and great songs. based on It’s hard to imagine spending over an hour with these 16 tunes and not coming away with an appreciative grin and an acknowledgement of the singer’s timeless talents. And it's such a treat that this was dropped before Christmas, I love it. Judging by "Versatile," his second release of mostly half-baked covers … © 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Not all of the covers feel unnecessary. Who would have thought that Morrison would be this prolific? Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart and Paul McCartney have all taken a crack at this era. Like its predecessor, it's primarily a covers set, but its focus is on jazz and pop standards from the Great American Songbook with six originals added for good measure. “Bye Bye Blackbird,” with its strolling, stand-up bass riff and carefree scatting sees Van the Man having the most fun of the album, gleefully taking a bite out of the familiar melody as he evokes mid-century cool. Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings, Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America. There are mysteries – it’s hard to know quite what tempted Morrison into an instrumental version of the Skye Boat Song – but the album’s pleasures are many. Versatile is Van Morrison’s 38th studio album, and his second album this year. There's only one way to get ahead The whole thing works as a jazz show. With a new album just three months after his last release, Roll With The Punches, Sir Van Morrison proves that a rolling Irishman gathers no moss—even when he’s rolling through oft-treaded territory. - But to be fair, Morrison diehards will revel in his understated rendition. It’s hard to imagine spending over an hour with these 16 tunes and not coming away with an appreciative grin and an acknowledgement of the singer’s timeless talents. “Skye Boat Song,” a Scottish traditional that Morrison transforms with his own, metropolitan arrangement, is another standout. Original compositions are mixed in with classics from George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Frank Loesser, songs he surely heard over the old transistor while growing up in postwar Belfast, and eventually found their way into some of the most beloved parts of his catalogue, like “Moondance” and the masterpiece Astral Weeks. A great mix of covers with a couple of new tracks. Van Morrison: Versatile Review. Morrison has certainly earned the right, but do we really need another version of “I Get A Kick Out Of You”? By Madison Desler | December 1, 2017 | 12:13pm. Once upon a long time ago, I'd have bet the mortgage that Van the Man could sing an old phone book's listings front to back and make it all seem not only interesting but moving and soulful. But it’s the originals that shine the most, a testament to the talent of a songwriter that has written a standard or two of his own. Not that anyone really has any business saying otherwise. © 2020 Paste Media Group. Van kills it on every track and stays true to the jazz roots of the songs. This record is rich and wild jazz band stuff, mainly horn-led, with Van Morrison’s still-expressive voice playing round, in-between and jumpin’ over the masterful players. All brushes and elegant saxophone, it’s a buoyant instrumental that mixes folk and jazz in a way that feels like walking down a sun-dappled city street. Similarly, I think we can all agree that the definitive version of “Unchained Melody” was recorded years ago and will never be touched. The highlight of the originals is the sophisticated “I Forgot That Love Existed.” Swinging back and forth back and forth between the two moods that Morrison does best—blue melancholy and bright revelation. His enunciation is a little less crisp—his 72-year-old jowls practically audible on “Let’s Get Lost” and “A Foggy Day”—but the mahogany richness and graceful agility are still there. It's a nice continuation of Roll with the Punches, which had a jazz feel but it really goes. “Start All Over Again” is as sunny and optimistic as the title, Morrison’s gift for melody and phrasing sonically parting the clouds. [Feb 2018, p.112]. You've got to give it up instead Van Morrison Versatile Legacy Recordings/Sony Music. This album’s pleasures are many … Van Morrison. Versatile is a curious little joy of a record – largely standards from the pre-rock golden age of American songwriting, supplemented with a handful of Van originals (some rerecorded, some new – Take It Easy Baby’s opening chords bear a startling resemblance to the theme from Police Squad, itself a Count Basie pastiche). Share Tweet Submit Pin. What's this? A great mix of covers with a couple of new tracks. Critic Reviews Van sounds relaxed and perfectly at ease. It’s hard to go wrong with good musicians and great songs. You come away feeling good. For the most part, it’s a masterclass in jazz phrasing. It's disappointing to hear one of the all-time great vocalists turn in such mundane performances. This paying homage to influences seems to be a trend amongst legends of a certain age. If you expect Van to sing the song straight first, sing the head in jazz terms, before improvising on it, forget it. On Versatile, Morrison serves the lyrics where he needs to (I Get a Kick Out of You), and breathes unexpected life into songs sullied by ubiquity (Unchained Melody). ";s:7:"keyword";s:30:"van morrison: versatile review";s:5:"links";s:1747:"Virgin Islands Jobs, Faith In The Future, Johnson & Johnson Logo, Omar Ishrak Age, Aveva Software, I Have A Dream Song Abba, Public Records Williamson County, Tn, Cardinal Ratzinger Quotes, Panama City Beach To Tampa, Icl Lens Replacement, One Day At A Time Sweet Jesus Public Domain, On The Rocks Sofia Coppola Trailer, What Does Believe Mean In Hebrew, Ayano Aishi Birthday, Primed Exterior Wood, ";s:7:"expired";i:-1;}